Sudden acceleration suppression device and sudden acceleration suppression control method

Abstract

The present application provides a sudden acceleration suppression device and a sudden acceleration suppression control method that suppress a decrease in traffic smoothness while improving traffic safety. A sudden acceleration suppression device that suppresses sudden acceleration of a vehicle includes a shift position acquisition section that acquires an operation position of a shift lever, an acceleration opening degree acquisition section that acquires a depression amount of an acceleration pedal as an acceleration opening degree, an acceleration operation determination section that determines an operation state of the acceleration pedal based on a magnitude of the acceleration opening degree and a temporal change, and an acceleration suppression control section that suppresses acceleration of a vehicle drive section when the shift lever is in a non-drive range and the acceleration pedal is determined to be suddenly depressed by the acceleration operation determination section, and controls the vehicle drive section in such a manner that the vehicle travels at a low speed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit when the shift lever is shifted from the non-drive range to a drive range in a case where a continuous depression state of the acceleration pedal continues.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device for suppressing sudden acceleration and a method for suppressing sudden acceleration. Background Technology

[0002] A known sudden acceleration suppression system for pedal error notifies the occupants of any obstruction when a pedal error is detected in the accelerator or brake in a vehicle, prompting them to perform the correct operation via a display or similar means. The system suppresses sudden starts / sudden acceleration by inputting an acceleration opening lower than the input acceleration opening.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method to prevent sudden vehicle start-up when shifting from a non-drive gear to a drive gear while the accelerator is engaged, by outputting an acceleration opening signal to the engine control unit that is lower than the actual acceleration opening.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-032101 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] As described in the prior art, by suppressing acceleration when switching from a non-drive gear to a drive gear, the vehicle may break down even when the driver wants to start, such as at an intersection.

[0009] In view of the above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a device and method for suppressing sudden acceleration that improves traffic safety while inhibiting a decline in traffic flow.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] To address the aforementioned issues, the sudden acceleration suppression device of the present invention suppresses sudden acceleration of a vehicle. It includes: a shift position acquisition unit that acquires the operating position of a shift lever; an acceleration opening acquisition unit that acquires the amount of accelerator pedal depressed as the acceleration opening; an acceleration operation determination unit that determines the operating state of the accelerator pedal based on the magnitude and time variation of the acceleration opening; and an acceleration suppression control unit that suppresses acceleration of the vehicle drive unit when the shift lever position acquired by the shift position acquisition unit is in a non-drive gear and the acceleration operation determination unit determines that the accelerator pedal has been suddenly depressed. While the accelerator pedal remains continuously depressed, when the shift lever position changes from a non-drive gear to a drive gear, the device controls the vehicle drive unit to accelerate at a predetermined speed limit after low-speed driving.

[0012] Invention Effects

[0013] The sudden acceleration suppression device and sudden acceleration suppression control method according to the present invention can suppress the decline in traffic smoothness while improving traffic safety. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a system configuration diagram of the sudden acceleration suppression device in the implementation method.

[0015] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of a vehicle equipped with a sudden acceleration suppression device.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a flowchart explaining the control contents of the sudden acceleration suppression device.

[0017] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates other actions of a vehicle equipped with a sudden acceleration suppression device.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating other control functions of the sudden acceleration suppression device.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0020] 1. Acceleration Suppression Control Unit

[0021] 2. Accelerated Operation Judgment Unit

[0022] 3. Accelerate the opening degree acquisition department

[0023] 4. Gear Shift Position Acquisition Unit

[0024] 5. Obstacle Detection Department

[0025] 6. Alarm Department

[0026] 10 Sudden Acceleration Suppression Device

[0027] 11. Gear shift lever

[0028] 12 Accelerator Pedals

[0029] 13 Vehicle Drive Unit

[0030] 14 cameras

[0031] 15 Alarm Output Unit

[0032] 16 Wheel speed sensors Detailed Implementation

[0033] Hereinafter, the sudden acceleration suppression device according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1This is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0035] The sudden acceleration suppression device 10 is configured to include an acceleration suppression control unit 1, an acceleration operation determination unit 2, an acceleration opening acquisition unit 3, a shift position acquisition unit 4, an obstacle detection unit 5, and an alarm unit 6.

[0036] The shift position acquisition unit 4 acquires the position of the shift lever 11 operated by the driver, such as "P" (Park), "R" (Reverse), "N" (Neutral), and "D" (Drive). In this manual, the positions of the shift lever 11 that do not move (drive) the vehicle, such as "P" and "N," are referred to as non-drive positions, and the positions of the shift lever 11 that move (drive) the vehicle, such as "R" and "D," are referred to as drive positions. It should be noted that in vehicles where a shift switch replaces the shift lever 11, the shift lever 11 is replaced by a shift switch.

