CN108791296B

CN108791296B - Vehicle control system and vehicle control method

Info

Publication number: CN108791296B
Application number: CN201810618925.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 徐少阳
Original assignee: WM Smart Mobility Shanghai Co Ltd
Current assignee: WM Smart Mobility Shanghai Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-15
Filing date: 2018-06-15
Publication date: 2020-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-15
Also published as: CN108791296A

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method, which are used for a vehicle with automatic driving, and the vehicle control system comprises: the detection module is used for detecting the behavior ability of the driver; and the control module is used for judging whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement or not, and if not, locking the manual driving control component of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode. According to the vehicle control system and the vehicle control method provided by the invention, the manual driving and automatic driving modes of the vehicle are adjusted in time by judging whether the driver has the driving capability, so that the vehicle is always in safe and reliable control, and dangerous driving and possibly caused traffic accidents caused by the fact that the driver does not have the driving capability to control the vehicle are effectively avoided.

Description

Vehicle control system and vehicle control method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of vehicle control, and more particularly to the field of vehicle control with an autopilot function.

Background

With the progress of technology, unmanned vehicles are rapidly developed. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issued a five-level standard for automotive automation to cope with the explosive growth of active Safety technologies of automobiles, specifically: level 0: no automatic driving: the driver can control the running of the automobile at all times, including braking, steering, throttle and power transmission. Any driving assistance technology, as long as a person is still required to control the automobile, belongs to Level 0.

Level 1: with automatic driving with specific functions, the driver is still responsible for driving safety, but some functions have been performed automatically, such as common Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Lane Keeping (LKS). The method is characterized in that the Level 1 has only a single function, and a driver cannot control hands and feet simultaneously.

Level 2: in the automatic driving with the composite function, a driver can not operate the automobile under certain preset environments, namely hands and feet leave the control at the same time, but the driver still needs to be responsible for driving safety and is ready to take over the driving right of the automobile in a short time at any time. Such as a car following function combining ACC and LKS. The core of Level 2 is not to have more than two functions, but rather that the driver can no longer be the primary operator.

Level 3: unmanned driving with limited conditions, vehicles automatically drive and bear the responsibility of building safety in a preset Road section (such as a high-speed urban Road section with less people flow), and drivers still need to take over the vehicles at some time, but have enough early warning time, such as a Road work ahead (Road work ahead) to enter a Road repair. Level3 will liberate the driver, i.e. no longer be responsible for driving safety, and it is not necessary to monitor the road conditions.

Level 4: and (4) unmanned driving under all working conditions. The automobile does not have a driver any more, only needs the information of a starting point and an end point, is in charge of driving safety in the whole process, and does not depend on the interference of the driver at all. When the vehicle is driven, no one can ride the vehicle (such as empty freight).

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published similar standards for Automotive automation in 2013, which details the state between Level3 and Level4 published by NHTSA, specifically: level0 (without automation): the car is operated by a human driver in full authority, and can be assisted by a warning and protection system during driving.

Level 1 (driving support): the driving assistance is provided for one of the operation of the steering wheel and the acceleration/deceleration by the driving environment, and the operation of the other driving operation is performed by the human driver.

Level 2 (partially automated): the driving support is provided for a plurality of operations in the steering wheel and acceleration/deceleration by the driving environment, and other driving actions are operated by the human driver.

Level3 (conditional automation): all driving operations are completed by the unmanned system. Upon request of the system, the human driver provides an appropriate response

Level4 (highly automated): all driving operations are completed by the unmanned system. Depending on the system request, the human driver does not necessarily need to respond to all system requests, define road and environmental conditions, etc.

Level 5 (fully automated): all driving operations are completed by the unmanned system. The human driver takes over when possible. Driving under all road and environmental conditions.

In a vehicle having an unmanned function, particularly an unmanned function of L3 or L4 or more, when the vehicle is used, if a driver is drunk driving, tired driving, or the like, the driver is involved in driving the vehicle and is likely to cause dangerous driving, and in such a case, the driver is not suitable to be involved in controlling the vehicle to run.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In order to achieve the above object and prevent a driver who does not have a driving ability from operating a vehicle, the present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, for a vehicle having an automatic driving, the vehicle control system comprising: the detection module is used for detecting the behavior ability of the driver; and the control module is used for judging whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement or not, and if not, locking the manual driving control component of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the detection module includes: the control module judges that the behavior of the driver does not accord with the manual driving ability on the basis that the alcohol content is larger than a first preset threshold value.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the alcohol detection unit includes a breath alcohol detection subunit and/or a skin alcohol detection unit.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the detection module includes: the control module judges that the behavior of the driver does not conform to the manual driving capability based on the fact that the fatigue index of the driver is larger than a second preset threshold value.

