Patent Description:
Recently, autonomous vehicles capable of being autonomously driven (autonomous driving) are developing. When driving of an autonomous vehicle is controlled, the definition of an operation design domain (ODD: Operational Design Domain) is needed. The ODD is determined from multiple conditions such as a road condition, geography condition, and environment condition.

However, for example, as roads deteriorate, the state of a condition forming the ODD may change from the state at the design time. On the domain (road section) outside the ODD, vehicles need to be prevented from being automatically driven.

As a technology useful for the above action, for example, <CIT> discloses an autonomous driving control unit. The autonomous driving control unit determines road deterioration based on deterioration of positioning accuracy by an in-vehicle sensor. The deteriorated road is excluded when a route is generated to generate a driving route suitable for autonomous driving. <CIT> relates to evaluating the risks associated with operating an autonomous or a semi-autonomous vehicle by using calculated route traversal values.

however, the autonomous driving control unit disclosed in <CIT> determines the deterioration of positioning accuracy when position information is undetectable or a white line is undetectable. This is considered to be a technology dedicated for determining deterioration of a road surface. For example, <CIT> describes that "the information relating to driving environment such as weather, air temperature, and an event date is usable as additional information" to determine accuracy deterioration. Specific usage of the additional information is not indicated at all.

In contrast, as above, the ODD of an autonomous vehicle is determined based on multiple conditions such as a road condition, geography condition, environmental condition, etc. In <CIT> using only deterioration of road surfaces as criteria for the determination, it is difficult to flexibly treat various events that may obstruct driving. A problem thus arises in managing safety driving domains for vehicles.

The present invention is made in consideration of the above point. To treat various events that may obstruct traveling, a driving domain management unit and a driving domain management method are proposed to manage domains where vehicles can be safely driven.

To solve the problem, the present invention provides a driving domain management unit according to claim <NUM> that manages driving domains for autonomous vehicles. The driving domain management unit includes: a change pattern setting portion that selects one of multiple typical patterns previously stored and patterning drivable domains to determine a driving permission domain permitting driving of the vehicles based on input information changing in time series; a driving condition monitor portion that collects event related information about an event causing deterioration of a road condition from the outside to determine the event based on the collected event related information; an exclusion domain management portion that determines an exclusion domain prohibiting driving of the vehicles based on the determination result by the driving condition monitor portion and the position information about the above event contained in the event related information used for the determination in preference to the driving permission domain indicated in the typical pattern; a distribution portion that distributes, to the vehicles, the typical pattern selected by the change pattern setting portion and the information about the exclusion domain determined by the above exclusion domain management portion or the typical pattern and the information based on the exclusion domain; and a data storage portion that stores the multiple typical patterns and the information about the exclusion domain.

To solve the problem, the present invention includes one or more autonomous vehicles according to claim <NUM> and a driving domain management unit communicatively connected to the vehicles to manage the driving domains for the vehicles. The driving domain management unit includes: a change pattern setting portion that determines a driving permission domain permitting driving of the vehicles by selecting one of typical patterns previously stored and patterning drivable domains based on input information changing in time series; a driving condition monitor portion that collects event related information about an event causing deterioration of a road condition from the vehicles to determine the event based on the collected event related information; an exclusion domain management portion that determines an exclusion domain prohibiting driving of the vehicles in preference to the driving permission domain indicated in the typical pattern based on a result of the determination by the driving condition monitor portion and the position information about the event contained in the event related information used in the determination; a distribution portion that distributes, to the vehicles, the typical pattern selected by the change pattern setting portion and the information about the exclusion domain determined by the exclusion domain management portion or the typical pattern and the information based on the exclusion domain; and/or a data storage portion that stores the multiple typical patterns and the information about the exclusion domain. A driving domain management system according to claim <NUM> is provided in which autonomous driving of the vehicles is permitted in the driving domain by using the information distributed from the distribution portion and performed.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides a driving domain management method according to claim <NUM> using the driving domair management unit that manages driving domains for autonomous vehicles. The method includes: a typical pattern selecting step of determining a driving permission domain permitting driving of the vehicles by selecting one of multiple typical patterns previously stored and patterning drivable domains based on the input information changing in time series; an event determination step of determining the event based on the collected event related information by collecting the event related information about the event causing deterioration of a road condition from the outside; an exclusion domain determination step of determining an exclusion domain permitting driving of the vehicles in preference to the driving permission domain indicated in the typical pattern based on the result of the determination at the event determination step and the position information about the event contained in the event related information used for the determination; and a distribution step of distributing, to the vehicles, the typical pattern selected at the typical pattern selection step and the information about the exclusion domain determined at the exclusion domain determination step or the typical pattern and the information based on the exclusion domain.

According to the present invention, domains where vehicles are safely drivable are manageable in response to various events that may obstruct driving.

Embodiments of the present invention are explained below in detail with reference to the drawings.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a driving domain management system <NUM> of the first embodiment of the present invention. As in <FIG>, the driving domain management system <NUM> includes a driving domain management unit <NUM>, a vehicle <NUM>, and a road side unit <NUM>.

The driving domain management unit <NUM> manages domains (driving permission domains) permitting driving of the vehicle <NUM> to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle <NUM> and the road side unit <NUM>. The vehicle <NUM> is capable of being autonomously driven (autonomous driving). corresponding to multiple vehicles autonomously driven within ranges of the driving permission domains managed by the driving domain management unit <NUM>. The vehicle <NUM> wirelessly transmits, to the driving domain management unit <NUM>, predetermined information (event related information mentioned later) collected by a vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM>. The multiple road side units <NUM> are installed, e.g., near roads to collect predetermined information (event related information) about roads or conditions around roads. For example, the units <NUM> corresponds to a monitor camera, a sensor, etc. The information collected by the road side units <NUM> is wirelessly transmitted to the driving domain management unit <NUM>. Internal configurations of the driving domain management unit <NUM> and vehicle <NUM> are explained below.

