Control Device, Control Method, and Storage Medium for a Vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a storage medium for a vehicle. The control device performs: a process of calculating a boundary line based on information related to the environment around the vehicle, the boundary line giving a prescribed position from an identified object around the vehicle; a process of determining whether the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the boundary line based on information on the driving state of the vehicle; and a process of generating a reaction force against an operation of a steering device of the vehicle by a driver in a direction approaching the boundary line according to a relative position of the vehicle with respect to the boundary line in the case where the determination process results in an affirmative determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a control program for controlling driving assistance of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-205558, a driving assistance device that appropriately suspends steering assistance according to the assistance content of steering is disclosed. In this driving assistance device, different thresholds are given for the determination of suspension of steering assistance based on the steering amount or steering duration of the driver of the own vehicle in lane keeping assistance and lane change assistance. The lane keeping assistance assists the steering of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle travels along the driving lane, and the lane change assistance assists the steering of the own vehicle so that the own vehicle changes lanes from the driving lane to another lane.

[0003] As control of driving assistance of a vehicle, control for preventing lane departure (lane departure prevention control) can be considered. In this control, the vehicle is prevented from departing from the lane by controlling the steering of the vehicle. On the other hand, in such driving assistance that controls the steering of the vehicle, override of a driving operation performed by the driver is adopted as a regulatory requirement that allows the driving assistance not to perform steering control when the steering device provided in the vehicle is operated by the driver to a certain extent.

[0004] Therefore, when the steering device is inadvertently operated to a certain extent due to the driver's blurred consciousness or the like, it is feared that the driving assistance for steering the vehicle will not be executed and the vehicle will approach an object around the vehicle, and the safety of the vehicle cannot be appropriately ensured. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program for a vehicle that can suppress an unintentional operation of a steering device by a driver and improve the safety of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches an object around it.

[0006] A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls driving assistance of a vehicle. The control device executes: a process of acquiring information related to the environment around the vehicle; a process of acquiring information on the driving state of the vehicle; a process of calculating a departure boundary line based on the information related to the environment around the vehicle, the departure boundary line giving a prescribed position from an identified object around the vehicle; a proximity determination process of determining whether the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line based on the information on the driving state; and a process of generating a reaction force against an operation of the steering device of the vehicle by the driver in the direction approaching the departure boundary line according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the departure boundary line when the proximity determination process results in an affirmative determination.

[0007] The control device may also perform: a first operation determination process for determining whether there is an operation of the steering device in a direction away from the departure boundary line; a second operation determination process for determining whether the operation amount of the steering device in a direction approaching the departure boundary line becomes equal to or greater than a specified threshold value; and a process for controlling the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle does not cross the departure boundary line when the approach determination process is a positive determination and the first operation determination process and the second operation determination process are negative determinations.

[0008] A control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a process of acquiring information related to the environment around the vehicle; a process of acquiring information on the driving state of the vehicle; a process of calculating a departure boundary line based on the information related to the environment around the vehicle, the departure boundary line giving a specified position from an identification object around the vehicle; an approach determination process of determining whether the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line based on the information on the driving state; and a process of generating a reaction force against an operation of the steering device of the vehicle performed by the driver in a direction approaching the departure boundary line according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the departure boundary line when the approach determination process is a positive determination.

[0009] The control method may also include: a first operation determination process for determining whether there is an operation of the steering device in a direction away from the departure boundary line; a second operation determination process for determining whether the operation amount of the steering device in a direction approaching the departure boundary line becomes equal to or greater than a specified threshold value; and a process for controlling the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle does not cross the departure boundary line when the approach determination process is a positive determination and the first operation determination process and the second operation determination process are negative determinations.

[0010] A control program according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute the control method.

[0011] According to the control device, control method, and control program of the present disclosure, a departure boundary line is calculated for an identification object around the vehicle. Then, when the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line, a reaction force is generated against an operation of the steering device in a direction approaching the departure boundary line. Thereby, an unintentional operation of the steering device by the driver can be suppressed. Furthermore, the safety of the vehicle can be improved.

