Travel assistance device for vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a driving assistance device for a vehicle. The driving assistance device recognizes the surrounding environment and the vehicle state and performs driving assistance control including disengagement control for assisting automatic disengagement from a stuck state. The driving assistance device is provided with a surrounding environment recognition device, a vehicle state recognition device, a notification device, and a control means for performing vehicle driving control, and the control means is provided with: a clamping stagnation determination unit that determines the presence or absence of a clamping stagnation state on the basis of vehicle state information, and determines a clamping stagnation level when it is determined that the vehicle is in the clamping stagnation state; a first disengagement assist control unit that performs automatic disengagement control that assists disengagement from the stuck state; and a second disengagement assist control unit that performs output control of disengagement operation instruction information for assisting the notification device to disengage from the stuck state, and the control unit performs control of either the first disengagement assist control unit or the second disengagement assist control unit in accordance with the stuck level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving assistance device for assisting a vehicle such as an automobile to escape from a stuck state caused when the vehicle is traveling through a bad road area. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, for example, in conventional four-wheel vehicles, so-called all-wheel drive vehicles having a structure capable of driving all front and rear wheels (usually four wheels) have been put into practical use and are becoming increasingly popular.

[0003] Such all-wheel drive vehicles generally have high performance in passing bad roads, and therefore are expected to be widely used in various driving environments. For example, when driving on unpaved roads such as bad roads or areas such as uneven ground, the vehicle may enter an area with mud or snow. In this case, the vehicle may be stuck in a so-called stuck state where the drive wheels cannot travel due to idling.

[0004] Thus, even when the vehicle is stuck, as long as it is an all-wheel drive vehicle, it is possible to get out of the stuck state by driving. However, when the vehicle is stuck, if an unreasonable operation is blindly performed, such as applying driving force to the drive wheels more than necessary, the stuck state may be aggravated by the idling of the wheels.

[0005] Therefore, various technologies have been proposed in the past, such as Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-38918 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-202645, for a driving assistance device that assists in escaping from a stuck state in, for example, an all-wheel drive vehicle.

[0006] The vehicle driving assistance device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-38918 and the like uses a buffer unit to raise and lower the height of the vehicle when the vehicle is stuck on a sandy road, thereby changing the contact state between the wheels and the sandy road, changing the grip of the wheels with respect to the sandy road, and thereby providing driving assistance to escape from the stuck state.

[0007] In addition, the vehicle driving assistance device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-202645 and the like automatically switches the direction of the driving force in the vehicle in a stuck state so that the vehicle repeatedly moves in the front-rear direction, thereby performing driving assistance to escape from the stuck state.

[0008] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-38918 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-202645 Summary of the invention

[0009] Technical issues However, the driving assistance device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-38918 and the like requires a special device for raising and lowering the vehicle height, which has the problem of complicating the vehicle structure and increasing the product cost.

[0010] In addition, the driving assist device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-202645 and the like is based on the premise that the driving force of the driving wheels in the stuck vehicle is reliably transmitted to the road surface to move the vehicle in the front-rear direction. Therefore, depending on the stuck state of the vehicle, there is a problem that it is difficult to disengage.

[0011] A typical driver (user) may not be familiar with the appropriate operation method for escaping a stuck vehicle. In addition, even if the driver (user) has knowledge of the operation method for escaping a stuck vehicle, he may not always be able to respond calmly because he panics when the vehicle actually gets stuck.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving assistance device which, when the vehicle becomes stuck while driving in a bad road area, can recognize the surrounding environment and the vehicle state and perform driving assistance control including escape control for assisting automatic escape from the stuck state.