First, the internal configuration of the driving domain management unit <NUM> is explained. As in <FIG>, the driving domain management unit <NUM> includes a data storage portion <NUM>, a setting operation portion <NUM>, a change pattern setting portion <NUM>, a driving condition monitor portion <NUM>, an exclusion domain management portion <NUM>, and a distribution portion <NUM>.

The driving domain management unit <NUM> is, for example, a calculator having a wireless communication function. For example, in the driving domain management unit <NUM>, the data storage portion <NUM> is a storage inside or outside the calculator, the setting operation portion <NUM> is an I/O device such as a display, a keyboard, or a mouse, and the distribution portion <NUM> is a wireless communication interface provided to the calculator. The change pattern setting portion <NUM>, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM>, and the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> are achieved when a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executes predetermined programs.

The data storage portion <NUM> has a function to store data used in the driving domain management unit <NUM>. Specifically, the data storage portion <NUM> stores a map <NUM>, typical patterns <NUM>, and exclusion domain information <NUM>.

The map <NUM> is detailed map information about roads. For example, the map <NUM> is able to use road data including road link information commonly used in navigation systems. The map <NUM> may also include, for example, detailed information such as the number of lanes in each direction in each section of each road. When a range (autonomous driving domain) permitting autonomous driving of the vehicles <NUM> is determined, the information indicating the range of the autonomous driving domain is registered to the map <NUM>.

The typical patterns <NUM> are information indicating a domain (driving permission domain) permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM>. Various driving permission domains (or combinations of the domains) are previously standardized to multiple patterns and stored. In the definition of the operation design domain (ODD) for autonomous vehicles, it is common that a driving permission domain changes with a time condition (date, day of the week, time zone, etc.) and a weather condition (air temperature, weather, precipitation, etc.). Then, in the driving domain management unit <NUM>,
in a mode corresponding to the definition of the ODD about the vehicle <NUM>, the multiple typical patterns <NUM> are prepared for multiple types of driving permission domains and stored to the data storage portion <NUM>. To efficiently process information, each typical pattern <NUM> is provided with a pattern number as an identifier (in this example, typical pattern <NUM>, typical pattern <NUM>, or so on).

<FIG> explains images of the typical patterns <NUM>. The typical patterns 118A to 118C illustrated in <FIG> are examples of the typical patterns <NUM> that are set to have different driving permission domains for the same area. The pattern number of the typical pattern 118A is provided with the "typical pattern <NUM>. " The pattern number of the typical pattern 118B is provided with the "typical pattern <NUM>. " The pattern number of the typical pattern 118C is provided with the "typical pattern <NUM>.

When a specific driving permission domain is confirmed in <FIG>, all the roads (road links) in the target area are set as driving permission domains in the typical pattern <NUM> (typical pattern 118A). In contrast, in the typical pattern <NUM> (typical pattern 118B), some roads (road links) in the right half in the target area are set as driving prohibition domains prohibiting driving. In the typical pattern <NUM> (typical pattern 118C), half or more of roads (road links) are set as driving prohibition domains. The driving permission domains are limited to the lower left portion of the target area.

In the present embodiment, as in the typical patterns 118A to 118C illustrated in <FIG>, the "typical" patterns are prepared for driving permission domains. Thus, even when the driving permission domain is needed to be changed due to a schedule or occurrence/release of an event mentioned later, action is easily possible by changing the selected pattern (pattern number). This is expectable, e.g., to reduce the processing load and improve the processing speed.

The exclusion domain information <NUM> indicates "exclusion domains" that do not permit driving of the vehicles <NUM> irrespective of setting of the driving permission domains by the typical patterns <NUM> (that is, in preference to the setting of the driving permission domains by the typical patterns118). The exclusion domain information <NUM> is determined by the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> and held in the data storage portion <NUM>.

The setting operation portion <NUM> has a function to change setting of driving management for the vehicles <NUM> in response to manual operations of the user (dispatcher) to a dispatcher setting screen. Specifically, for example, the setting and selection of the driving permission domains (typical patterns <NUM>) and the exclusion domains (exclusion domain information <NUM>) are changeable. The setting operation portion <NUM> and the dispatcher setting screen are explained in detail in the modification <NUM> of the present embodiment mentioned later. <FIG> illustrates a specific example of the dispatcher setting screen.

The change pattern setting portion <NUM> selects the typical pattern <NUM> from multiple types of the typical patterns <NUM> prepared in the data storage portion <NUM> based on the information changing in time series (time information, weather information, etc.) to determine a domain (driving permission domain) permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM>. Specifically, for example, the change pattern setting portion <NUM> can select the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) based on time information according to a schedule of a predetermined time condition. Moreover, for example, the change pattern setting portion <NUM> can select the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) based on weather information according to a predetermined plan of a weather condition. The selection result of the typical pattern <NUM> by the change pattern setting portion <NUM> is then transmitted to the distribution portion <NUM>, for example, by the pattern number.

When there is a request about selection of the driving permission domain from the setting operation portion <NUM> in association with a manual operation by the dispatcher, the change pattern setting portion <NUM> selects the typical pattern <NUM> in response to the request.