In the vehicle control system, the fatigue driving detecting unit may include a facial recognition sensor for detecting facial expression characteristics of the driver and calculating the mental fatigue index based on the facial expression characteristics.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the manual driving control component includes a steering column structure connected between a steering wheel and a steering engine of the vehicle, and the control module locks the steering column structure if the manual driving requirement is not met.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the steering column structure includes a steering column tube and a steering shaft penetrating through the steering column tube, the steering shaft has a spline structure on a surface thereof, the steering shaft includes a first steering shaft and a second steering shaft which are separated from each other, the first steering shaft is coupled to the steering wheel, the second steering shaft is coupled to the steering machine, a sliding sleeve is provided in the steering column tube, an inner surface of the sliding sleeve has a spline structure corresponding to the surface of the steering shaft, the sliding sleeve has a first position and a second position in an axial direction in the steering column tube, when the sliding sleeve is located in the first position, the sliding sleeve is respectively coupled to the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft by the spline structure, and the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft are interlocked to form an interlocked state of the steering column structure, if the manual driving requirement is not met, the control module controls the sliding sleeve to move to the second position, the sliding sleeve is coupled with one of the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, and the first steering shaft is separated from the second steering shaft to form a separated state of the steering column structure.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the manual driving control component includes a brake pedal structure, and if the manual driving request is not met, the control module locks the brake pedal structure.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the brake pedal structure includes a pedal arm, a rotatable stopper is disposed on the pedal arm, the brake pedal structure includes a baffle plate with a through hole, the through hole has a shape corresponding to a contour of the stopper, the brake pedal structure includes an unlocked state and a locked state, when the stopper is rotated to a predetermined position corresponding to the through hole, the stopper passes through the through hole along with the movement of the pedal arm to form the unlocked state, and if the manual driving requirement is not met, the control module controls the stopper to rotate to deviate from the predetermined position, and the stopper is stopped by the baffle plate, so that the pedal arm is prevented from moving to form the locked state.

In the vehicle control system, optionally, the control module includes a VCU controller.

The invention also provides a vehicle control method, which is used for a vehicle with automatic driving, the vehicle comprises a detection module, and the vehicle control method comprises the following steps: the control detection module detects the behavior ability of a driver; and determining whether the behavior ability of the driver meets a manual driving requirement, and if not, locking a manual driving control component of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode.

In the vehicle control method, optionally, the detection module includes an alcohol detection unit, the controlling the detection module to detect the behavior ability of the driver includes controlling the alcohol detection unit to detect an alcohol content in a body of the driver, and the determining whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement includes determining that the behavior of the driver does not meet the manual driving ability based on the alcohol content being greater than a first preset threshold.

In the vehicle control method, optionally, the detection module includes a fatigue driving detection unit, the control of the detection module to detect the behavior ability of the driver includes controlling the fatigue driving detection unit to detect a mental fatigue index of the driver, and the determining whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement includes determining that the behavior of the driver does not meet the manual driving ability based on the fatigue index of the driver being greater than a second preset threshold.

As in the vehicle control method, optionally, the fatigue driving detecting unit includes a facial recognition sensor, and the controlling the fatigue driving detecting unit to detect the mental fatigue index of the driver includes controlling the facial recognition sensor to detect facial expression features of the driver and calculating the mental fatigue index based on the facial expression features.

In the vehicle control method, the manual driving control means may include a steering column structure connected between a steering wheel and a steering gear of the vehicle, and the locking the manual driving control means of the vehicle may include locking the steering column structure.

In the vehicle control method, optionally, the steering column structure includes a steering column tube and a steering shaft penetrating through the steering column tube, the steering shaft has a spline structure on a surface thereof, the steering shaft includes a first steering shaft and a second steering shaft which are separated from each other, the first steering shaft is coupled to the steering wheel, the second steering shaft is coupled to the steering machine, a sliding sleeve is provided in the steering column tube, an inner surface of the sliding sleeve has a spline structure corresponding to the surface of the steering shaft, the sliding sleeve has a first position and a second position in an axial direction in the steering column tube, when the sliding sleeve is located at the first position, the sliding sleeve is respectively coupled to the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, and the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft are interlocked to form an interlocked state of the steering column structure, the locking of the steering column structure includes controlling the sliding sleeve to move to the second position, the sliding sleeve being coupled to one of the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, the first steering shaft being separated from the second steering shaft to form a separated state of the steering column structure.

In the vehicle control method, the manual driving control component may include a brake pedal structure, and the locking the manual driving control component of the vehicle may include locking the brake pedal structure.