[0013] Technical Solution In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a driving assistance device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention assists in escaping from a stuck state, the driving assistance device for the vehicle comprising: a surrounding environment recognition device for acquiring surrounding environment information of the vehicle; a vehicle state recognition device for acquiring vehicle state information of the vehicle; A notification device that notifies a driver of the vehicle of predetermined information; and a control unit that performs driving control of the vehicle, the control unit comprising: a jam determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a jammed state based on the vehicle state information, and further determines a jam level when it is determined that the vehicle is in a jammed state; a first disengagement assist control unit that performs automatic disengagement control to assist the vehicle in disengaging from a jammed state; and a second disengagement assist control unit that performs output control of disengagement operation instruction information for assisting the vehicle in disengaging from a jammed state with respect to the notification device, the control unit performs control by one of the first disengagement assist control unit or the second disengagement assist control unit according to the jam level.

[0014] Technical Effects According to the present invention, a vehicle driving assistance device can be provided, which can recognize the surrounding environment and vehicle status and perform driving assistance control including escape control for assisting automatic escape from the stuck state when the vehicle becomes stuck while driving in a bad road area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving assistance device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 : is a table showing examples of disengagement operation instructions issued by the second disengagement assist control unit in the vehicle driving assist device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a control flow when the vehicle is stuck in a bad road area, among the functions of the driving assistance device for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of symbols 1… Driving assistance device 10…Camera unit 11…Stereo Camera 11a…Main Camera 11b…Secondary camera 12…Image Processing Unit (IPU) 13…Image recognition unit 14…Control unit 15…Stuck determination unit 16 ...First departure assist control unit 17…Second departure assist control unit 20…DCM 21…Cockpit control unit (CP_ECU) 22…Engine control unit (E / G_ECU) 23…Transmission control unit (T / M_ECU) 24…Brake control unit (BK_ECU) 25…Power steering control unit (PS_ECU) 31…Human Machine Interface (HMI) 31a…Notification device 32…Throttle actuator 32a…Throttle sensor; 33…Hydraulic control circuit 34…Brake actuator 35…Electric power steering motor 35a…Steering angle sensor 36…Positioner unit 36a…GNSS sensor 36b…Road Map DB 37…Vehicle-mounted radar device 38…Rear sensor 39…Tilt angle sensor 40…Wheel speed sensor 50…Information Center 51…Call Center 52…External server DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0020] First, a simplified configuration of a vehicle driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below using Figure 1 Provide explanation. Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a driving assistance device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1 The basic structure of the driving assistance device of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is substantially the same as that of a conventional driving assistance device for a vehicle of the same type. Figure 1 In the following description, illustrations and detailed descriptions of common components in conventional vehicle driving assistance devices are omitted. In addition, only the main components directly related to the present invention are described. Figure 1 The diagram is shown in the figure and described below.

[0022] The vehicle driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment includes a camera unit 10 which is a vehicle-mounted camera device including a stereo camera 11 fixed to the front upper center portion of a cabin of a vehicle (not shown) on which the driving assistance device 1 is mounted.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the camera unit 10 is configured to include a stereo camera 11 and an image processing unit (Image Processing Unit; in Figure 1 Recorded as “IPU” in the figure) 12, image recognition unit 13, control unit 14, etc.

[0024] The stereo camera 11 is formed to include two cameras, a main camera 11a and a sub-camera 11b. The main camera 11a and the sub-camera 11b are arranged, for example, at left-right symmetrical positions across the center of the vehicle width direction in the vehicle compartment toward the front of the vehicle. The main camera 11a and the sub-camera 11b are respectively composed of, for example, an imaging optical system, an imaging element such as a CMOS image sensor, and a processing circuit for processing imaging signals, etc. (the detailed structure is omitted in the figure).

[0025] With such a structure, the stereo camera 11 acquires two image data from two different viewpoints through the main camera 11a and the auxiliary camera 11b at a predetermined shooting cycle synchronized with each other, and the two different viewpoints are based on the surrounding environment of a predetermined range in front of the vehicle. Then, stereo image data is generated based on the two image data thus acquired. The stereo image data is surrounding environment information representing the surrounding environment of the vehicle during driving. The surrounding environment information (image data) generated in the stereo camera 11 is output to the image processing unit 12.