[0012] Moreover, it is also possible to control the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle does not cross the departure boundary line when the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line and there is no operation in a direction away from the departure boundary line and the operation amount of the steering device becomes less than a specified threshold value. Thereby, the driver can be prevented from inadvertently bringing the vehicle close to a surrounding object. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described, where the same reference numerals denote the same elements, wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the driving assistance of a vehicle through steering control.

[0015] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the override performed by the driver of the vehicle.

[0016] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the driving assistance of a vehicle through steering control when the vehicle approaches a target as a surrounding recognition object.

[0017] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the outline of the control performed by the control device of the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving assistance system of the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the processing flow of the driving assistance achieved by the driving assistance system of the present embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 is a graph showing an example of the reaction force generated by the reaction force control processing unit according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the departure boundary line.

[0021] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the control device of the present embodiment.

[0022] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the control device of Modification 1 of the present embodiment.

[0023] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the processing flow of the driving assistance performed by the control device of Modification 2 of the present embodiment.

[0024] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the control device of Modification 2 of the present embodiment.

[0025] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the outline of the control performed by the control device of Modification 2 of the present embodiment. Detailed Embodiments

[0026] 1. Outline

[0027] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram for explaining the driving assistance of vehicle 1 through previous steering control. Figure 1 It shows the relative position of vehicle 1 with respect to the working position at times t1 to t5 and the control amount of the steering control corresponding to the relative position of vehicle 1 at each time. Typically, the steering control of vehicle 1 is executed by a control device equipped in vehicle 1, as Figure 1 shown starting when vehicle 1 departs from the working position (dashed line) in the departure direction (time t2). For example, in the lane departure prevention control, the working position is the white line along the lane. Then, by performing the steering control (times t2 to t4), the departure state of vehicle 1 with respect to the working position can be eliminated (time t5).

[0028] In the case of performing the steering control of vehicle 1 in this way, an override allowed by the driver of vehicle 1 is permitted as a regulatory requirement. Here, the override means that when the steering device (typically, the steering wheel) equipped in vehicle 1 is operated by the driver to a certain extent, the driving assistance of the steering control is not performed and the driving operation performed by the driver is adopted.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram for explaining the override performed by the driver of vehicle 1. Figure 2 It shows the relative position of vehicle 1 with respect to the working position at times t1 to t5 and the operation amount of the steering device performed by the driver at each time. In Figure 2 , similar to the case shown in Figure 1 , the steering control starts when vehicle 1 departs from the working position in the departure direction (time t2). On the other hand, in Figure 2 , the operation amount exceeds the threshold at time t3. Therefore, the steering control is aborted at time t3, and then the driving operation performed by the driver is carried out (times t3 to t5). It should be noted that if the operation amount exceeds the threshold at the start time point of the steering control (time t2), the steering control is not started and the driving operation performed by the driver is carried out.

[0030] This allows the driving operation performed by the driver in the case where the driver intentionally wants to drive vehicle 1 in the departure direction. For example, in the case where the driver wants to change lanes, etc.

[0031] On the other hand, it can be imagined that the driver inadvertently operates the steering device to a certain extent due to the driver's blurred consciousness, etc. In such a case, the driving assistance of the steering control is not performed even though the driver has performed an inadvertent driving operation. Therefore, especially when vehicle 1 approaches surrounding objects, it may be impossible to appropriately ensure the safety of vehicle 1.

[0032] Figure 3This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of driving assistance for vehicle 1 by steering control when vehicle 1 approaches a target object OBJ which is a surrounding recognition object. The target object OBJ is, for example, a wall, a curb, a guardrail, or a parked vehicle parked on the road shoulder, etc. That is Figure 3 This shows an example of the situation where vehicle 1 is traveling in a lane, and this lane is in a state where if it travels out of the lane, it will be in danger of approaching the target object OBJ. In Figure 3 the upper part shows the case where the operation amount of the steering device implemented by the driver does not exceed the threshold value. In Figure 3 the lower part shows the case of disengaging from the working position when the operation amount of the steering device implemented by the driver exceeds the threshold value.