<FIG> illustrates that the change pattern setting portion <NUM> acquires time information and weather information from outside the driving domain management unit <NUM>. The driving domain management system <NUM> of the present embodiment is not limited to such a configuration. That is, time information and weather information is not limited to external inputs and may acquire target information in the driving domain management unit <NUM>. For example, time information is acquired from a clock provided to the driving domain management unit <NUM>. The above time information and weather information are not limited to detailed information types. As one example, it is preferable that the above. time information and weather information correspond to time conditions (the date, a day of the week, a time zone, etc.) and weather conditions (air temperature, weather, precipitation, etc.) that are needed for the definition of the operation design domain (ODD) of the autonomous vehicles.

The driving domain management unit <NUM> receives predetermined information (also called event related information) about "events" that may influence driving permission or prohibition for the vehicles <NUM> from the outside (the vehicles <NUM> and the road side units <NUM>), and determines (detects) occurrence/release of the event based on the received information. The "event" mainly occurs suddenly to cause deterioration of a road condition, and specifically corresponds to traffic congestion, accidents, rockfalls, flooding, poor visibility, etc. The event related information received by the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> can be directed to various types of information relating to the above events. Specifically, for example, in addition to information about stay of vehicles such as traffic congestion and accidents, information about defects of roads such. as obstacles, flooding, icing, and deterioration and information about poor visibility such as fog, dust, and rainfall can be directed by the event related information. Any criterion of determination of occurrence/release of an event may be set using event related information.

The driving condition monitor portion <NUM> notifies the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> of "position information" indicating the determination result of occurrence/release of an event, the occurrence place of the event, etc..

Here, the "position information" about an event is explained in detail.

In the present embodiment, the position information about an event is included in the event related information collected from the outside (the vehicles <NUM> and the road side units <NUM>), and enables identification of the occurrence place of the event. For example, when an event in which a specific road is blocked due to a certain obstacle is assumed, it becomes important to identify the position and influence range (size) of the obstacle as the occurrence place of the event. Specifically, for example, to identify the position of the obstacle, latitude-longitude information or link ID information may be used. Specifically, for example, to identify the influence range of the obstacle, size information, type information, etc. about the obstacle may be used in addition to the link ID information.

Among the information, the latitude-longitude information indicates a center position of an obstacle or any endpoint of an obstacle by a latitude and longitude. When the latitude-longitude information is included in position information about an event, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> takes into account the size of an obstacle in addition to the latitude and longitude. The occurrence location of the event can be thus identified tocalculate an exclusion domain (exclusion range) where a road is closed due to the event. When the obstacle size in the event is not acquired individually, the exclusion domain may be calculated using a prepared fixed size (for example, <NUM> in width x <NUM> in length).

The link ID information indicates an occurrence place of an event by using a link ID that is an identifier previously applied to each "road link" indicated by linking nodes indicating feature points (an intersection, road turn, dead end road, etc.). The road link available in the present embodiment is not limited to one assigned a road in a predetermined section as one unit. The road link may be assigned a more specific road section such as a road lane (driving lane) as one unit. When a road link is assigned a more specific road section, the accuracy of position information about an event is improved to enable setting of an accurate exclusion domain.

<FIG> explains an image of position information by using link ID information. <FIG> illustrates a road including nine road links respectively applied link IDs "<NUM>" to "<NUM>. " Then, a situation in which the link ID "<NUM>" is reported as position information about a certain event is assumed. On the road of <FIG>, for example, before occurrence of an event, "point A," link ID "<NUM>," link ID "<NUM>," link ID "<NUM>," and "Point B" in this order can be considered as the shortest driving route from the point A to Point B. As the broken line in <FIG>, when the link ID "<NUM>" is reported as an event occurrence point, the road link of the link ID "<NUM>" is calculated as an exclusion domain (exclusion range) disabling driving. Thus, the driving route from the point A to point B takes a detour, specifically, for example, via "point A," link ID "<NUM>," link ID "<NUM>," link ID "<NUM>," link ID"<NUM>," link ID "<NUM>," and "point B" in this order.

In addition, in <FIG>, only the road link of the link ID "<NUM>" is set as the event occurrence point. Multiple link IDs can also be used as position information about an event. For example, on the road of <FIG>, when traffic congestion occurs in the straight section from the link ID "<NUM>" to link ID "<NUM>," the link IDs "<NUM>," "<NUM>," and "<NUM>" are reported as the position information about this event to easily enable identification of the occurrence point of the traffic congestion as a range.

As explained in reference to <FIG>, when event information uses link ID information, the road section including the event occurrence point can be correctly indicated using the minimum information amount. More processing load may be reduced than when latitude-longitude information is used. When event information uses link ID information, map information managing the correspondences among the link IDs is necessary in the driving domain management unit <NUM> and also in the vehicles <NUM> and road side units <NUM> that are transmission sources of the event related information in some configurations.

The size information about an obstacle indicates a size of the obstacle causing an event, and is used in the event information in combination with the latitude and longitude or link IDs. Moreover, type information about an obstacle indicates a type of the obstacle causing an event. Specifically; the type information may indicate an object type of the obstacle such as a "bicycle," "motorcycle," or "heavy truck" or a condition type of the obstacle such as "road crack," "flooding," and "icing. " When the type information about an obstacle is included in the position information about an event, the influence range of the obstacle can be determined or estimated accurately.

The explanation about the "position information" about an event has been made above. The position information about an event may be generated by adequately extracting information from the event related information that is received by the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> from the vehicles <NUM> or the road side units <NUM> and that is used to determine occurrence/release of the event. The position information may be generated after the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> performs a predetermined process to the information extracted from the event related information.

The explanation of the internal configuration of the driving domain management unit <NUM> is returned.