[0026] The image processing unit 12 is a structural unit or a circuit unit that performs predetermined image processing on the surrounding environment information (image data representing the surrounding environment of the vehicle during driving) acquired by the stereo camera 11. The image processing unit 12 performs processing such as detecting edges of various objects (objects or dividing lines, etc.) displayed on the image.

[0027] The image processing unit 12 acquires distance information based on the positional offset of the corresponding edges on the left and right images based on the stereoscopic image data, and generates image information (distance image information) including the distance information. The distance image information generated by the image processing unit 12 is output to the image recognition unit 13.

[0028] The image recognition unit 13 calculates the road curvature [1 / m] of the left and right dividing lines of the road (the road on which the vehicle is traveling) and the width between the left and right dividing lines (lane width) based on the distance image information input from the image processing unit 12. The method of obtaining the road curvature and the lane width uses various well-known means.

[0029] In addition, the image recognition unit 13 performs predetermined pattern matching based on the distance image information acquired by the stereo camera 11, thereby recognizing three-dimensional objects extending along the road (such as guardrails, curbs, and other surrounding vehicles, etc.), parking frame lines marked by dividing lines on the road surface in buildings such as parking lots, or three-dimensional structures such as car barriers that set parking division areas, or gaps between other adjacent vehicles, etc. In addition, the state of the road surface or ground (hereinafter referred to as the wheel contact surface) around the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the road surface state, etc.) is also recognized.

[0030] Here, in the recognition of three-dimensional objects (object recognition) in the image recognition unit 13, for example, the type of three-dimensional object, the height of the three-dimensional object, the width of the three-dimensional object, the distance from the vehicle to the three-dimensional object, the moving speed of the three-dimensional object, the relative speed between the three-dimensional object and the vehicle, the relative distance between the three-dimensional objects (for example, the lateral distance between the curb at the end of the road and the dividing line located near it, etc.), etc. are recognized.

[0031] In addition, the road surface state recognized by the image recognition unit 13 includes, for example, (1) Simple identification of paved roads, unpaved roads, or uneven terrain, etc. (2) Recognition of more detailed conditions (such as muddy, sandy, or snowy ground) when the road is unpaved or uneven. (3) Identification of flooded roads (underground passages, etc.), (4) Identification of areas with puddles, mud, or snow, etc.

[0032] These road conditions and the like can be estimated based on, for example, brightness differences in images and the like.

[0033] Various information recognized by the image recognition unit 13 is output as surrounding environment information to the control unit 14. In this case, the camera unit 10 including the image recognition unit 13 has a function as a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0034] The control unit 14 included in the camera unit 10 is a structural unit or a circuit unit that controls the camera unit 10 and controls the entire driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment to perform driving control of a vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device 1 .

[0035] The control unit 14 is connected to various control units such as an on-board communication unit (DCM; Data Communication Module) 20, a cockpit control unit (CP_ECU) 21, an engine control unit (E / G_ECU) 22, a transmission control unit (T / M_ECU) 23, a brake control unit (BK_ECU) 24, a power steering control unit (PS_ECU) 25, etc. via an in-vehicle communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0036] The vehicle-mounted communication unit 20 is a communication unit for always connecting the control unit 14 included in the camera unit 10 and an information center 50 which is a predetermined external organization (external system) to realize two-way communication.

[0037] Here, the information center 50 includes, for example, a call center 51 and an external server 52, and is an external organization that manages information related to the vehicle, etc. The call center 51 and the external server 52 of the information center 50 are connected to a communication network such as the Internet.

[0038] In addition to data communication, the vehicle-mounted communication unit 20 can perform voice communication, for example. According to this structure, the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment can perform voice communication with the operator stationed at the call center 51 through the vehicle-mounted communication unit 20, and can perform data communication with the external server 52 to send various data acquired on the vehicle side. Here, the various data acquired on the vehicle side are, for example, vehicle state information acquired by the vehicle state recognition device described later (for example, in addition to information related to the stuck state, it also includes vehicle driving data, gasoline remaining amount information, etc.), vehicle position information data (latitude and longitude, altitude information, etc.) acquired by the locator unit 36 ​​described later, and other surrounding environment information.