[0037] The acceleration opening acquisition unit 3 acquires the amount of time the accelerator pedal 12 is depressed as the acceleration opening. When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal 12 deeply, the acceleration opening acquisition unit 3 acquires the largest acceleration opening.

[0038] The obstacle detection unit 5 detects obstacles such as vehicles that could potentially cause a rear-end collision or impact, as well as the distance to the obstacle, based on images captured by the camera 14 that captures images in front of the vehicle. The obstacle detection unit 5 can also detect obstacles using millimeter-wave radar or LiDAR (light detection and ranging).

[0039] The acceleration operation determination unit 2 determines the driver's operation state, such as sudden pressing of the accelerator pedal 12, based on the magnitude and time change of the acceleration opening obtained by the acceleration opening acquisition unit 3.

[0040] When the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 16 is 0, i.e. the vehicle is stopped, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 keeps the vehicle stopped while selecting the shift lever 11 as a non-drive gear and depressing the accelerator pedal 12 (the state where the engine speed is high) based on the position of the shift lever 11 obtained by the shift position acquisition unit 4 and the operation state of the accelerator pedal 12 determined by the acceleration operation determination unit 2. This is done in order to suppress acceleration (e.g., limit the engine throttle opening) and control the vehicle drive unit 13.

[0041] Furthermore, when the acceleration suppression control unit 1 shifts the gear lever 11 to drive while the accelerator pedal 12 is depressed, it controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to drive at a low speed with a creeping motion. In addition, it controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to accelerate with a limit on the depressing of the accelerator pedal 12 (acceleration is limited to a preset speed, for example, 30 km / h).

[0042] It should be noted that creeping is a phenomenon unique to AT (automatic transmission) vehicles equipped with a torque converter that transmits engine torque to the drive wheels. However, since creeping can also occur in engine vehicles without torque converters and electric vehicles without engines, it can also be applied to vehicles capable of creeping.

[0043] In addition, when the obstacle detection unit 5 detects an obstacle after the vehicle starts, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to slow down or stop the vehicle.

[0044] When the acceleration suppression control unit 1 performs acceleration suppression control on the vehicle drive unit 13, the alarm unit 6 issues an alarm for abnormal driver operation via the alarm output unit 15, such as the in-vehicle display. Additionally, as an alarm for abnormal driver operation, the alarm unit 6 displays the vehicle's hazard warning lights by flashing via the alarm output unit 15.

[0045] The sudden acceleration suppression device 10 specifically includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), electronic components, and an interface circuit of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). By executing the program stored in the ROM, it realizes the respective functions of the acceleration suppression control unit 1, etc.

[0046] In addition, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 can also be implemented as part of the function of the engine control ECU that controls the vehicle drive unit 13.

[0047] Next, according to Figure 2 This describes the operation of a vehicle equipped with the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0048] Figure 2 The vehicle status is displayed horizontally on the paper from left to right based on the gear shift lever 11 ( Figure 1 ) and accelerator pedal 12 ( Figure 1 The time variation of the operation.

[0049] First, when the shift lever 11 is in the "N" position and the accelerator pedal 12 is in the "AP OFF" position (accelerator pedal disengaged), the vehicle is in a stopped state.

[0050] If the driver suddenly depresses the accelerator pedal 12 while the gear shift lever is in the "N" position, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 will suppress the engine's rotational speed. At this time, since the gear shift lever is in the "N" position, the vehicle remains stationary.

[0051] If the driver changes the gear lever from "N" to "D" while the accelerator pedal 12 is continuously depressed (accelerator pedal state is "AP continuously depressed"), although the engine's driving force is transmitted to the drive wheels, the vehicle begins to travel at a low speed, such as 10 km / h, through the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 (vehicle state is "creeping").

[0052] If the driver continues to press the accelerator pedal 12 (the accelerator pedal is in the "AP continuously pressed" state), the vehicle will be in a limited acceleration state by the sudden acceleration suppression device 10, and will accelerate at a preset speed, such as 30 km / h (the specified speed is the upper limit).

[0053] In this way, even if a vehicle equipped with the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 of the embodiment shifts to a drive gear while the accelerator pedal is depressed when a non-drive gear is selected, it will not suddenly start because acceleration suppression is performed in the non-drive gear state.

