US-12623656-B2 - Simulation system for vehicle

US12623656B2US 12623656 B2US12623656 B2US 12623656B2US-12623656-B2

Abstract

A control operation representer of a simulation system for a vehicle represents control operation of a travel controller in accordance with vehicle external detection information outputted by a vehicle external detection controller based on a captured vehicle external image. A vehicle behavior calculator calculates behavior of the vehicle in accordance with the control operation. A vehicle external image generator generates a vehicle external image in accordance with the behavior and displays the vehicle external image on a display member. An imaging member captures the vehicle external image displayed, and outputs a captured vehicle external image to the vehicle external detection controller. The vehicle external detection controller operates in a closed loop including these. The travel controller operates, outside the closed loop, in accordance with information generated by the vehicle external detection controller or information equivalent to the information generated by the vehicle external detection controller.

Inventors

Yutaka Hiwatashi

Assignees

Subaru Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230410

Claims (15)

1 . A simulation system for a vehicle to allow a vehicle external detection controller and a travel controller to operate, the vehicle external detection controller being configured to output vehicle external detection information based on a captured vehicle external image, and the travel controller being configured to control operation of an actuator for a travel control of the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle external detection information, the simulation system comprising: a control operation representer configured to acquire the vehicle external detection information outputted by the vehicle external detection controller and represent a control output of the travel controller or an operation output of the actuator in accordance with the vehicle external detection information; a vehicle behavior calculator configured to calculate behavior of the vehicle by using an output of the control operation representer; a vehicle external image generator configured to generate a vehicle external image in a travel state of the vehicle variable with the operation of the actuator, by using a calculation result of the vehicle behavior calculator; a display member configured to display the vehicle external image generated by the vehicle external image generator; and an imaging member configured to capture the vehicle external image displayed by the display member and output a captured vehicle external image to the vehicle external detection controller, wherein the vehicle external detection controller is configured to operate under the travel state of the vehicle generated by a closed loop including the control operation representer, the vehicle behavior calculator, the vehicle external image generator, the display member, and the imaging member, and the travel controller is configured to operate in accordance with the vehicle external detection information generated by the vehicle external detection controller operating in the closed loop or information equivalent to the vehicle external detection information generated by the vehicle external detection controller.
2 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising: a main synchronous relay device to which a main in-vehicle network to which the vehicle external detection controller is coupled and a main communication network to which the vehicle external image generator is coupled are coupled, the main synchronous relay device being configured to relay information between the main in-vehicle network and the main communication network; and a main behavior calculator that is coupled to the main communication network and configured to acquire the vehicle external detection information outputted to the main in-vehicle network by the vehicle external detection controller, to carry out calculation processing, wherein the main behavior calculator is configured to serve as the control operation representer configured to represent the control output of the travel controller or the operation output of the actuator in accordance with the vehicle external detection information outputted by the vehicle external detection controller, and the vehicle behavior calculator configured to calculate the behavior of the vehicle by using the output of the control operation representer, and output the calculation result of the vehicle behavior calculator to the vehicle external image generator through the main communication network.
3 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 2 , comprising: a sub-synchronous relay device to which a sub-in-vehicle network to which the travel controller is coupled and a sub-communication network are coupled, the sub-synchronous relay device being configured to relay information between the sub-in-vehicle network and the sub-communication network; and a sub-behavior calculator that is coupled to the sub-communication network and configured to carry out calculation processing, wherein the sub-synchronous relay device is communicatably coupled to the main synchronous relay device, the main synchronous relay device is configured to output, to the sub-synchronous relay device, information acquirable from the main in-vehicle network or the main communication network, the sub-behavior calculator is configured to serve as a travel information calculator configured to acquire, through the sub-communication network, information indicating the behavior of the vehicle calculated by the main behavior calculator, or the travel state of the vehicle in accordance with the behavior, and calculate information to be inputted to the travel controller in accordance with the information acquired, and output a calculation result of the travel information calculator to the sub-communication network, the sub-synchronous relay device is configured to output the calculation result of the travel information calculator to be outputted to the sub-communication network, to the travel controller through the sub-in-vehicle network.
4 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising a detector configured to detect the operation of the actuator the operation of which is controlled by the travel controller.
5 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein in the closed loop, a disturbance generator configured to disturb travel of the vehicle is further provided.
6 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the disturbance generator generates a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle by changing the output of the control operation representer.
7 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the vehicle external image generator and configured to generate, in an image to be displayed by the display member, a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle, by adding a disturbance component to the vehicle external image in the travel state of the vehicle to be generated by the vehicle external image generator.
8 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the imaging member, and configured to generate, in the captured vehicle external image to be outputted by the imaging member, a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle, by adding a disturbance component to the captured vehicle external image to be outputted by the imaging member.
9 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the vehicle external detection controller, and configured to generate a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle by changing the vehicle external detection information to be outputted by the vehicle external detection controller.
10 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in the closed loop, a disturbance generator configured to disturb travel of the vehicle is further provided.