In the vehicle control method, optionally, the brake pedal structure includes a pedal arm, a rotatable stopper is disposed on the pedal arm, the brake pedal structure includes a baffle plate with a through hole, the through hole has a shape corresponding to a contour of the stopper, the brake pedal structure includes an unlocked state and a locked state, the stopper passes through the through hole along with movement of the pedal arm when the stopper is rotated to a predetermined position corresponding to the through hole, so as to form the unlocked state, and the locking of the brake pedal structure includes controlling the stopper to rotate away from the predetermined position, the stopper being stopped by the baffle plate, so as to prevent movement of the pedal arm, so as to form the locked state.

The invention also provides a vehicle control device for a vehicle with automatic driving, comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is stored with computer instructions, and the processor implements the steps of the vehicle control method when executing the computer instructions.

The present invention also provides a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the vehicle control method as described above.

According to the vehicle control system and the vehicle control method provided by the invention, the manual driving and automatic driving modes of the vehicle are adjusted in time by judging whether the driver has the driving capability, so that the vehicle is always in safe and reliable control, and dangerous driving and possibly caused traffic accidents caused by the fact that the driver does not have the driving capability to control the vehicle are effectively avoided.

Drawings

The above features and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood upon reading the detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar relative characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system provided by the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a flow chart illustrating a vehicle control method provided by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a detection module provided by the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a control module provided by the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a manual driving component provided by the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a front view of a brake pedal provided by the present invention.

Fig. 6A is a partially enlarged schematic view showing an unlocked state of the first embodiment of the brake pedal provided by the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a partially enlarged schematic view showing a locked state of the first embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a partially enlarged schematic view illustrating an unlocked state of a second embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 7B is a partially enlarged schematic view showing a locked state of the second embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 8A is a partially enlarged schematic view showing an unlocked state of the third embodiment of the brake pedal provided by the present invention.

Fig. 8B is a partially enlarged schematic view showing a locked state of the third embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a partially enlarged schematic view showing an unlocked state of the fourth embodiment of the brake pedal provided by the present invention.

Fig. 9B is a partially enlarged schematic view showing a locked state of the fourth embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 10A is a partially enlarged schematic view showing an unlocked state of the fifth embodiment of the brake pedal provided by the present invention.

Fig. 10B is a partially enlarged schematic view showing a locked state of the fifth embodiment of the brake pedal according to the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view showing a separated state of a steering column structure provided by the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view showing a linkage state of a steering column structure provided by the present invention.

Fig. 13A shows a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the sliding sleeve provided by the present invention.

FIG. 13B shows a close-up view of an embodiment of a slip sleeve provided by the present invention.

Reference numerals

Detection module 100

Alcohol detection unit 110

Fatigue driving detection unit 120

Control module 200

VCU controller 210

Manual steering component 300

Brake pedal 400

Brake pedal base 411

Pedal arm 412

Stoppers

413, 423, 433, 443, 453, 463

Main body 4231

Stop block 4232

Baffles

414, 424, 434, 444, 454, 464

Through

holes

4241, 4341, 4441, 4541, 4641

Dog shaft 425

Rotating electric machine 426

Steering column 500

First steering shaft 511

Second steering shaft 512

Steering column tube 520

Stop block 521

Sliding sleeve 530

Sliding sleeve inner tube 531

Sliding sleeve outer tube 532

Bearing 533

Stop tooth 534

Drive mechanism 540

Detailed Description

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the figures and specific embodiments. It is noted that the aspects described below in connection with the figures and the specific embodiments are only exemplary and should not be construed as imposing any limitation on the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention provides a vehicle control system for a vehicle equipped with automatic driving. FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system provided by the present invention, the vehicle control system comprising: a detection module 100 for detecting a driver's performance; and a control module 200 for determining whether the driver's performance meets the manual driving request, and if not, locking the manual driving control part 300 of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode.

FIG. 1B is a flow chart illustrating a vehicle control method provided by the present invention. When the vehicle is ready in step S101, step S102 is executed, the control detection module detects the behavior ability of the driver and transmits the detection result to the control module, and then step S102 is executed, the control module judges whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement according to the detection data, if so, the control module returns to step S101 and prepares to detect the behavior ability of the driver again in the form process. If not, step S104 is executed, and the control module controls a manual driving control component of the locked vehicle to enable the vehicle to enter an automatic driving mode.

Specifically, the detection module 100 provided by the present invention may include an alcohol detection unit 110 and/or a fatigue driving detection unit 120, as shown in fig. 2.

In an embodiment where the detection module 100 includes the alcohol detection unit 110, in step S102, the control module 200 controls the detection module 100 to detect the behavioral ability of the driver including controlling the alcohol detection unit 110 to detect the alcohol content in the body of the driver. In step S103, determining whether the driver 'S performance capability meets the manual driving demand includes determining that the driver' S performance does not meet the manual driving capability based on the detected alcohol content being greater than the first preset threshold. More specifically, the alcohol detecting unit 110 may be a breath alcohol detecting subunit and/or a skin alcohol detecting unit that are provided in advance. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the alcohol detecting unit 110 may also be used by other existing or future devices for detecting alcohol concentration of a human body, and is not limited to the above examples.