[0054] Furthermore, by continuously pressing the accelerator pedal, the system transitions from low-speed driving to limited acceleration, thereby enabling the vehicle to reflect the driver's starting intentions and improving convenience.

[0055] Next, according to Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates the processing of the sudden acceleration suppression device 10.

[0056] In step S31, the shift position acquisition unit 4 acquires the position of the shift lever 11 and determines whether the shift lever 11 is in a non-drive position, either "P" or "N". If it is not in a non-drive position (No in S31), the process ends; if it is in a non-drive position (Yes in S31), the process proceeds to step S32.

[0057] More specifically, in any of the following situations: when the vehicle speed is above 30 km / h, when the slope is above 7%, when the turn signal is in operation and within a specified number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds) after the turn signal is in operation, and when the brake is in operation and within a specified number of seconds (e.g., 2 seconds) after the brake is in operation, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 will terminate the process as if the vehicle is not in a non-drive gear.

[0058] In step S32, the acceleration opening acquisition unit 3 acquires the acceleration opening of the accelerator pedal 12. Furthermore, the acceleration operation determination unit 2 determines whether the accelerator pedal 12 has been suddenly pressed based on the magnitude and time change of the acceleration opening acquired by the acceleration opening acquisition unit 3. If the accelerator pedal 12 is not suddenly pressed (No in S32), the process ends; if the accelerator pedal is suddenly pressed (Yes in S32), the process proceeds to step S33.

[0059] In detail, the acceleration operation determination unit 2 determines that a sudden step is made when the acceleration opening is 90% or more and the step is made at a speed three times the normal level.

[0060] In step S33, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to suppress acceleration by limiting the increase of the driver's engine throttle opening. That is, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 suppresses the engine rotation speed at idle speed, regardless of the acceleration opening obtained by the acceleration opening acquisition unit 3.

[0061] If the engine is in an idle stop state, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to restart the engine and return it to an idle state.

[0062] In step S34, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines whether the position of the shift lever 11 obtained by the shift position acquisition unit 4 has changed from a non-drive gear to a drive gear ("D" or "R", etc.). If it has changed to a drive gear (yes in S34), the process proceeds to step S35. If it is still a non-drive gear (not shifted), the process waits for it to change to a drive gear (no in S34).

[0063] In step S35, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines whether the accelerator pedal 12 is in the AP continuously depressed state by the acceleration operation determination unit 2. If the accelerator pedal 12 is open (No in S35), the process ends. If the AP is continuously depressed (Yes in S35), the process proceeds to step S36.

[0064] In step S36, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to start traveling at a low speed. After traveling at a low speed for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to enter a state of limited acceleration (e.g., acceleration up to 30 km / h).

[0065] In step S37, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines whether the accelerator pedal 12 has been depressed (AP depressing is finished) by the acceleration operation determination unit 2. If the depressing is finished (yes in S37), the process proceeds to step S38. If the depressing is not finished (no in S37), the process waits for the accelerator pedal 12 to be depressed.

[0066] In detail, when the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines that AP has ended when the acceleration opening becomes below a predetermined value (e.g., below 50%).

[0067] In step S38, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 releases the limited acceleration control of the vehicle drive unit 13 so that the vehicle drive unit 13 can perform acceleration control according to the acceleration opening.

[0068] As described above, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 of the embodiment includes: a shift position acquisition unit 4, which acquires the operating position of the shift lever 11; an acceleration opening acquisition unit 3, which acquires the amount of accelerator pedal 12 being depressed as the acceleration opening; an acceleration operation determination unit 2, which determines the operating state of the accelerator pedal 12 based on the magnitude and time change of the acceleration opening; and an acceleration suppression control unit 1, which suppresses the acceleration of the vehicle drive unit 13 when the position of the shift lever 11 acquired by the shift position acquisition unit 4 is a non-drive gear and the acceleration operation determination unit 2 determines that the accelerator pedal 12 is suddenly depressed. When the accelerator pedal 12 is continuously depressed, the vehicle drive unit 13 is controlled to accelerate at a predetermined speed limit after low-speed driving when the position of the shift lever 11 changes from a non-drive gear to a drive gear.

[0069] Therefore, even when switching from a non-drive gear to a drive gear with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle will not suddenly start moving because acceleration is already suppressed in the non-drive gear state. Furthermore, by keeping the accelerator pedal depressed for a specified time, the vehicle transitions to limited acceleration after a period of low-speed driving, thus enabling a more controlled response to the driver's "start / accelerate" intentions, improving convenience.