11 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the disturbance generator generates a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle by changing the output of the control operation representer.
12 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the vehicle external image generator and configured to generate, in an image to be displayed by the display member, a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle, by adding a disturbance component to the vehicle external image in the travel state of the vehicle to be generated by the vehicle external image generator.
13 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the imaging member, and configured to generate, in the captured vehicle external image to be outputted by the imaging member, a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle, by adding a disturbance component to the captured vehicle external image to be outputted by the imaging member.
14 . The simulation system for the vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the disturbance generator is provided in the vehicle external detection controller, and configured to generate a disturbance to disturb the travel of the vehicle by changing the vehicle external detection information to be outputted by the vehicle external detection controller.
15 . A simulation system for a vehicle to allow a vehicle external detection controller and a travel controller to operate, the vehicle external detection controller being configured to output vehicle external detection information based on a captured vehicle external image, and the travel controller being configured to control operation of an actuator for a travel control of the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle external detection information, the simulation system comprising: one or more processors configured to acquire the vehicle external detection information outputted by the vehicle external detection controller and represent a control output of the travel controller or an operation output of the actuator in accordance with the vehicle external detection information, calculate behavior of the vehicle by using the control output or the operation output, and generate a vehicle external image in a travel state of the vehicle variable with the operation of the actuator, by using the calculated behavior of the vehicle; a display member including a monitor and configured to display the vehicle external image generated by the vehicle external image generator; and an imaging member including a camera and configured to capture the vehicle external image displayed by the display member and output a captured vehicle external image to the vehicle external detection controller, wherein the vehicle external detection controller is configured to operate under the travel state of the vehicle generated by a closed loop including the one or more processors, the vehicle external image generator, the display member, and the imaging member, and the travel controller is configured to operate in accordance with the vehicle external detection information generated by the vehicle external detection controller operating in the closed loop or information equivalent to the vehicle external detection information generated by the vehicle external detection controller.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is the U.S. National Phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/014577, filed on Apr. 10, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a simulation system for a vehicle. BACKGROUND ART In a vehicle, for example, as in Patent Literature 1, a large number of controllers are provided in its control system. Moreover, to each controller, various sensors and actuators are coupled. Furthermore, for vehicles, developments are in progress to enhance its travel safety and convenience. For example, developments are in progress for devices for ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) for automatic braking. In a device for the automatic braking to be provided in a vehicle, for example, an imaging member to be provided in the vehicle captures an outside of the vehicle. A vehicle external detection controller detects a target as an obstacle-to-travel, based on the captured image of the outside of the vehicle. When any object as an obstacle-to-travel has been detected, a travel controller brings an actuator for braking into operation. Thus, it is possible for the vehicle, when there is an obstacle-to-travel in its direction of advance, to stop short of the obstacle-to-travel. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-144526 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention Meanwhile, for the automatic braking mentioned above, etc., the vehicle external detection controller generates vehicle external detection information regarding, for example, an obstacle-to-travel present on a course, based on the captured image of the outside of the vehicle, and outputs the vehicle external detection information to an in-vehicle network. The travel controller acquires the vehicle external detection information from the in-vehicle network, and carries out a control to bring an actuator for braking of the vehicle into operation, in accordance with the vehicle external detection information. Moreover, in developments of a vehicle, the vehicle external detection controller and the travel controller are sometimes developed separately. In this case, verification and evaluation of the travel controller is performed by actual running, with the travel controller incorporated in the vehicle together with the vehicle external detection controller. However, for example, making reliable such verification of the travel controller by the actual running assumes that the developments of the vehicle external detection controller have progressed to a considerable extent and the vehicle external detection controller operates reliably. Accordingly, the verification of the travel controller is feasible at a stage where the developments of the vehicle have progressed to a considerable extent. Moreover, correction work of the travel controller to reflect a result of the verification is also made after the verification at the stage where the developments of the vehicle have progressed to a considerable extent. Moreover, when a verification result by the actual running is not desirable, the developer makes the correction work on the vehicle based on the result. However, solely with the verification result by the actual running, the developer may be possibly confused in determining whether to make the correction work on either the vehicle external detection controller or the travel controller, or whether to make the correction work on both. There is possibility that the developer is confused in making a determination as to isolation of points that should be corrected. By these circumstances and the like, a long period of time is necessary for the developments of the vehicle including the travel controller to be developed together with the vehicle external detection controller. As described, in a vehicle, it is desirable to facilitate verification of a travel controller to be used in combination with a vehicle external detection controller. Means for Solving the Problem A simulation system for a vehicle according to an aspect of the invention is a simulation system for a vehicle to allow a vehicle external detection controller and a travel controller to operate. The vehicle external detection controller is configured to output vehicle external detection information based on a captured vehicle external image. The travel controller is configured to control operation of an actuator for a travel control of the vehicle in accordance with the vehicle external detection information. The simulation system includes: a control operation representer configured to acquire the vehicle external detection information outputted by the vehicle external detection controller and represents a control output of the travel controller or an operation output of the actuator in accordance with the vehicle external detection information; a vehicle behavior c