In an embodiment where the detection module 100 includes the fatigue driving detection unit 120, in step S102, the control module 200 controls the detection module 100 to detect the behavioral ability of the driver including controlling the fatigue driving detection unit 120 to detect the mental fatigue index of the driver. In step S103, determining whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving demand includes determining that the behavior of the driver does not meet the manual driving ability based on the fatigue index of the driver being greater than a second preset threshold. More specifically, the fatigue driving detecting unit 120 may be a facial recognition sensor, and in an embodiment where the fatigue driving detecting unit 120 is a facial recognition sensor, the control module 200 controls the fatigue driving detecting unit 230 to detect the mental fatigue index of the driver in step S102 includes controlling the facial recognition sensor to detect facial expression features of the driver and calculating the mental fatigue index based on the facial expression features. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the fatigue driving detecting unit 120 may also be implemented by other existing or future devices for detecting mental fatigue of a human body, and is not limited to the above examples.

As shown in fig. 3, the control module 200 provided by the present invention may be a VCU controller 210. The VCU controller 210 is a core electronic control unit that can implement the overall vehicle control decision. The VCU controller 210 may determine the driving intention of the driver by collecting signals of an accelerator pedal, a gear, a brake pedal, and the like. The information of the vehicle state (vehicle speed, temperature and the like) can be monitored, the VCU controller 210 judges and processes the information, and then the running state control instruction of the vehicle is sent to the power system and the power battery system, and meanwhile the working mode of the vehicle-mounted accessory power system is controlled. The VCU controller 210 also has the functions of vehicle system fault diagnosis protection and storage.

As shown in FIG. 4, the manual steering component 300 provided by the present invention may include a brake pedal 400 and/or a steering column 500. The brake pedal 400 has an unlocked state corresponding to a state in which manual driving is permitted and a locked state corresponding to a state in which manual driving is not permitted. The steering column 500 has an interlocked state corresponding to a state in which manual driving is permitted and a separated state corresponding to a state in which manual driving is not permitted.

Please refer to fig. 5-10B to understand the details of the brake pedal 400 provided by the present invention. Fig. 5 shows a front view of a brake pedal provided by the present invention. As shown in fig. 5, a brake pedal structure is provided on the brake pedal base 411, and the brake pedal arm 412 reciprocates in response to the stepping of the driver, and according to the degree of the movement, converts into the friction force of the wheel against the ground, thereby performing a braking function. A rotatable stopper 413 is provided on the pedal arm 412 to reciprocate together with the pedal arm 412 in response to the stepping of the driver, and at the same time, the stopper 413 is rotatable within a plane in which the stopper 413 is located. The brake pedal structure comprises a baffle 414 with a through hole, and the shape of the through hole arranged on the baffle 414 is consistent with the contour shape of the stop 413. The brake pedal structure comprises an unlocking state and a locking state, when the stop piece 413 rotates to a preset position corresponding to the through hole, the stop piece 413 penetrates through the through hole along with the movement of the pedal arm 412 to form the unlocking state; when the stopper 413 rotates to deviate from a predetermined position, the stopper 413 is stopped by the stopper 414, thereby preventing the pedal arm 412 from moving, resulting in a locked state.

The above-described unlocked state corresponds to the state in which the driver is allowed to intervene in the drive-controlled vehicle as described above, and the above-described locked state corresponds to the state in which the driver is not allowed to intervene in the drive-controlled vehicle, such as drunk driving, and fatigue driving, as described above.

When the stopper 413 is at the predetermined position, the shape of the stopper 413 projected in the plane of the baffle 414 can be completely covered by the shape of the through hole provided in the baffle 414, and thus, at the predetermined position, the stopper 413 is aligned to match the position of the through hole, so that at the predetermined position, the stopper 413 can smoothly pass through the through hole by the pedal arm 412. In the unlocked state, the stop 413 does not act to block the movement of the pedal arm 412. When the stopper 413 deviates from the above-mentioned predetermined position, the shape of the stopper 413 projected in the plane of the shutter 414 cannot be completely covered by the through-hole shape provided on the shutter 414, and thus, in the case of deviating from the above-mentioned predetermined position, the part of the stopper 413 which is not covered by the through-hole shape is blocked by the shutter 414, thereby preventing the movement of the pedal arm 412.

Fig. 6A and 6B are partially enlarged schematic views of the brake pedal structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an unlocked state and a locked state, respectively. In the first embodiment of the brake pedal structure shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the stopper 423 is shaped to include a main body portion 4231 and two stopper pieces 4232, and the stopper pieces 4232 are provided on the main body portion 4231 and extend outward along the main body portion 4231.