[0039] The CP_ECU 21 is connected to a human-machine interface (in Figure 1 The HMI 31 is configured to include various notification devices 31a and the like in addition to various operating components, various sensing devices, and the like.

[0040] Here, as various operating members, there are, for example, a plurality of operating switches for instructing execution or stop of various driving assistance controls, a driving mode switching switch for switching between a plurality of driving modes, and the like.

[0041] Here, the plurality of driving modes include, for example, a normal driving mode and a bad road driving mode. The bad road driving mode is a driving mode selected when driving on a road with a bad road surface condition (for example, a snowy road or an unpaved road).

[0042] The bad road driving mode also includes a plurality of driving modes corresponding to road surface conditions. For example, the first bad road mode is a bad road driving mode corresponding to relatively mild driving conditions such as snow roads or dirt roads (dry dirt roads, etc.). In addition, the second bad road mode is a bad road driving mode corresponding to more severe driving conditions such as deep snow roads or mud roads (wet mud roads, etc.).

[0043] The driving control performed when the bad road driving mode is set includes, for example, driving control of the throttle actuator 32 by the E / G_ECU 22 , hydraulic control of the hydraulic control circuit 33 by the T / M_ECU 23 , and driving control of the brake actuator 34 by the BK_ECU 24 .

[0044] Specifically, for example, the E / G_ECU 22 controls the driving of the throttle actuator 32 to suppress abrupt torque changes to suppress slipping, or to improve the passability on bad roads by obtaining a large driving force in advance. In addition, when the drive wheels spin, torque reduction control to reduce the engine output is also performed.

[0045] In addition, through the hydraulic control of the hydraulic control circuit 33 by the T / M_ECU 23, control is performed to suppress the rotation difference between the front and rear wheels to improve traction performance, set the speed ratio lower than during normal driving control, or set the lock area as a dedicated setting to perform stable driving control on bad roads.

[0046] In addition, there is brake LSD control for suppressing the rotation difference between the left and right wheels by driving control of the brake actuator 34 by the BK_ECU 24, and the like.

[0047] It should be noted that the control in the bad road driving mode is executed when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed (for example, about 40 kilometers per hour (km / h)), and the control to release the bad road driving mode is performed when the vehicle speed exceeds the predetermined speed.

[0048] In addition, as various sensing devices, there are in-vehicle monitoring systems composed of steering touch sensors that detect the driver's steering state, driver monitoring systems (DMS) that detect the driver's facial recognition, line of sight, etc., and in-vehicle cameras that identify the riding conditions of people including the driver.

[0049] In addition, as various notification devices 31 a , there are touch panel type display devices (visual display devices), sound generation devices including speakers and the like (auditory display devices), combination meters in which various meters are integrated, and the like.

[0050] The CP_ECU 21 is a structural unit or a circuit unit that appropriately reports various information to the driver in a predetermined manner (visual or auditory display) using a notification device 31 a included in the HMI 31 upon receiving a control signal from the control unit 14 .

[0051] Here, various information notified by the notification device 31a includes, for example, various alarm information, various information related to the implementation status of the driving assistance control, the surrounding environment of the vehicle, etc., and instruction information related to "exit assistance control" described later.

[0052] The CP_ECU 21 also outputs various input information such as instruction signals input by the driver using various operating components included in the HMI 31 (eg, on / off instructions for various driving assistance controls, switching or selection instructions for driving modes, etc.) to the control unit 14 .

[0053] A throttle actuator 32 of an electronically controlled throttle valve and the like are connected to the output side of the E / G_ECU 22. In addition, various sensors such as an accelerator sensor 32a are connected to the input side of the E / G_ECU 22.

[0054] The E / G_ECU 22 is a driving device that generates a driving force for the vehicle by driving and controlling the throttle actuator 32 based on a control signal from the control unit 14 or detection signals from various sensors. Thus, the E / G_ECU 22 adjusts the intake air amount of the engine to generate a desired engine output. In addition, the E / G_ECU 22 outputs signals such as the accelerator opening detected by various sensors (such as the accelerator sensor 32a) to the control unit 14.