The exclusion domain management portion <NUM> determines an exclusion domain based on the information reported from the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> on occurrence/release of an event. As in the above description about the exclusion domain information <NUM>, the exclusion domain does not permit (prohibits) driving of the vehicles <NUM> in preference to the setting of the driving permission domain by the typical patterns <NUM>. That is, even in the driving permission domain set using the typical pattern <NUM> selected by the change pattern setting portion <NUM>, driving of the vehicles <NUM> is prohibited in the domain defined as the exclusion domain. The exclusion domain management portion <NUM> then generates the exclusion domain information <NUM> as information indicating the determined exclusion domain, transmits the generated exclusion domain information <NUM> to the distribution portion <NUM>, and stores the generated exclusion domain information <NUM> in the data storage portion <NUM>.

The distribution portion <NUM> distributes the information determined in the driving domain management unit <NUM> to the vehicles <NUM>. Specifically, for example, the distribution portion <NUM> distributes the typical pattern <NUM> selected in the change pattern setting portion <NUM> and the information about the exclusion domain information <NUM> determined in the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> to the vehicle control section <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the distribution method for the information using the distribution portion <NUM> is not limited to a specific distribution method. The method may distribute changed contents on changing information or may periodically distribute information. For example, with the configuration that holds the typical patterns <NUM> common in the driving domain management unit <NUM> and the vehicle <NUM>, when the change pattern setting portion <NUM> determines selection of the typical pattern <NUM> different from the former one, that is, when the typical pattern <NUM> is changed, the distribution portion <NUM> may distribute the pattern number (change pattern) corresponding to the changed typical pattern <NUM> to the vehicles <NUM>. For example, with the configuration in which multiple types of the typical patterns <NUM> are not held in the vehicle <NUM> but held only in the driving domain management unit <NUM>, the distribution portion <NUM> may distribute the information about the selected driving permission domain (selected typical pattern <NUM>) to the vehicles <NUM> one by one as needed.

Next, an internal configuration of the vehicle <NUM> is explained. As in <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> includes the data storage portion <NUM>, the vehicle control section <NUM>, the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM>, and a driving portion <NUM>.

The data storage portion <NUM> stores data used in the vehicle <NUM>, mainly various types of information used by the vehicle control section <NUM>. The data storage portion <NUM> is capable of storing, for example, map information for a navigation system (the same information as the map <NUM>) and multiple types of the typical patterns <NUM>. The data storage portion <NUM> stores the information (the change patterns, the exclusion domain information <NUM>, etc.) distributed from the distribution portion <NUM> of the driving domain management unit <NUM>.

The vehicle control section <NUM> controls autonomous driving by the vehicle <NUM>. Based on the information about the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) and the exclusion domain (exclusion domain information <NUM>) distributed from the driving domain management unit <NUM> and on the map information, the vehicle control section <NUM> finally determines the domain permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM> (driving permission determination domain), determines a driving route for the vehicles <NUM> in the domain, and controls driving of the vehicles <NUM>.

More specifically, the vehicle control section <NUM> can superimpose the driving permission domain in the selected typical pattern <NUM> onto the road link indicated in the map information, and further overwrites the part of the driving permission domain onto the driving prohibition domain, the part overlapping the exclusion domain in the exclusion domain information <NUM>. The driving permission determination domain for the vehicles <NUM> can be then determined. Under the restriction of the driving permission determination domain for the vehicles <NUM> determined in such a way, a driving route for the vehicles <NUM> is determined, e.g., using a navigation system (not shown).

The vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> recognizes a surrounding condition of a host vehicle, and specifically, collects information about the surrounding condition of the host vehicle with a sensor, a camera, etc. The vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> wirelessly transmits the information collected by the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> to the driving domain management unit <NUM> in adequate timing as event related information.

The driving portion <NUM> controls driving of the vehicle <NUM> based on the control of the vehicle control section <NUM>. The function of the driving portion <NUM> may be a common drive control function in an autonomous vehicle. The detail of the function is not explained.

As above, in the driving domain management unit <NUM> of the present embodiment, the change pattern setting portion <NUM> determines the driving permission domain by using the typical pattern <NUM> based on the information changing in time series (time information and weather information). Then, based on occurrence/release of an event, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> determines the exclusion domain prohibiting driving even on the driving permission domain of the typical pattern <NUM>. Referring to FIG. 4A, series of processes about this determination of the exclusion domain (exclusion domain management processing) are explained in detail below.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of exclusion domain management processing.

As a precondition for processing of <FIG>, in the driving domain management unit <NUM>, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> determines occurrence of an event or release of an occurring event based on the event related information received from the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> or from the road side unit <NUM> in accordance with a specific criterion. Then, when newly acquiring a determination result of occurrence or release of an event, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> reports the occurrence or release of the event and transmits the position information about the event to the exclusion domain management portion <NUM>.

At <FIG>, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> first determines whether the notice of the event occurrence is received from the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> (step S101). When the notice of the event occurrence is received at step S101 (YES at step S101), the flow proceeds to step S102. When the notice of the event occurrence is not received (NO at step S101), the flow proceeds to step S107 mentioned later.

At step S102, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> calculates a road range (exclusionrange) having a possibility to restrict driving of the vehicles <NUM> upon occurrence of an event based on the map <NUM> and position information about the event. In detail, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> identifies the occurrence place of the event from the position information about the event, determines whether the occurrence place of the event is within the range of the autonomous driving domain for the vehicles <NUM> in reference to the map <NUM>. When the place is within the range of the autonomous driving domain, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> calculates a road section that may be influenced by the event as the exclusion range.

In step S102, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> excludes, as the exclusion range, not only the event occurrence point but also the overall road sections before and after the point that is to be bypassed when the point is set to be prohibited from driving.

