US 11,814,068 B2
Automated driving system
Hiroshi Nakamura, Tokyo-to (JP); Akihide Tachibana, Tokyo-to (JP); Katsuhiro Sakai, Kawasaki (JP); Kentaro Ichikawa, Shizuoka-ken (JP); and Taisuke Sugaiwa, Chofu (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/174,699.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-060835 (JP), filed on Mar. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0300406 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. G01C 21/36 (2006.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/001 (2020.02) [B60W 30/18109 (2013.01); G01C 21/3438 (2013.01); G01C 21/3605 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated driving system that controls an automated driving vehicle providing a driverless transportation service to a user, wherein a pick-up and drop-off area is a predetermined area in which the automated driving vehicle stops to pick up or drop off the user, and a plurality of stop lots are arranged in the pick-up and drop-off area, the automated driving system comprising:
a processor configured to control the automated driving vehicle; and
a memory configured to store stop lot information indicating positions and an order of priority of the plurality of stop lots, and surrounding situation information indicating a situation around the automated driving vehicle, wherein
the processor is further configured to:
select a stop lot of a highest order of priority among the plurality of stop lots based on the stop lot information;
execute a determination process that determines, based on the positions indicated by the stop lot information and the surrounding situation information, whether or not the selected stop lot is available for the automated driving vehicle to stop;
when the selected stop lot is not available for the automated driving vehicle to stop, select a stop lot of a next order of priority to execute the determination process;
when the selected stop lot is available for the automated driving vehicle to stop, set the selected stop lot as a target stop lot; and
control the automated driving vehicle so as to stop in the target stop lot; and
the plurality of stop lots not defined by actual marking lines are virtually arranged in the pick-up and drop-off area, wherein
a direction of vehicle travel in the pick-up and drop-off area is a first direction that is predetermined,
the plurality of stop lots include a standard stop lot that is predetermined or specified by the user; a downstream stop lot located in the first direction when viewed from the standard stop lot;
and an upstream stop lot located in a second direction opposite to the first direction when viewed from the standard stop lot,
the standard stop lot has the highest order of priority among the plurality of stop lots,
the processor sets the order of priority of the downstream stop lot and the upstream stop lot according to whether the automated driving vehicle drops off or picks up the user,
the upstream stop lot is classified into a nearby upstream stop lot whose distance from the standard stop lot is less than a first threshold and a distant upstream stop lot whose distance from the standard stop lot is equal to or larger than the first threshold,
the downstream stop lot includes a nearby downstream stop lot that is closer to the standard stop lot than the distant upstream stop lot is, and
in a case where the automated driving vehicle drops off the user, the order of priority is higher in an order of the nearby upstream stop lot, the nearby downstream stop lot, and the distant upstream stop lot.