[0070] Next, based on Figure 4 Explain other actions of the vehicle equipped with the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 of the embodiment.

[0071] Figure 4 The illustration shows a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "this vehicle") equipped with the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 of the embodiment being sandwiched between vehicles in front and behind while waiting at a traffic light, and a vehicle stopped due to congestion. The right direction on the paper indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0072] Figure 4 (a) shows the state of the vehicle in front starting.

[0073] like Figure 4 As shown in (b), the driver of this vehicle operates the gear shift lever 11 and the accelerator pedal 12 in response to the starting of the vehicle in front, so that this vehicle also starts.

[0074] At this time, even if the driver suddenly presses the accelerator pedal 12 while the shift lever 11 is in the "N" position, and then shifts the gear lever 11 to the "D" position while the accelerator pedal is still pressed, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 controls the vehicle drive unit 13, so that the vehicle enters a state of limited acceleration after driving at low speed for a specified time, and therefore the vehicle will not start suddenly.

[0075] And, as Figure 4 As shown in (c), when the vehicle catches up with the vehicle in front (when the distance between the vehicle in front and the vehicle becomes less than a predetermined value), the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to decelerate or stop the vehicle.

[0076] In addition, this vehicle is Figure 4 As shown in (b), when starting by acceleration suppression control via sudden acceleration suppression device 10, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 activates an alarm in the vehicle to notify the driver that the vehicle has not been driven based on normal operation, such as suddenly pressing the accelerator pedal while the shift lever 11 is in the non-drive position.

[0077] In addition, the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 activates an emergency stop signal by causing the hazard warning lights to flash at a speed different from normal, informing surrounding vehicles (such as vehicles behind) that the vehicle is not driving based on normal operation.

[0078] This enables the safe driving of both the vehicle and other vehicles, thus improving convenience for the driver and other drivers.

[0079] Figure 5 Yes Figure 4 The flowchart illustrates the processing flow of the sudden acceleration suppression device 10, which controls the movement of this vehicle. Figure 5 The processing flowchart is in Figure 3 Steps S51, S52 and S53 are added to the processing flow of the sudden acceleration suppression device 10 described in the text.

[0080] Figure 5 From step S31 to step S38 and Figure 3 The same applies, therefore the explanation is omitted here.

[0081] In step S51, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines whether an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit 5, which detects vehicles or other obstacles that may rear-end or collide with the vehicle, based on the image captured by the camera 14 in front of the vehicle. If no obstacle is detected (No in S51), the process proceeds to step S35. If an obstacle is detected, the process waits until no obstacle is detected.

[0082] In detail, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines that an obstacle has been detected when the distance between the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 5 and the vehicle is less than a predetermined value (close to the vehicle), and determines that no obstacle has been detected when the distance is greater than the predetermined value (far from the vehicle) or when the obstacle detection unit 5 does not detect an obstacle.

[0083] When the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines in step S35 that the AP pedal is continuously engaged, it controls the vehicle drive unit 13 in step S36 to limit the vehicle's acceleration after it has been traveling at a low speed. Therefore, in step S51, the vehicle will not start moving while the acceleration suppression control unit 1 determines that an obstacle has been detected. As a result, safe driving that corresponds to the situation can be achieved, and the convenience for the driver is improved.

[0084] In step S52, when the acceleration suppression control unit 1 performs limited acceleration after low-speed driving in step S36, the obstacle detection unit 5 determines whether an obstacle is detected. If no obstacle is detected (No in S52), the process proceeds to step S37. If an obstacle is detected (No in S52), the process proceeds to step S53.

[0085] In step S53, the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 to avoid a collision, causing the vehicle to decelerate or stop, thus ending the process.

[0086] As described above, when driving under limited acceleration, if an obstacle is detected in the direction of vehicle travel, the limited acceleration can be stopped and the vehicle decelerated or brought to a stop, thereby enabling safe driving in accordance with the situation and improving driver convenience.

[0087] If the acceleration suppression control unit 1 controls the vehicle drive unit 13 in a limited acceleration manner after the vehicle is traveling at low speed in step S36 until the limited acceleration control is released in step S38, that is, if obstacle detection is performed during the period when the vehicle is traveling at low speed and during limited acceleration, then the collision with the obstacle can be avoided or reduced because the vehicle decelerates or stops.

[0088] Alternatively, in step S53, instead of controlling the vehicle drive unit 13 to decelerate or stop the vehicle, the collision mitigation brake function is activated.