As shown in fig. 6A, the through hole 4241 provided on the stopper 424 has a shape conforming to the contour of the stopper 423, and in the unlocked state, the stopper 423 smoothly passes through the through hole 4241 at a predetermined position as shown in the drawing with the movement of the pedal arm 412.

As shown in fig. 6B, when the stopper 423 is deviated from the predetermined position, the stopper 4232 abuts against the stopper 424 at the through hole 4241, thereby preventing the stopper 423 from passing through the through hole 4241 and preventing the movement of the pedal arm 412.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of the stoppers 4232 is not limited to two in the embodiment, and at least one brake block 4232 may be provided as needed to enable the stopper 4232 to abut against the stopper 424 at the through hole 4241 when the stopper 423 is rotated to deviate from a predetermined position. It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that when there are two stop blocks 4232, the positions and extending directions thereof are not limited to being on a straight line as shown in fig. 6A or 6B. When the number of the stoppers 4232 is not 2, the positions where the stoppers 4232 are provided and the extending direction may be provided as needed.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the stopper 423 is shown connected to the rotary motor 426 through the stopper rotation shaft 425 so as to be disposed on the pedal arm 412. The rotary motor 426 controls the rotation of the stopper rotating shaft 425 to rotate the stopper 423 to a predetermined position or deviate from the predetermined position in the plane of the stopper 423, so that the movement of the brake pedal arm 412 is locked under a specific condition, and dangerous driving is prevented.

Specifically, the rotating electric machine 426 is connected to the control module 200 by a cable. The control module 200 determines whether the driver's state allows intervention control of the vehicle through the sensing signal of the detection module 100 and outputs the result to the rotating motor 426 to control the rotating motor 426 to rotate the stopper 423 to a corresponding predetermined position or deviate from the predetermined position, resulting in an unlocked or locked state of the brake pedal.

In the above embodiments, the stopper 423 and the stopper shaft 425 may be an integral structure, or may be connected by welding or bearing. The connection mode of the stopper 423 and the stopper rotating shaft 425 can be set according to requirements, and convenience is brought to the manufacturing process. When the stopper 423 is connected with the stopper rotating shaft 425 by welding or a bearing, the connection strength is weaker than that of the stopper 423 and the stopper rotating shaft 425 which are integrally formed, but in a scene where a driver should intervene, if the rotating motor 426 is operated by mistake, the stopper 423 is rotated to a locking state, and when the driver cannot control the pedal, the stopper 423 with relatively weaker connection strength can be separated from the stopper rotating shaft 425 by applying a larger external force and rushing on the brake pedal, so that the brake pedal can move freely.

Similarly, the baffle 424 may be fixed to the brake pedal base by an integral molding method or by welding. The connection mode of the baffle 424 and the brake pedal base can be set according to requirements, and convenience is brought to the manufacturing process. When the baffle 424 is connected with the brake pedal base in a welding mode, the connection strength of the baffle 424 is weaker than that of the baffle 424 and the brake pedal base which are integrally structured, but in a scene where a driver should intervene, if the rotating motor 426 is operated mistakenly, the baffle 423 rotates to a locking state, and when the driver cannot control the pedal, the baffle 424 with relatively weaker connection strength can be separated from the brake pedal base in a mode of stepping on the brake pedal by applying larger external force, so that the baffle 423 on the brake pedal cannot be blocked by the baffle 424, and the brake pedal can move freely.

Fig. 7A and 7B are partially enlarged schematic views respectively illustrating an unlocked state and a locked state of a second embodiment of the brake pedal structure provided by the present invention. In the present embodiment, the baffle 434 is provided with an oval through hole 4341, and the shape of the stopper 433 is oval, corresponding to the shape of the through hole 4341.

Fig. 8A and 8B are partially enlarged schematic views respectively illustrating an unlocked state and a locked state of a third embodiment of a brake pedal structure provided by the present invention. In the present embodiment, the baffle 444 is provided with a triangular through hole 4441, and the stopper 443 has a triangular shape corresponding to the shape of the through hole 4441.

Fig. 9A and 9B are partially enlarged schematic views respectively illustrating an unlocked state and a locked state of a fourth embodiment of the brake pedal structure provided by the present invention. In the present embodiment, the blocking plate 454 is provided with a rectangular through hole 4541, and the stopper 453 has a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the through hole 4541.

Fig. 10A and 10B are partially enlarged schematic views respectively illustrating an unlocked state and a locked state of a fifth embodiment of a brake pedal structure provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the blocking plate 464 is provided with a diamond-shaped through hole 4641, and the shape of the block 463 is a diamond shape corresponding to the shape of the through hole 4641.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the stopper can be arbitrarily set according to actual needs, other than the perfect circle shape, and is not limited to the shape mentioned in the above-listed embodiments. Because the shape of the through hole of the baffle is consistent with the outline shape of the stop block, a preset position is always present, and the stop block penetrates through the through hole along with the movement of the pedal arm. Meanwhile, the stop block can rotate, when the stop block deviates from the preset position, the stop block is staggered with the through hole, so that the stop block is abutted to the baffle plate at the through hole, and the stop block is blocked by the baffle plate to prevent the pedal arm from moving. The shape of the stop block can be set according to the requirement, so that convenience is brought to the manufacturing process.