Next, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> references the map <NUM> to identify, from the exclusion range calculated at step S102, a road lane (exclusion domain) not permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM> actually (step S103). In detail, the exclusion range calculated at step S102 is the whole road that may be influenced by the event occurrence. In step S103, based on the influence range of the event identifiable from the position information about the event, only an actually influenced road lane is further extracted and set as the exclusion domain. Therefore, when only one specific lane of multiple road lanes can be determined to be in the influence range of the event from the position information of the event, this one lane is determined as the exclusion domain. Moreover, for example, when all the lanescan be determined to be in the influence range of the event from the position information about the event, the exclusion range calculated at step S102 is determined as the exclusion domain directly.

Step S103 is processed when an occurrence place of an event is identifiable using position information about the event on a road lane basis. Therefore, when the occurrence place of the event identifiable from the position information about the event remains in a unit of a road, the process of step S103 is unnecessary. The exclusion range calculated at step S102 may be then set as the exclusion domain.

Next, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> applies a unique identifier (exclusion domain ID) to the exclusion domain determined through Steps S102 to S103 (step S104), and registers the exclusion domain ID to the data storage portion <NUM> as the exclusion domain information <NUM> in association with the exclusion domain (step S105). Further, at step S105, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> transmits the registered the exclusion domain information <NUM> to the distribution portion <NUM>.

As a specific method of recording exclusion domains to the exclusion domain information <NUM>, when the driving domain management unit <NUM> and the vehicles <NUM> have map information provided with common identifiers for road links, road lanes, etc., the exclusion domains may be described using the above identifiers. When the driving domain management unit <NUM> and the vehicles <NUM> do not have map information provided with common identifiers for road links, road lanes, etc., the exclusion domains may be described using a mode not influenced by the map information (a latitude and longitude, a direction, a lane number, etc.).

When registered at step S105, the exclusion domain information <NUM> is preferably associated with a unique identifier (event ID) applied to the occurred event. Application of an event ID may be made by the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> when an occurrence of an event is determined or by the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> when an event is determined to occur in the range of the autonomous driving domain at step S102. In any case, the exclusion domain information <NUM> is associated with the event IDs. The driving condition monitor portion <NUM> is thus capable of identifying an occurring event to which the exclusion domain is set in reference to the exclusion domain information <NUM>. This is usable to determine release of the event.

Then, the distribution portion <NUM> distributes the information received from the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> to the vehicles <NUM> (the exclusion domain information <NUM> through step S105 and the exclusion domain ID of the exclusion domain information <NUM> through step S111 mentioned later) (step S106). In step S106, the distribution portion <NUM> may also distribute, to the vehicle <NUM>, the pattern number of the typical pattern <NUM> selected in the change pattern setting portion <NUM>. The vehicle <NUM> stores the information received by the vehicle control section <NUM> to the data storage portion <NUM>. After the process of step S106, the flow returns to the process of step S101.

In contrast, at step S107 transitioned when the notice of the event occurrence is not received at step S101, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> determines whether the notice of the event release is received from the driving condition monitor portion <NUM>. As described also in Step <NUM>, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> is capable of identifying that an event is occurring and determining that the occurring event is released based on the received event related information and notifies the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> of the determination result. An occurrence/release of an event may be determined by the vehicle <NUM> and the road side unit <NUM> as an example of another configuration. In this case, the determination result of the occurrence/release of the event from the vehicle <NUM> and road side unit <NUM> is reported to the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> via the driving condition monitor portion <NUM>.

When the notice of the event release is received at step S107 (YES at step S107), the flow proceeds to step S108. When the notice of event release is not received at step S107 (NO at step S107), the flow returns to step S101.

At step S108, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> calculates a road range (release range) having a possibility of releasing prohibition of driving of the vehicles <NUM> in response to the release of the event based on the map <NUM> and the position information about the event. Calculation of the release range at step S108 may use the calculation method for the exclusion range explained at step S102 by thinking from a different angle, and thus is not explained in detail.

Next, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> identifies a road lane (release domain) actually releasing prohibition of driving of the vehicles <NUM> from the release range calculated at step S108 in reference to the map <NUM> (step S109). Identification of the release domain at step S109 may use the identification method explained at step S103 by thinking from a different angle, and thus is not explained in detail. As well as at step S103, when an event occurrence point identifiable using event position information remains in a unit of a road, the process at step S109 is unnecessary. The release domain may use the release range calculated at step S108.

Next, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> retrieves the exclusion domain information <NUM> having an exclusion domain corresponding to the release domain determined through Steps S108 to S109 from the data storage portion <NUM>, and identifies the exclusion domain ID of the corresponding exclusion domain information <NUM> (step S110).

Next, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> deletes the exclusion domain information <NUM> of the exclusion domain ID identified at step S110 from the data storage portion <NUM> (step S111), and transmits the exclusion domain ID to the distribution portion <NUM>.

The distribution portion <NUM> distributes the exclusion domain ID received from the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> to the vehicles <NUM> (step S106). The vehicle <NUM> deletes, from the data storage portion <NUM>, the exclusion domain information <NUM> corresponding to the exclusion domain ID received by the vehicle control section <NUM>. After the process of step S106, the flow returns to the process of step S101.

The exclusion domain management processing is made as above, the exclusion domain is determined in the driving domain management unit <NUM>, and the exclusion domain information <NUM> is distributed to the vehicle <NUM>. Moreover, in the driving domain management system <NUM>, the pattern number of the typical pattern <NUM> selected in the change pattern setting portion <NUM> is also distributed from the driving domain management unit <NUM> to the vehicles <NUM>. In response to the distribution of the information, the vehicle control section <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> becomes able to determine the driving permission determination domain permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM> by combining the distributed information and the map information stored in the data storage portion <NUM>. Thus, the vehicle control section <NUM> determines a driving route for the vehicles <NUM> in the driving permission determination domain to allow the vehicles <NUM> to be driven on the safety driving route. That is, according to the driving domain management system <NUM> (driving domain management unit <NUM>) of the present embodiment, in response to various events that may obstruct driving, the domains where the vehicles <NUM> are safely driven are manageable.