[0033] In Figure 3 In the example shown in the upper part, when disengaging from the working position in the disengagement direction, steering control starts, and the disengagement state of vehicle 1 relative to the working position is eliminated. Therefore, approaching the target object OBJ can be avoided. On the other hand, in Figure 3 In the example shown in the lower part, since the steering device has been operated by the driver to a certain extent, even if disengaging from the working position, steering control does not start and vehicle 1 further approaches the target object OBJ. This is the same even when the driver inadvertently operates the steering device.

[0034] Thus, when vehicle 1 approaches a target object OBJ which is a surrounding recognition object due to the driver's inadvertent operation of the steering device, it may not be possible to appropriately ensure the safety of vehicle 1 only by performing driving assistance through the conventional steering control.

[0035] Therefore, the control device of vehicle 1 in the present embodiment calculates a disengagement boundary line for a target object OBJ that becomes a surrounding recognition object of vehicle 1. The disengagement boundary line gives a prescribed position from the target object OBJ. Then, when it is determined that vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the disengagement boundary line, control is executed to generate a reaction force against the operation of the steering device in the direction approaching the disengagement boundary line according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the disengagement boundary line. Moreover, when vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the disengagement boundary line and there is no operation in the direction away from the disengagement boundary line, and the operation amount of the steering device becomes less than a prescribed threshold value, the steering of vehicle 1 is controlled so that vehicle 1 does not cross the disengagement boundary line.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a conceptual diagram for explaining the outline of the control implemented by the control device of the present embodiment. Figure 4Shows the relative positions of the vehicle 1 with respect to the target object OBJ and the departure boundary line DBL at times t1 to t6, the operation amount of the steering device corresponding to the relative position of the vehicle 1 at each time, the reaction force generated by the operation of the steering device (the force required for the driver to steer the steering device), and the control amount of the steering control. It should be noted that the operation amount of the steering device is shown with the operation amount in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL being positive and the operation amount in the direction away from it being negative. In addition, for the reaction force, the reaction force of the operation of the steering device in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL is shown, and the reaction force of the operation of the steering device in the direction away from it is not shown. In particular, there is no reaction force for the operation of the steering device in the direction away from it.

[0037] As Figure 4 shown, the control device of the present embodiment calculates the departure boundary line DBL for the target object OBJ, and this departure boundary line DBL gives a specified position from the target object OBJ. Then, when the vehicle 1 is moving in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL by operating the steering device (time t1), a reaction force is generated for the operation of the steering device in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL. As a result, the operation amount in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL is reduced (time t2). Here, the reaction force generated when the driver steers the steering device is larger the closer it is to the departure boundary line DBL (times t1 to t4), and the operation of the steering device in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL becomes more difficult. That is to say, the unintentional operation of the steering device by the driver can be suppressed.

[0038] When the vehicle 1 does not operate the steering device in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL and the vehicle 1 further approaches the departure boundary line DBL, the control device performs the steering control of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 does not cross the departure boundary line DBL (times t3 to t5). As a result, the vehicle 1 does not depart from the departure boundary line DBL but travels along the departure boundary line DBL.

[0039] At this time, a large reaction force is generated for the operation of the steering device of the vehicle 1 in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL. Therefore, in order to override, the driver needs to overcome the reaction force and input an operation amount above the threshold to the steering device. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the vehicle 1 from crossing the departure boundary line DBL due to the unintentional steering of the steering device by the driver.

[0040] On the other hand, in the case of operating the steering device of the vehicle 1 in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL (time t6), the operation can be performed without a reaction force.

[0041] Thus, by the control implemented by the control device of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the driver from inadvertently bringing the vehicle 1 close to the target OBJ that is an object recognized as the surrounding.

[0042] 2. Configuration

[0043] Figure 5 FIG. is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving assistance system 10 of the present embodiment. The driving assistance system 10 includes: a control device 100, a steering device 110, a sensor group 120, and an actuator group 130. The control device 100 is configured to be able to transmit information to and receive information from the steering device 110, the sensor group 120, and the actuator group 130. Typically, they are electrically connected to each other through a wiring harness.