With reference to fig. 11-13B, the present invention provides more details of a steering column 500. As shown in fig. 11, the steering column structure is connected between a steering wheel and a steering machine of an automobile, and includes a steering column tube 520 and a steering shaft that rotates within the steering column tube 520 to transmit a steering force from the steering wheel to the steering machine to control the steering of the wheels.

In the present invention, the steering shafts are provided as a first steering shaft 511 and a second steering shaft 512 which are separated, and the surfaces of the first steering shaft 511 and the second steering shaft 512 are provided with spline structures. Wherein the first steering shaft 511 is coupled to a steering wheel and the second steering shaft 512 is coupled to a steering machine, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the connection between the first steering shaft 511 and the steering wheel and the connection between the second steering shaft 512 and the steering machine include, but are not limited to, spline or bearing connections, and the connection between the first steering shaft 511 and the steering wheel and the connection between the second steering shaft 512 and the steering machine include, but are not limited to, direct connections.

A sliding sleeve 530 is provided in the steering column tube 520, and the inner surface of the sliding sleeve 530 is provided with a spline structure corresponding to the surface of the steering shaft. The sliding sleeve 530 is axially movable within the steering column 520, and fig. 11 shows the sliding sleeve 530 moved within the steering column 520 to a second position of a disengaged state by the drive mechanism 540. As shown in fig. 11, the sliding sleeve 530 is coupled to the first steering shaft 511 by the spline structure of the inner surface, and is disconnected from the second steering shaft 512, so that the first steering shaft 511 is separated from the second steering shaft 512, and the transmission of the steering force from the steering wheel is stopped.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view showing a linkage state of a steering column structure provided by the present invention. In the steering column structure shown in fig. 12, the sliding sleeve 530 is moved to the first position of the interlocked state within the steering column tube 520 by the driving mechanism 540, the sliding sleeve 530 is coupled to the first steering shaft 511 and the second steering shaft 512 by a spline structure of an inner surface, respectively, so that the steering force from the steering wheel is transmitted to the second steering shaft 512 through the sliding sleeve 530 via the first steering shaft 511, and the first steering shaft 511 is interlocked with the second steering shaft 512 through the sliding sleeve 530.

The above-described linked state corresponds to the state in which the driver is permitted to intervene in the drive control vehicle as described above, and the above-described separated state corresponds to the state in which the driver is not permitted to intervene in the drive control vehicle such as drunk driving, fatigue driving, and the like, as described above.

Specifically, the driving mechanism 540 is connected to the control module 200 by a cable. The control module 200 determines whether the state of the driver allows intervention control of the vehicle through the sensing signal of the detection module 100, and outputs the result to the driving mechanism 540, so as to control the driving mechanism 540 to drive the sliding sleeve to the corresponding first position or second position, thereby forming a linkage or separation state of the steering column structure. In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 540 is configured to drive the sliding sleeve 530 in an axial direction when the first steering shaft is not rotating.

More specifically, fig. 13A shows a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the sliding sleeve provided by the present invention. In the embodiment shown in fig. 13A, the sliding sleeve pipe provided is a double-layer sliding sleeve pipe, and includes a sliding sleeve inner pipe 531 and a sliding sleeve outer pipe 532, the sliding sleeve inner pipe 531 and the sliding sleeve outer pipe 532 are connected by a bearing 533, so that the sliding sleeve inner pipe 531 can rotate in the sliding sleeve outer pipe 532 through the bearing 533 and can simultaneously move axially with the sliding sleeve outer pipe 532.

In the above-mentioned embodiment in which the sliding sleeve is a double-layer sleeve, the driving mechanism is coupled to the sliding sleeve outer tube to drive the sliding sleeve outer tube 532 to move axially, and at the same time, the sliding sleeve inner tube 531 moves axially synchronously with the sliding sleeve outer tube via the bearing 533 as described above. Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the driving mechanism may be configured to drive the axial movement of the sliding sleeve at any time without distinguishing whether the first steering shaft is in a rotating state.

More specifically, the driving mechanism may include a push-pull servo mechanism having a function of pushing and pulling along an axis, and a driving shaft connected to the push-pull servo mechanism and the outer tube of the sliding sleeve, respectively, so that axial push-pull of the push-pull servo mechanism is converted into axial movement of the outer tube of the sliding sleeve. In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism may be disposed outside the pipeline string, and the drive shaft passes through the steering string to connect the push-pull servo mechanism and the outer tube of the sliding sleeve.

