Autonomous vehicle and control method thereof

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a peripheral information collecting unit including an image camera and a laser scanner, the peripheral information collecting unit configured to collect peripheral information;

a passenger monitoring unit configured to:

determine whether a passenger is detected inside the autonomous vehicle through a sensor; and

transmit a result of the determination whether the passenger is detected inside the autonomous vehicle;

a main control unit configured to:

receive the result from the passenger monitoring unit;

when the result indicates the passenger is detected inside the autonomous vehicle, provide a first control instruction;

when the result indicates the passenger is not detected inside the autonomous vehicle, provide a second control instruction; and

an engine control unit configured to:

perform a pilot injection control when the first control instruction is received from the main control unit; and

remove the pilot injection control when the second control instruction is received from the main control unit.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein

the pilot injection control is performed by a fuel control logic injecting fuel to a diesel engine, and

wherein removing the pilot injection control is performed by the fuel control logic.

3. The autonomous vehicle, of claim 1 , further comprising

a communication unit configured to transceive autonomous travelling operation information including at least one of an autonomous travelling start command, destination information, and vehicle owner location information with a vehicle owner terminal located at a remote place.

4. The autonomous vehicle, of claim 3 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to set an autonomous travelling route to a set destination or a location at which a vehicle owner is located through an analysis of the autonomous travelling operation information received from a vehicle owner terminal at the remote place.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to transmit movement location information of the vehicle and expected destination arrival information calculated by a navigation system to the vehicle owner terminal at the remote place while the autonomous vehicle unmannedly and autonomously travels.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 5 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to transmit a peripheral image obtained by the peripheral information collecting unit to the vehicle owner terminal at the remote place, and provide a vehicle owner with a location at which the autonomous vehicle is unmannedly and autonomously travelling and a road situation when the autonomous vehicle unmannedly and autonomously travels.

7. The autonomous vehicle, of claim 1 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to set an autonomous travelling route to a set destination or a location at which a vehicle owner is located through an analysis of autonomous travelling operation information received from a vehicle owner terminal at a remote place.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 7 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to transmit movement location information of the vehicle and expected destination arrival information calculated by a navigation system to the vehicle owner terminal at the remote place through the communication unit while the autonomous vehicle unmannedly and autonomously travels.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , wherein

the main control unit is configured to transmit a peripheral image obtained by the peripheral information collecting unit to the vehicle owner terminal at the remote place, and provide a vehicle owner with a location at which the autonomous vehicle is unmannedly and autonomously travelling and a road situation when the autonomous vehicle unmannedly and autonomously travels.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein

the passenger monitoring unit is formed of at least one of a carbon dioxide sensor, a piezoelectric sensor of a seat, an infrared sensor, and an indoor camera inside the autonomous vehicle to detect whether a passenger exists inside the vehicle.

11. A method of controlling autonomous travelling of an autonomous diesel vehicle using diesel as fuel, comprising:

when autonomous travelling operation information is received from a vehicle owner terminal located at a remote place, analyzing the received autonomous travelling operation information, starting a diesel engine, and setting an autonomous travelling route;

collecting, by a peripheral information collecting unit, peripheral information;

determining, by a passenger monitoring unit, whether a passenger is detected inside the autonomous diesel vehicle;

upon a determination that the passenger is detected inside the autonomous diesel vehicle, performing pilot injection control on the diesel engine;

upon a determination that the passenger is not inside the autonomous diesel vehicle, removing the pilot injection control on the diesel engine; and

performing autonomous travelling to a set destination based on the peripheral information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein performing pilot injection control comprises:

upon a determination that the passenger is inside the autonomous diesel vehicle, transmitting to an engine control unit a control instruction for performing the pilot injection control in a fuel control logic injecting fuel to the diesel engine.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein omitting the pilot injection control comprises:

upon a determination that the passenger is not inside the autonomous diesel vehicle, transmitting to the engine control unit a control instruction for removing the pilot injection control in the fuel control logic.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein performing autonomous travelling to the set destination comprises:

transmitting at least one of movement location information of the autonomous diesel vehicle, an expected destination arrival time, and peripheral image information photographed by a camera to the vehicle owner terminal, or notifying a vehicle owner of an autonomous travelling situation.