[0044] The steering device 110 is a device for inputting an operation for steering the vehicle 1. Typically, it is a steering wheel provided in the vehicle 1. However, in the case of remotely operating the vehicle 1, it may also be an external device that communicates with the vehicle 1. The operation information input to the steering device 110 is transmitted to the control device 100.

[0045] The sensor group 120 is a group of sensors that detect and output information (driving environment information) indicating the driving environment of the vehicle 1. The driving environment information detected by the sensor group 120 is transmitted to the control device 100. The sensor group 120 includes a driving state detection sensor INS and a surrounding environment detection sensor OSS.

[0046] The driving state detection sensor INS detects the driving state of the vehicle 1 (vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc.). The driving state detection sensor INS is, for example, a wheel speed sensor for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 1, an angular velocity sensor for detecting the yaw rate of the vehicle 1, and the like.

[0047] The surrounding environment detection sensor OSS detects information on the surrounding environment (lanes, obstacles, preceding vehicles, etc.) of the vehicle 1. The surrounding environment detection sensor OSS is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, a camera, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), etc. In particular, the surrounding environment detection sensor OSS detects information on the surrounding objects of the vehicle 1. The information on the object is, for example, the distance between the vehicle 1 and the object, the shape of the object, and the like.

[0048] Note that the sensor group 120 may also include sensors for detecting other driving environment information. In addition, the driving environment information output by the sensor group 120 includes not only the information directly detected by the sensors, but may also include the information obtained through arithmetic processing based on the directly detected information. For example, information such as the category of the identified object (wall, curb, pillar, parked vehicle) based on the information of the identified object. In this case, the arithmetic processing may be executed in each sensor, or the sensor group 120 may include a device for executing the arithmetic processing.

[0049] The control device 100 performs various processes for controlling the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information, generates and outputs a control signal. The control signal output by the control device 100 is transmitted to the actuator group 130. Typically, the control device 100 is equipped in the vehicle 1. However, the control device 100 may also be a device external to the vehicle 1. In this case, the control device 100 obtains information and outputs a control signal via communication with the vehicle 1.

[0050] Typically, the control device 100 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) having a memory and a processor. The memory includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data and a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs executable by the processor and various data of the programs. The information acquired by the control device 100 is stored in the memory. The processor reads out the program from the memory and executes the processing according to the program based on the various data read out from the memory.

[0051] The control device 100 includes: a departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, an approach determination processing unit AJU, a reaction force control processing unit ROU, and a steering control processing unit SCU.

[0052] The departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU performs processing for calculating a departure boundary line DBL from a target object OBJ around the vehicle 1, and the departure boundary line DBL gives a specified position from the target object OBJ.

[0053] The approach determination processing unit AJU performs processing for determining whether the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL.

[0054] The reaction force control processing unit ROU performs processing for generating a control signal for generating a reaction force for an operation of the steering device 110.

[0055] The steering control processing unit SCU performs processing for steering control of the vehicle 1 and generates a control signal for steering control.

[0056] The control device 100 can also execute the processing for controlling other vehicle 1. It should be noted that the off-boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, the reaction force control processing unit ROU, the steering control processing unit SCU, or the part that executes the processing for other controls can be respectively configured as a part of a program, or can be constituted by separate programs for each processing or each group of processings and executed by separate processors. Alternatively, it can also be configured to be executed by separate ECUs for each processing or each group of processings. In this case, the control device 100 is a system composed of multiple ECUs, and each ECU is configured to be able to transmit information to each other so as to obtain necessary information when executing the processing.

[0057] The actuator group 130 is a group of actuators that operate according to the control signals given by the control device 100. The various actuators included in the actuator group 130 operate according to the control signals, thereby realizing various controls of the vehicle 1 implemented by the control device 100. The actuator group 130 includes a steering actuator SAT and a reaction force generating actuator RAT.

[0058] The steering actuator SAT is an actuator that drives the steering mechanism of the vehicle 1. The steering of the vehicle 1 is realized by the operation of the steering actuator SAT.

[0059] The reaction force generating actuator RAT is an actuator that generates a reaction force on the steering device 110. The operation of the steering device 110 is provided with a reaction force by the operation of the reaction force generating actuator RAT.