As shown in fig. 13A, the sliding sleeve inner tube 531 is arranged to be longer than the sliding sleeve outer tube 532, and the outer surface of the sliding sleeve inner tube 531A is provided with a stopping tooth at the portion of the sliding sleeve inner tube 531A that is longer than the sliding sleeve outer tube 532, and fig. 13B shows an enlarged structural schematic view of the portion of the sliding sleeve inner tube 531A, and a plurality of stopping teeth 534 are arranged at the outer surface of the sliding sleeve inner tube 531.

In the above embodiment in which the stop tooth 534 is provided, referring to fig. 11 and 12, the inner surface of the steering column 520 is cooperatively provided with at least one stop block 521 engaged with the stop tooth 534. More specifically, in conjunction with fig. 1, in the disengaged state, the stop block 521 is snapped between adjacent stop teeth 534 to prevent the inner tube of the sliding sleeve from rotating; referring to fig. 2, in the linkage state, the stop block 521 and the stop tooth 534 are staggered from each other, and the rotation of the inner tube of the sliding sleeve is not affected.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned stop teeth include, but are not limited to, those disposed on the outer surface of the inner tube of the sliding sleeve in the embodiment having the double-layer sliding sleeve, and those disposed on the outer surface of the single-layer sliding sleeve.

In the above-mentioned embodiment in which the sliding sleeve is provided with a stopping tooth on the outer surface, the sliding sleeve is coupled to the first steering shaft in the separated state, and the stopper cooperating with the above-mentioned stopping tooth is provided on the inner surface of the steering column tube on the side close to the steering wheel. In this way, the first steering shaft and the steering wheel coupled thereto are stopped by controlling the stopping slip sleeve in the separated state, so that the driver has no way to rotate the steering wheel in the separated state. Under the condition that the steering wheel cannot be rotated randomly, the related vehicle information of the central control instrument panel cannot be shielded by the rotated steering wheel, and the driver can still see the vehicle information on the central control instrument panel.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that in the case that the sliding sleeve is provided with the stopping teeth on the outer surface and the steering column is provided with the matched stopping block inside, the steering shaft connecting the steering wheel and the steering machine can be arranged to be a complete steering shaft, and the separated steering shaft provided by the invention can better ensure the effect of separating the transmission, and is a more preferable embodiment.

According to the steering column structure provided by the invention, the sliding sleeve is switched between the linkage state and the separation state by arranging the separated steering shaft and the sliding sleeve, so that the steering force from the steering wheel is interrupted in the separation state, a driver cannot control the steering of the vehicle by rotating the steering wheel, and the danger caused by the fact that the driver is in danger to drive the vehicle and the vehicle is in direct impact with the vehicle is further prevented.

The invention also provides a vehicle control device for a vehicle with autonomous driving, comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon computer instructions, the processor, when executing the computer instructions, performing the steps of the vehicle control method according to the invention.

The present invention also provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above method.

Specific implementation manners and technical effects of the vehicle control device, the computer-readable storage medium, and the specific modules therein can be found in the embodiments of the vehicle control device and the control method, and are not described herein again.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

While, for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methodologies are shown and described as a series of acts, it is to be understood and appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of acts, as some acts may, in accordance with one or more embodiments, occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts from that shown and described herein or not shown and described herein, as would be understood by one skilled in the art.

The various illustrative logical modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software as a computer program product, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk (disk) and disc (disc), as used herein, includes Compact Disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks (disks) usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs (discs) reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for a vehicle equipped with autonomous driving, the vehicle control system comprising:

the detection module is used for detecting the behavior ability of the driver; and

the control module is used for judging whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement or not, if not, locking the manual driving control component of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode; wherein

The manual driving control component comprises a steering column structure connected between a steering wheel and a steering engine of the vehicle, and if the manual driving requirement is not met, the control module locks the steering column structure; and/or

The manual driving control component comprises a brake pedal structure, and if the manual driving control component does not meet the manual driving requirement, the control module locks the brake pedal structure.

2. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the detection module comprises:

an alcohol detection unit for detecting the alcohol content in the driver,

the control module determines that the driver's behavior is not compliant with manual driving capability based on the alcohol content being greater than a first preset threshold.

3. The vehicle control system of claim 2, wherein the alcohol detection unit comprises a breath alcohol detection subunit and/or a skin alcohol detection unit.

4. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the detection module comprises:

a fatigue driving detection unit for detecting a mental fatigue index of a driver,

the control module determines that the driver's behavior does not comply with manual driving capabilities based on the driver's fatigue index being greater than a second preset threshold.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 4, wherein the fatigue driving detecting unit includes a facial recognition sensor for detecting facial expression features of the driver and calculating the mental fatigue index based on the facial expression features.

6. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the steering column structure includes a steering column tube and a steering shaft passing through the steering column tube, the steering shaft surface having a splined structure, the steering shaft including first and second separate steering shafts, the first steering shaft being coupled to the steering wheel and the second steering shaft being coupled to the steering engine, a slip sleeve being disposed within the steering column tube, an inner surface of the slip sleeve having a splined structure corresponding to the steering shaft surface, the slip sleeve having first and second positions axially within the steering column tube,

when the sliding sleeve pipe is located at the first position, the sliding sleeve pipe is respectively coupled with the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft are linked to form a linkage state of a steering column structure,

if the manual driving requirement is not met, the control module controls the sliding sleeve to move to the second position, the sliding sleeve is coupled with one of the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, and the first steering shaft is separated from the second steering shaft to form a separated state of the steering column structure.

7. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein said brake pedal structure includes a pedal arm having a rotatable stop disposed thereon, said brake pedal structure including a baffle having a through hole with a shape conforming to a contour of said stop, said brake pedal structure including an unlocked state and a locked state, said stop passing through said through hole with movement of said pedal arm when said stop is rotated to a predetermined position corresponding to said through hole to establish said unlocked state,

if the manual driving requirement is not met, the control module controls the stop block to rotate to deviate from the preset position, and the stop block is blocked by the stop plate, so that the pedal arm is prevented from moving, and the locking state is formed.

8. The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises a VCU controller.

9. A vehicle control method for a vehicle equipped with autonomous driving, the vehicle including a detection module, the vehicle control method comprising:

the control detection module detects the behavior ability of a driver; and

judging whether the behavior ability of the driver meets the manual driving requirement, if not, locking a manual driving control component of the vehicle and entering an automatic driving mode; wherein

The manual driving control component comprises a steering column structure connected between a steering wheel and a steering machine of the vehicle, and the locking the manual driving control component of the vehicle comprises locking the steering column structure; and/or

The manual driving control means includes a brake pedal structure, and the locking the manual driving control means of the vehicle includes locking the brake pedal structure.

10. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, characterized in that the detection module includes an alcohol detection unit,

the control detection module detects the behavior ability of the driver and controls the alcohol detection unit to detect the alcohol content in the driver,

the determining whether the driver's behavioral ability meets a manual driving requirement includes determining that the driver's behavior does not meet the manual driving ability based on the alcohol content being greater than a first preset threshold.

11. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, characterized in that the detection module includes a fatigue driving detection unit,

the control detecting module detects the behavioral ability of the driver includes controlling the fatigue driving detecting unit to detect a mental fatigue index of the driver,

the determining whether the driver's behavioral ability meets a manual driving demand includes determining that the driver's behavior does not meet the manual driving ability based on the driver's fatigue index being greater than a second preset threshold.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, wherein the fatigue driving detecting unit includes a face recognition sensor,

the controlling the fatigue driving detecting unit to detect the mental fatigue index of the driver includes controlling the facial recognition sensor to detect facial expressive features of the driver and calculating the mental fatigue index based on the facial expressive features.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, wherein the steering column structure includes a steering column tube and a steering shaft penetrating through the steering column tube, the steering shaft has a spline structure on a surface thereof, the steering shaft includes a first steering shaft and a second steering shaft that are separated, the first steering shaft is coupled to the steering wheel, the second steering shaft is coupled to the steering engine, a sliding sleeve is provided in the steering column tube, an inner surface of the sliding sleeve has a spline structure corresponding to the surface of the steering shaft, the sliding sleeve has a first position and a second position in an axial direction in the steering column tube, the sliding sleeve is coupled to the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft by the spline structure, respectively, when the sliding sleeve is located in the first position, the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft are interlocked to form an interlocked state of the steering column structure,

the locking the steering column structure includes controlling the sliding sleeve to move to the second position, the sliding sleeve being coupled with one of the first steering shaft and the second steering shaft through the spline structure, the first steering shaft being separated from the second steering shaft to form a separated state of the steering column structure.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, wherein the brake pedal structure includes a pedal arm on which a rotatable stopper is provided, the brake pedal structure includes a stopper plate having a through hole whose shape conforms to a contour shape of the stopper plate, the brake pedal structure includes an unlocked state and a locked state, the stopper plate passes through the through hole with movement of the pedal arm when the stopper plate is rotated to a predetermined position corresponding to the through hole to establish the unlocked state,

the locking the brake pedal structure includes controlling the stopper to rotate away from the predetermined position, the stopper being stopped by the stopper to thereby prevent the pedal arm from moving, resulting in the locked state.

15. A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle equipped with autonomous driving, comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored thereon computer instructions which, when executed, implement the steps of the method of any of claims 9-14.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor, carry out the steps of the method of any of claims 9-14.