The driving domain management system <NUM> of the first embodiment is not limited to the above explanation content and can derivatively use various modifications. Features of some modifications are explained below.

As above, in the driving domain management system <NUM>, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> receives the event related information about an event that needs restriction of driving of the vehicles <NUM> from the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> or the road side unit <NUM>. This event related information includes information collected from sensors and cameras provided to the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> or the road side unit <NUM>. Detection accuracies differ due to capabilities etc. of the sensors and cameras. The reliability of the event related information may thus change. The reliability changes due to vehicle types that collect the information.

In the first modification (modification <NUM>) of the driving domain management system <NUM>, a reliability is applied to event related information and an exclusion domain is determined in consideration of the reliability.

In the modification <NUM>, a reliability is previously set to each capability of the sensors and cameras of the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM> and the road side units <NUM> or to each vehicle type of the vehicles <NUM> including the vehicle surrounding recognition portion <NUM>. The collected event related information having the corresponding reliability is transmitted to the driving condition monitor portion <NUM>. As another example of a subject that applies a reliability, the driving condition monitor portion <NUM> may apply a reliability to each received event related information in dependence on a transmission source of the information. The reliability is not limited to one defined in dependence on a collection source of information. The reliability may be determined based on a type of an obstacle in an event (name of an obstacle) indicated by the collected information. In this case, by use of a likelihood when an obstacle name is statistically processed, the reliability may be applied to each event related information. In the following specific example, the reliability is indicated by numerical values "<NUM>" to "<NUM>. " As the numerical value is higher, the reliability is higher.

In the exclusion domain management processing in the modification <NUM>, when the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> receives the notice of an event occurrence from the driving condition monitor portion <NUM>, (YES at step S101 of <FIG>), In accordance with the reliability applied to targeted event related information, it is determined whether to proceed to the determination processing of an exclusion range and an exclusion domain (steps S102 and S103). Specifically, when the reliability is "<NUM>" or more, the flow proceeds to the determination processing of the exclusion range and the exclusion domain and when the reliability is less than "<NUM>," the flow returns to step S101 without proceeding to the determination processing of the exclusion range and the exclusion domain. Moreover, when the reliability is "<NUM>" or more and less than "<NUM>," exclusion domain statistical information (for example, assumed to be held on the data storage portion <NUM>) having accumulated past usage results about the determinations of exclusion domains are referenced. Then, when the event related information is recorded as a sufficient result, the flow proceeds to the determination processing of the exclusion range and the exclusion domain. When the event related information is not recorded as a sufficient result, the flow returns to step S101 without proceeding to the determination processing of the exclusion range and the exclusion domain.

In the modification <NUM>, the exclusion domain management processing is executed as above to be able to determine the exclusion domain in consideration of the reliability of the received event related information. Thus, after detection information (event related information) about various events that may obstruct driving is determined more accurately than in the first embodiment, management of driving domains for the vehicles <NUM> is realizable.

The static reliability is applied to the event related information in the explanation of the modification <NUM>. As anther example, a dynamic reliability may be set to a road section (for example, a road link) identified from position information about event related information. Specifically, for example, the reliability of a target road link is changed in accordance with a collection record of event related information. Only when an event occurs in a road link where the reliability is over a predetermined threshold, determination processing of an exclusion range and an exclusion domain is made. In contrast, when an event occurs in a road link where a collection record of the event related information is low due to, e.g., a low passage volume of vehicles, determination processing of the exclusion range and the exclusion may not be made due to the lowness of reliability.

As above, in the driving domain management system <NUM>, the change pattern setting portion <NUM> selects the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) based on information changing in time series (time information, weather information, etc.). Further, the driving domain management system <NUM> includes the setting operation portion <NUM> to be able to change setting of the driving management for the vehicles <NUM> in response to manual operations by the user (dispatcher) to the dispatcher setting screen. Such a driving domain management system <NUM> is explained as the second modification (modification <NUM>).

<FIG> illustrates an example of the dispatcher setting screen. The dispatcher setting screen <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> is an example of the screen for setting warehouse management of the autonomously driven vehicles <NUM> to transport packages between a warehouse and a factory building in the site of the business. The dispatcher setting screen <NUM> is displayed on a predetermined output device, and specifically, displayed on a display connected to the driving domain management unit <NUM> as a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

When the user (dispatcher) selects the button of a route optimization <NUM> on the dispatcher setting screen <NUM> of <FIG>, the driving domain management unit <NUM> or the vehicle <NUM> calculates an optimal driving route with a current setting out via the change pattern setting portion <NUM>. The calculated driving route is visually displayed on a plan map <NUM> on the right area of the dispatcher setting screen <NUM>. When the user (dispatcher) selects the button of a route plan <NUM>, the setting operation portion <NUM> can change a selection schedule of the typical patterns <NUM> held by the change pattern setting portion <NUM> (or the data storage portion <NUM>) or update the typical patterns <NUM> stored in the data storage portion <NUM>. Additionally, information about the typical pattern <NUM> or the exclusion domain information <NUM> stored in the data storage portion <NUM> can be displayed on the dispatcher setting screen <NUM>.

A condition for effectively changing the selection schedule of the typical patterns <NUM> by using the dispatcher setting screen <NUM> can include, for example, setting the selection schedule to change a driving route between in and outside business hours and setting the selection schedule for a temporary event such as a construction and an event in the site of the business differently from a normal schedule.