[0060] It should be noted that the actuator group 130 can also include other actuators. For example, an actuator that drives an engine (internal combustion engine, electric motor, or their mixture, etc.), an actuator that drives the brake mechanism provided in the vehicle 1, etc.

[0061] 3. Processing

[0062] 3-1. Processing Flow of Driving Assistance

[0063] Figure 6 It is a block diagram showing the processing flow of driving assistance realized by the control device 100 of the present embodiment.

[0064] The departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU calculates a departure boundary line DBL for an identified object around the vehicle 1 based on the driving environment information acquired from the sensor group 120. Here, the departure boundary line DBL is generated, for example, as a position that gives a prescribed distance from the object OBJ that is the identified object. Alternatively, it is generated as a position that gives a boundary where the time to collision (TTC) with respect to the object OBJ becomes equal to or less than a prescribed value. At this time, the prescribed distance or the prescribed TTC may be given in advance in the program, or may be given at any time based on the driving environment information. In this case, different distances or TTCs may be given further according to the category of the object OBJ.

[0065] In addition, when there are a plurality of identified objects around the vehicle 1, the departure boundary line DBL may be calculated for each identified object, or may be calculated only for one or several identified objects that satisfy specific conditions. For example, the departure boundary line DBL may be calculated only for identified objects such as walls and guardrails that have a certain degree of continuous length.

[0066] The approach determination processing unit AJU determines whether the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL based on the driving environment information acquired from the sensor group 120 and the departure boundary line DBL acquired from the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, and outputs a determination result. For example, based on the information on the driving state of the vehicle 1, when the attitude of the vehicle 1 is oriented in the direction of the departure boundary line DBL and the speed of the vehicle 1 is detected, it is determined that the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL.

[0067] The reaction force control processing unit ROU generates a control signal for generating a reaction force for an operation of the steering device 110 based on the driving environment information acquired from the sensor group 120, the departure boundary line DBL acquired from the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, and the determination result acquired from the approach determination processing unit AJU. More specifically, when the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL, a control signal is generated based on the relative position of the vehicle 1 with respect to the departure boundary line DBL to generate a reaction force for an operation of the steering device 110 in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL. It should be noted that no reaction force is generated for an operation of the steering device 110 in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL.

[0068] Figure 7 is a graph showing an example of the reaction force generated by the reaction force control processing unit ROU according to the relative position of the vehicle 1 with respect to the departure boundary line DBL. As Figure 7As shown, the closer the vehicle 1 gets to the departure boundary line DBL, the greater the reaction force generated by the reaction force control processing unit ROU. It should be noted that Figure 7 The graph of the reaction force value with respect to the relative position shown is an example. As long as the reaction force increases as it gets closer to the departure boundary line DBL, the method of applying the reaction force corresponding to the relative position is not limited. For example, a reaction force proportional to the relative position can be applied, or the reaction force can be applied in a shape where the graph bulges upward. In this case, the method of applying the reaction force can also be optimally given through experiments by vehicle adaptation or the like for the vehicle 1 of the driving assistance system 10 to which this embodiment is applied.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 6 The reaction force generating actuator RAT operates according to the control signal generated by the reaction force control processing unit ROU and applies a reaction force to the steering device 110.

[0070] The steering device 110 outputs the operation amount of the input operation. The operation amount is, for example, the torque applied to the steering wheel. At this time, when the operation of the steering device 110 is an operation in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL, a reaction force generated by the reaction force control processing unit ROU is generated for this operation. Therefore, the operation amount in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL becomes the operation amount of the operation input to overcome the reaction force.

[0071] When the vehicle 1 is moving in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL and there is no operation in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL, and the steering amount of the steering device 110 becomes less than a specified threshold value, the steering control processing unit SCU generates a control signal for controlling the steering of the vehicle 1 based on the driving environment information acquired from the sensor group 120, the departure boundary line DBL acquired from the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, and the determination result acquired from the approach determination processing unit AJU, so that the vehicle 1 does not cross the departure boundary line DBL. Through the control of the steering control processing unit SCU, as long as the steering device 110 is not operated in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL, or an operation with an operation amount exceeding the threshold value to overcome the reaction force in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL is not performed, the vehicle 1 will not cross the departure boundary line DBL but will travel along the departure boundary line DBL.