[0089] Figure 5 Not shown in the diagram, but it could also be that the sudden acceleration suppression device 10, in parallel with the processing of steps S33 to S38 or S53, outputs an alarm to the alarm output unit 15 via the alarm unit 6. Figure 4 The instructions state that the alarm should be sent to the driver and to surrounding vehicles.

[0090] This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from its spirit.

Claims

1. A sudden acceleration suppression device that performs sudden acceleration suppression of a vehicle, the sudden acceleration suppression device characterized by comprising: a shift position acquisition section that acquires an operation position of a shift lever; an acceleration opening degree acquisition section that acquires a depression amount of an acceleration pedal as an acceleration opening degree; an acceleration operation determination section that determines an operation state of the acceleration pedal based on a magnitude and a temporal change of the acceleration opening degree; and an acceleration suppression control section that, in a stopped state of the vehicle, when the operation position of the shift lever acquired by the shift position acquisition section is a non-drive range and sudden depression of the acceleration pedal is determined by the acceleration operation determination section, maintains the stopped state of the vehicle by performing acceleration suppression on a vehicle drive section, in a case where the continuous depression state of the acceleration pedal continues, causes the vehicle in the stopped state to start up when the operation position of the shift lever is shifted from the non-drive range to a drive range, performs low-speed travel to the extent of inching travel, after the low-speed travel continues for a prescribed time, controls the vehicle drive section in a manner in which acceleration is performed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit, and releases the upper limit control in a case where the acceleration opening degree becomes a prescribed value or less.

2. The sudden acceleration suppression device according to claim 1, characterized in that: an obstacle detection section that detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle is provided, the acceleration suppression control section, in a case where an obstacle is detected in a traveling direction of the vehicle by the obstacle detection section, controls the vehicle drive section so that the vehicle does not start up even when the operation position of the shift lever is shifted from the non-drive range to the drive range in a case where the continuous depression state of the acceleration pedal continues, or in a case where the vehicle drive section is controlled in a manner in which acceleration is performed with the prescribed speed as an upper limit after the low-speed travel, controls the vehicle drive section so that the vehicle decelerates or stops when an obstacle is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle by the obstacle detection section.

3. The sudden acceleration suppression device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: an alarm section that outputs an alarm of an abnormal operation of the shift lever and the acceleration pedal to an alarm output section is provided, the acceleration suppression control section outputs an alarm by the alarm section when the vehicle drive section is controlled in a manner in which acceleration is suppressed or when the vehicle drive section is controlled in a manner in which acceleration is performed with the prescribed speed as an upper limit after the low-speed travel.

4. A sudden acceleration suppression control method that is a sudden acceleration suppression method for a vehicle, the sudden acceleration suppression control method characterized by comprising: a step of, in a stopped state of the vehicle, when an operation position of a shift lever is determined to be a non-drive range and sudden depression of an acceleration pedal is determined, controlling in a manner in which the stopped state of the vehicle is maintained by performing acceleration suppression on a vehicle drive section of the vehicle; and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ When the position of the shift lever is shifted from the non-drive range to the drive range while the state in which the accelerator pedal is continuously depressed is continued, the vehicle in the stopped state is started, low-speed travel to the extent of inching travel is performed, and after the low-speed travel is continued for a prescribed time, the vehicle drive unit is controlled in a manner in which acceleration is performed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit, and in a case where the acceleration opening degree becomes a prescribed value or less, the upper limit control is released.

5. The sudden acceleration inhibition control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the step of controlling the vehicle drive unit in a manner in which acceleration is performed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit after the low-speed travel, when an obstacle is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle, even if the position of the shift lever is shifted from the non-drive range to the drive range while the state in which the accelerator pedal is continuously depressed is continued, the vehicle drive unit is controlled so that the vehicle does not start.

6. The sudden acceleration inhibition control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the step of controlling the vehicle drive unit in a manner in which acceleration is performed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit after the low-speed travel, when an obstacle is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle drive unit is controlled so that the vehicle decelerates or stops.

7. The sudden acceleration inhibition control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, in a case where the vehicle approaches a prescribed distance from an obstacle located in front of the vehicle, when an obstacle is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle drive unit is controlled so that the vehicle decelerates or stops.

8. The sudden acceleration inhibition control method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, in the step of controlling the vehicle drive unit in a manner in which acceleration is inhibited, or in the step of controlling the vehicle drive unit in a manner in which acceleration is performed with a prescribed speed as an upper limit after the low-speed travel, an alarm display of an abnormal operation of the shift lever and the accelerator pedal is performed.

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