As above, in the modification <NUM>, not only selection of the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) based on the information changing in time series (time information, weather information, etc.) but also changing of selection of the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) in response to a request of the user are possible. The usability of the driving domain management system <NUM> is improvable.

The driving domain management system <NUM> of the present embodiment is explained as one that manages the driving domain to provide permission to the vehicles <NUM> based on selection of the typical pattern <NUM> and determination of the exclusion domain information <NUM>. Management targets using the driving domain management system <NUM> are not limited to the driving domains. For example, the driving domain management system <NUM> may change the driving condition (for example, a speed regulation and a regulation of a type of a drivable vehicle) of permission for the vehicles <NUM> based on selection of the typical pattern <NUM> and determination of the exclusion domain information <NUM>. The combination of the driving domain and the driving condition may be also changeable.

In the above processing method, when driving is prohibited in a newly determined exclusion domain and the vehicle <NUM> already exists in the determined exclusion domain, the vehicle <NUM> may become unable to autonomously move. In the driving domain management system <NUM> of the present embodiment, restriction in the driving domain based on the exclusion domain may be extended for the vehicles <NUM> existing in the exclusion domain until the vehicles <NUM> move to outside the exclusion domain. Alternatively, for example, when a serious event occurs, driving of the vehicles <NUM> existing in the exclusion domain may be controlled to be Immediately stopped.

The above various modifications are adequately applicable not only to the driving domain management system <NUM> of the first embodiment but also a driving domain management system of another embodiment of the present invention mentioned later.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a driving domain management system <NUM> of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the driving domain management system <NUM> of the first embodiment, a driving route for the vehicles <NUM> is determined by the vehicles <NUM>. The driving domain management systems <NUM> of the second embodiment differs in that a route generation portion <NUM> of a driving domain management unit <NUM> determines a driving route of a vehicle <NUM>. In the second embodiment, a difference from the first embodiment is mainly explained, and explanation about the common configuration and processing is not made.

As in <FIG>, the route generation portion <NUM> receives the change pattern of the driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) from the change pattern setting portion <NUM> and receives information (exclusion domain information <NUM>) about the exclusion domain from the exclusion domain management portion <NUM>. Selection of the typical pattern <NUM> by the change pattern setting portion <NUM> and determination of the exclusion domain information <NUM> by the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> are the same as in the first embodiment. Further, the route generation portion <NUM> acquires information about a current position (vehicle position) of the vehicle <NUM> from a vehicle control section <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> via a communication portion <NUM>. The communication portion <NUM> has a function to receive predetermined information from the vehicle <NUM> in addition to a function of the distribution portion <NUM> that distributes information to the vehicles <NUM> (vehicles <NUM>).

The route generation portion <NUM> configured as above has a function to generate a driving route for the vehicles <NUM> based on the information about the received driving permission domain (typical pattern <NUM>) and the received exclusion domain (exclusion domain information <NUM>), the map information (map <NUM>) stored in the data storageportion <NUM>, and the information about a vehicle position acquired from the vehicle <NUM>. In detail, first, the route generation portion <NUM> superimposes the typical pattern <NUM> and the exclusion domain information <NUM> onto the map <NUM> to determine the final domain (driving permission determination domain) permitting driving of the vehicles <NUM>, and next generates an optimal driving route for the vehicles <NUM> in the driving permission determination domain. The route generation portion <NUM> distributes the generated driving route to the vehicles <NUM> via the communication portion <NUM>. The vehicle control section <NUM> controls the autonomous driving of the vehicles <NUM> according to the distributed driving route.

As above, in the second embodiment, the driving domain management unit <NUM> determines the driving route for the autonomously driven vehicles <NUM>. In addition to the advantageous effect acquired in the first embodiment, the advantageous effect that the management of driving of the vehicles <NUM> is made more rigid is acquirable. In the second embodiment, the vehicle <NUM> does not need to receive the information about the typical pattern <NUM> and the exclusion domain information <NUM> from the communication portion <NUM>. Compared with in the first embodiment, a communication amount between the driving domain management unit <NUM> and the vehicle <NUM> is reduceable. Particularly, when the exclusion domain information <NUM> determined in the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> in response to occurrence of an event has low relationship with the area where the vehicle <NUM> is being driven (away from the domain where the vehicle <NUM> is being driven), distribution of the exclusion domain information <NUM> is harmful for the vehicle <NUM> due to increase in the communication amount. According to the second embodiment, such a disadvantage is solvable.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a driving domain management system <NUM> of the third embodiment of the present invention. The driving domain management system <NUM> of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the driving domain management system <NUM> of the first embodiment but is different from the first embodiment in that the driving domain management system <NUM> includes a driving history management portion <NUM>. In the third embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is mainly explained, and the common components and processes are not explained.

As in <FIG>, the driving history management portion <NUM> periodically acquires information about a current position (vehicle position) of the vehicle <NUM> from a vehicle control section <NUM> of a vehicle <NUM> to accumulate the driving history (driving record) of the vehicle <NUM> into a storage area of the driving history management portion <NUM> (or the data storage portion <NUM> is also available). The information about the vehicle position may be transmitted from the vehicle control section <NUM> to the driving history management portion <NUM> via an unillustrated communication portion.