[0072] In the case where the above control is not performed, the steering control processing unit SCU generates a control signal to perform the steering of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the steering amount. At this time, the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver is carried out. That is to say, the steering control processing unit SCU has a mediation function of generating a control signal in such a way that the steering of the vehicle 1 becomes the steering performed by steering control or generating a control signal in such a way that it becomes the steering corresponding to the steering amount.

[0073] The steering actuator SAT operates according to the control signal generated by the steering control processing unit SCU to steer the vehicle 1.

[0074] It should be noted that in the case of calculating multiple departure boundary lines DBL, the determination result of the approach determination processing unit AJU, the reaction force of the reaction force control processing unit ROU, and the steering control of the steering control processing unit SCU can be processed and judged for each departure boundary line DBL.

[0075] 3-2. Processing Performed by the Control Device

[0076] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the control device 100 of the present embodiment. Figure 8 The shown processing starts when the recognition object around the vehicle 1 is detected by the sensor group 120, and ends when no recognition object is detected.

[0077] In step S100, the control device 100 acquires the information required for processing. At least the operation information of the steering device 110 and the driving environment information (including information on the driving state and the environment around the vehicle 1) detected by the sensor group 120 are acquired.

[0078] After step S100, the processing proceeds to step S110.

[0079] In step S110, the control device 100 calculates the departure boundary line DBL for the recognition object around the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information.

[0080] After step S110, the processing proceeds to step S120.

[0081] In step S120 (approach determination processing), the control device 100 determines whether the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL based on the acquired information.

[0082] When the vehicle 1 is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL (step S120; Yes), the processing proceeds to step S130. When the vehicle 1 is not moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL (step S120; No), the processing proceeds to step S140.

[0083] In step S130, the control device 100 outputs a control signal that generates a reaction force against the operation of the steering device 110 in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL according to the relative position of the vehicle 1 with respect to the departure boundary line DBL.

[0084] After step S130, the processing proceeds to step S150.

[0085] In step S140, the control device 100 outputs a control signal so as to perform steering corresponding to the amount of steering of the steering device 110. That is, the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver is carried out.

[0086] After step S140, after a predetermined control cycle, the process returns to step S100 and the process is repeated.

[0087] In step S150 (first operation determination process), the control device 100 determines whether an operation of the steering device 110 in a direction away from the departure boundary line DBL is being performed.

[0088] When an operation of the steering device 110 in a direction away from the departure boundary line DBL is being performed (step S150; YES), the process proceeds to step S140. That is, when operating the steering device 110 in a direction away from the departure boundary line DBL, the driving operation of the vehicle 1 performed by the driver is carried out. At this time, since the operation of the steering device 110 is an operation in a direction away from the departure boundary line DBL, no reaction force is felt. When an operation of the steering device 110 in a direction away from the departure boundary line DBL is not being performed (step S150; NO), the process proceeds to step S160.

[0089] In step S160 (second operation determination process), the control device 100 determines whether the operation amount of the operation of the steering device 110 in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL has become equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0090] When the operation amount of the operation of the steering device 110 in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL has become equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (step S160; YES), the process proceeds to step S140. This is a case where the operation of the steering device 110 in a direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL is carried out to a certain extent while overcoming the reaction force. When the operation amount becomes less than the predetermined threshold value (step S160; NO), the process proceeds to step S170.

[0091] In step S170, the control device 100 outputs a control signal so as to perform steering by steering control. That is, the steering of the vehicle 1 is controlled so that the vehicle 1 does not cross the departure boundary line DBL.

[0092] After step S170, after a predetermined control cycle, the process returns to step S100 and the process is repeated.

[0093] Through Figure 8 the processing shown, the driving assistance of the vehicle 1 described in Figure 4 is achieved. It should be noted that regarding Figure 8In the flowchart shown, step S110 is executed by the Departure Boundary Line Calculation Processing Unit DBU, step S120 is executed by the Approach Determination Processing Unit AJU, step S130 is executed by the Reaction Force Control Processing Unit ROU, and steps S140 to S170 are executed by the Steering Control Processing Unit SCU.

[0094] 4. Effects

[0095] As described above, according to the control device 100 of the present embodiment, the departure boundary line DBL is calculated for the recognition objects around the vehicle 1. Then, when the vehicle 1 is moving in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL, a reaction force is generated against the operation in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL. Thereby, the unintentional operation of the steering device 110 by the driver can be suppressed. Furthermore, the safety of the vehicle can be improved.

[0096] Moreover, when the vehicle 1 is moving in the direction approaching the departure boundary line DBL and there is no operation in the direction away from the departure boundary line DBL, and the operation amount of the steering device 110 becomes less than a specified threshold value, the steering of the vehicle 1 is controlled so that the vehicle 1 does not cross the departure boundary line DBL. Thereby, the driver can be prevented from inadvertently bringing the vehicle 1 close to the surrounding object OBJ.

[0097] 5. Modification Examples

[0098] The control device 100 of the present embodiment may also adopt a modified scheme as follows. It should be noted that parts that are repetitive with the matters described above are appropriately omitted.

[0099] 5 - 1. Modification Example 1

[0100] The control device 100 of the present embodiment may also be configured to switch between the reaction force control and steering control (hereinafter, also referred to as "reaction force steering control") described above and the conventional steering control (hereinafter, also referred to as "conventional steering control") according to the category of the recognition object detected by the sensor group 120. In this case, it may be configured to perform reaction force steering control when the recognition object is a category such as a wall or a guardrail that the vehicle 1 cannot cross or is not allowed to drive over, and perform conventional steering control in other cases. For example, when the recognition object is a category such as a low step or a white line that the vehicle 1 can cross and drive over the object OBJ, conventional steering control is performed.

[0101] The configuration of the driving assistance system 10 of Modification Example 1 of the present embodiment and the processing flow of the driving assistance implemented by the control device 100 may be the same as Figure 5 and Figure 6The same as shown. However, in the case where the recognized object is a category that does not perform reaction force steering control, the reaction force control processing unit ROU does not perform the control of the reaction force. In addition, the steering control processing unit SCU switches to execute reaction force steering control and conventional steering control according to the category of the recognized object. It should be noted that the working position of the conventional steering control can be off the departure boundary line DBL calculated by the departure boundary line calculation unit DBU, or different from the departure boundary line DBL. In the case of being different from the departure boundary line DBL, the working position can be generated in the steering control processing unit SCU.

[0102] Figure 9 It is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the control device 100 of Modification 1 of the present embodiment. Figure 9 The processing shown starts when the recognition object around the vehicle 1 is detected by the sensor group 120, and ends when no recognition object is detected.

[0103] In step S200, the control device 100 determines whether it is a category that the vehicle 1 can drive over the detected recognition object. This can be to pre-give in the program the category that the vehicle 1 can drive over the recognition object and determine whether the recognition object is this category, or can be specifically determined individually according to information such as the shape of the recognition object detected by the sensor group 120.

[0104] When the vehicle 1 can drive over the detected recognition object (step S200; Yes), the processing proceeds to step S210 and conventional steering control is executed. When the vehicle 1 cannot drive over the detected recognition object (step S200; No), the processing proceeds to step S220 and reaction force steering control is executed. It should be noted that the processing of the reaction force steering control executed in step S220 is the same as the processing described in Figure 8 above.

[0105] By adopting such a modified scheme, when the recognition object allows the vehicle 1 to approach according to safety, etc., conventional steering control is performed, so that no reaction force is generated on the operation of the steering device 110, reducing the trouble to the driver.

[0106] 5-2. Modification 2

[0107] The control device 100 of the present embodiment can also be configured such that the steering control processing unit SCU executes conventional steering control without executing the steering control that prevents the vehicle 1 from crossing the departure boundary line DBL.