In the third embodiment, the vehicle <NUM> includes multiple vehicles managed by the driving domain management unit <NUM>. It is assumed that each vehicle <NUM> has a different vehicle size. Then, the driving history management portion <NUM> accumulates information about a vehicle position received from each vehicle <NUM> as driving records by distinguishing the types (for example, based on vehicle sizes, explained using a large vehicle and a small vehicle) of the vehicles <NUM> from each other by each road or road lane including vehicle positions (for example, using a road link as a unit). The driving history management portion <NUM> may acquire and accumulate vehicle positions as driving records not only from the vehicles <NUM> whose driving domains are controlled by the driving domain management unit <NUM> but also from vehicles other than the vehicles <NUM>, such as vehicles other than autonomous vehicles. In that case, more driving records can be accumulated to improve the reliability and accuracy of the information. The driving history management portion <NUM> predetermines the following exclusion domains based on the accumulated driving records.

The predetermination of the exclusion domain is made to set the "exclusion domain" to a road section (for example, a road link) meeting a predetermined condition based on a driving history before determination of the exclusion domain (exclusion domain information <NUM>) by the exclusion domain management portion <NUM>. The "exclusion domain" set in the predetermination of the exclusion domain is also called a "specified exclusion domain" to be distinguished from the "exclusion domain" determined by the exclusion domain management processing of <FIG>.

In the predetermination of the exclusion domain, the driving history management portion <NUM> first sets the specified exclusion domain for large vehicles to a road link having no driving record. 'In this case, setting is not particularly applied to small vehicles. Then, when a driving record by a small vehicle is acquired in the specified exclusion domain dedicated for large vehicles, the driving history management portion <NUM> releases the exclusion setting for large vehicles in the specified exclusion domain. That is, the specified exclusion domain is not set to large vehicles or small vehicles. In this example, vehicle size types of the vehicles <NUM> are explained as two types, large vehicles and small vehicles for convenience. The specified exclusion domain may be actually set to more types of vehicles.

The result of the predetermination of the above exclusion domain by the driving history management portion <NUM> is reported to the exclusion domain management portion <NUM>, and then reflected in the determination of the exclusion domain information <NUM>. Specifically, when the driving history management portion <NUM> sets the specified exclusion domain for large vehicles, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> certainly includes the set specified exclusion domain in the exclusion domain in determining the exclusion domain information <NUM> for the vehicles <NUM> that are large vehicles. When the setting of the specified exclusion domain for the large vehicles is released, the exclusion domain management portion <NUM> performs exclusion domain management processing of <FIG> to determine the exclusion domain information <NUM> for the vehicles <NUM> without specific restrictions.

In the third embodiment as above, the specified exclusion domain is set based on the driving histories of the multiple vehicles <NUM>. The histories are sorted by vehicle size and accumulated. Thus, even when the event related information collected from the vehicles <NUM> or the road side units <NUM> is poor, roads and environment conditions are not sufficiently understood, and it is thus difficult to determine the exclusion domain on which driving is to be prohibited, occurrence of an event obstructing driving can be estimated to distribute to safety driving control of the vehicles <NUM>. Particularly, when many road sections disabling driving are present, for example, when disaster occurs, it is known that large vehicles are likely to become stranded. According to the present embodiment, only driving of small vehicles first is permitted (the specified exclusion domain is set to large vehicles). After that, driving of large vehicles is permitted when driving histories of small vehicles are acquired. Unexpected troubles of large vehicles are thus avoidable. The present embodiment can expect a particularly great advantageous effect in a road section on which detection of the event related information by the road side units <NUM> is insufficient due to failure or uninstallation of the road side units <NUM>.

The present invention is not limited to each above embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, each above embodiment is explained in detail for easy understanding, and not necessarily limited to one including all the explained configurations. It is possible to replace part of a configuration of an embodiment with a configuration of another embodiment. It is also possible to add, to a configuration of an embodiment, a configuration of another embodiment. For example, when adding the concept of the reliability explained in the modification <NUM> of the first embodiment to the driving domain management system <NUM> of the third embodiment, the eventrelated information and the driving record may be combined with each other to apply the reliability to each road section (road link etc.). In this case, for example, the reliability for the road link having no driving record is reduced and the reliability is raised when the driving record is acquired. The exclusion domain can be thus determined based on the statistical information and reliability of the exclusion domain. Additions, deletions, and substitutions can be made in some configurations of each embodiment by using other configurations.

Part or all of the above configurations, functions, processing portions, processing units, etc. may be achieved using hardware, e.g., by a design using an integrated circuit. Each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be achieved using software when a processor interprets and executes a program that realizes each function. The information including a program, a table, a file, etc. that realize each function can be stored on a recording device such as a memory, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or on a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, and a DVD.

Claim 1:
A driving domain management unit that manages a driving domain for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a change pattern setting portion (<NUM>) that selects one of a plurality of typical patterns (<NUM>) previously stored and patterning autonomously drivable domains based on input information changing in time series to determine a driving permission domain permitting autonomous driving of the vehicle (<NUM>);
a driving condition monitor portion (<NUM>) that collects event related information about an event causing deterioration of a road condition from an outside (<NUM>, <NUM>) to determine the event based on the collected event related information;
an exclusion domain management portion (<NUM>) that determines an exclusion domain (<NUM>) prohibiting autonomous driving of the vehicle (<NUM>) in preference to the driving permission domain indicated by the typical pattern (<NUM>) based on a result of the determination by the driving condition monitor portion (<NUM>) and on position information about the event included in the event related information used for the determination;
a distribution portion (<NUM>) that distributes the typical pattern (<NUM>) selected by the change pattern setting portion (<NUM>) and the information about the exclusion domain (<NUM>) determined by the exclusion domain management portion (<NUM>) or the change pattern and the information based on the exclusion domain (<NUM>); and
a data storage portion (<NUM>) that stores the multiple typical patterns (<NUM>) and the information about the exclusion domain (<NUM>).