[0108] Figure 10 It is a block diagram showing the processing flow of the driving assistance implemented by the control device 100 of Modification 2 of the present embodiment. As Figure 10As shown, in the driving assistance process of Modification Example 2, the steering control processing unit SCU does not need to obtain the information of the departure boundary line DBL and the determination result. That is to say, the steering control processing unit SCU executes the process independently of the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, the approach determination processing unit AJU, and the reaction force control processing unit ROU. However, in the conventional steering control executed by the steering control processing unit SCU, when the working position is set to the departure boundary line DBL calculated by the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU, the departure boundary line DBL can also be obtained from the departure boundary line calculation processing unit DBU.

[0109] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process executed by the control device 100 of Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment. As Figure 11 shown, in Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment, the process of the conventional steering control (step S210) is executed independently of the control (steps S110 to S130) that generates a reaction force to the operation of the steering device 110.

[0110] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the outline of the control implemented by the control device 100 of Modification Example 2 of the present embodiment. Figure 12 The configuration of the figure is the same as that of Figure 4 As Figure 12 shown, a reaction force is generated to the operation of the steering device 110, thereby suppressing the inadvertent operation of the steering device 110 by the driver, and the conventional steering control (time t3 to t5) can be executed without being overridden. Thus, by adopting Modification Example 2, the same effect as that of the control device 100 of the present embodiment can also be obtained.

[0111] 5 - 3. Modification Example 3

[0112] In the present embodiment, the recognition object detected by the sensor group 120 is a kind of information related to the environment around the vehicle 1. Such environment-related information includes information related to the road structure such as road shoulders, depressions, cliffs, etc., and information related to the road state such as newly paved, snow-covered, etc. This information can be obtained from map information and road traffic information.

Claims

1. A control device that performs control related to driving assistance of a vehicle, characterized in that, Execution: A process of obtaining information related to the environment around the vehicle, where the information related to the environment around the vehicle includes information related to the road condition that has just been paved or covered with snow; A process of obtaining information on the driving state of the vehicle; A process of calculating a departure boundary line based on the information related to the environment, where the departure boundary line gives the position of a boundary indicating that the collision margin time for an identified object around the vehicle becomes less than a specified value; An approach determination process of determining that the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line when, based on the information on the driving state, the attitude of the vehicle is oriented in the direction of the departure boundary line and the speed of the vehicle is detected; And A process of generating a reaction force against the operation of the steering device of the vehicle performed by the driver in the direction approaching the departure boundary line according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the departure boundary line when it is determined that the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line, The control device further executes: A first operation determination process of determining whether there is an operation of the steering device in a direction away from the departure boundary line; A second operation determination process of determining whether the operation amount of the steering device in the direction approaching the departure boundary line becomes equal to or greater than a specified threshold value; And A process of controlling the steering of the vehicle in such a way that the vehicle does not cross the departure boundary line when the approach determination process is a positive determination and the first operation determination process and the second operation determination process are negative determinations.

2. A control method, which is a control method for control related to the driving assistance of a vehicle, is characterized in that, Including: A process of obtaining information related to the environment around the vehicle; A process of obtaining information on the driving state of the vehicle; A process of calculating a departure boundary line based on the information related to the environment, where the departure boundary line gives the position of a boundary indicating that the collision margin time for an identified object around the vehicle becomes less than a specified value; An approach determination process of determining that the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the boundary line when, based on the information on the driving state, the attitude of the vehicle is oriented in the direction of the departure boundary line; And A process of generating a reaction force against the operation of the steering device of the vehicle performed by the driver in the direction approaching the departure boundary line according to the relative position of the vehicle with respect to the departure boundary line when it is determined that the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the departure boundary line, The control method further includes: A first operation determination process of determining whether there is an operation of the steering device in a direction away from the departure boundary line; A second operation determination process of determining whether the operation amount of the steering device in the direction approaching the departure boundary line becomes equal to or greater than a specified threshold value; and A process of controlling the steering of the vehicle in such a way that the vehicle does not cross the departure boundary line when the approach determination process is a positive determination and the first operation determination process and the second operation determination process are negative determinations.

3. A storage medium storing a control program that causes a computer to execute the control method according to claim 2.

Images