[0055] The hydraulic control circuit 33 is connected to the output side of the T / M_ECU 23. In addition, various sensors such as a shift position sensor (not shown) are connected to the input side of the T / M_ECU 23.

[0056] The T / M_ECU 23 controls the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic control circuit 33 based on the engine torque signal estimated by the E / G_ECU 22, the detection signals from various sensors, etc. Thus, the T / M_ECU 23 operates the friction engagement elements, pulleys, etc. provided in the automatic transmission to change the engine output at a desired speed ratio. In addition, the T / M_ECU 23 outputs signals such as the gear position detected by various sensors to the control unit 14.

[0057] A brake actuator 34 is connected to the output side of the BK_ECU 24. The brake actuator 34 is used to adjust the brake fluid pressure output to the brake cylinders provided at each wheel. In addition, various sensors (not shown) such as a brake pedal sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a front and rear acceleration sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor are connected to the input side of the BK_ECU 24.

[0058] The BK_ECU 24 is a brake device that performs a braking control of the vehicle by driving and controlling the brake actuator 34 based on a control signal from the control unit 14 or detection signals from various sensors. Thus, the BK_ECU 24 appropriately generates a braking force for performing forced braking control, yaw rate control, etc. on each wheel. In addition, the BK_ECU 24 outputs signals such as the brake operation state, yaw rate, front and rear acceleration, and vehicle speed (own vehicle speed) detected by various sensors to the control unit 14.

[0059] The output side of the PS_ECU 25 is connected to an electric power steering motor 35 that applies a steering torque based on the rotational force of the motor to the steering mechanism. In addition, the input side of the PS_ECU 25 is connected to various sensors (not shown) such as a steering torque sensor and a steering angle sensor 35a.

[0060] The PS_ECU 25 is a steering device that controls the steering of the vehicle by driving and controlling the electric power steering motor 35 based on a control signal from the control unit 14 or detection signals from various sensors. Thus, the PS_ECU 25 generates a steering torque for the steering mechanism. In addition, the PS_ECU 25 outputs signals such as the steering torque and the steering angle detected by various sensors to the control unit 14.

[0061] In addition, as various sensors, for example, a positioner unit 36 ​​, a vehicle-mounted radar device 37 , a rear sensor 38 , a tilt angle sensor 39 , and a wheel speed sensor 40 are connected to the control unit 14 .

[0062] The locator unit 36 ​​is configured to include a GNSS sensor 36 a and a high-precision road map database (road map DB) 36 b .

[0063] The GNSS sensor 36 a locates the position (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) of the vehicle by receiving positioning signals transmitted from a plurality of positioning satellites.

[0064] The road map DB 36 b is a large-capacity storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) device or an SSD (Solid State Drive) device, and stores high-precision three-dimensional road map information (dynamic map).

[0065] The road map DB 36b stores lane width data, lane center position coordinate data, lane travel azimuth data, speed limit, etc. as lane data required for automatic driving. The lane data is stored at intervals of several meters for each lane on the road map. In addition, in addition to traffic restrictions and road construction, the road map DB 36b also contains dynamic information that changes all the time, such as accidents and congestion.

[0066] In addition, the locator unit 36 ​​can acquire real-time surrounding environment information (for example, various information related to parking lots, etc., in addition to congestion information, weather information, etc.) at the location of the vehicle located by the GNSS sensor 36a by communicating with the external system 40, etc. In this case, the weather information also includes, for example, fog generation information, rainfall information, snowfall information, snow accumulation information, temperature and humidity information, etc. in the area including the location of the vehicle.

[0067] In addition, the road map DB 36b holds information on various facilities, parking lots, etc. The road map DB 36b outputs road map information of a set range based on the vehicle position obtained by positioning by the GNSS sensor 36a as surrounding environment information to the control unit 14, for example, based on a request signal from the control unit 14. Thus, in the present embodiment, the road map DB 36b has a function as a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle together with the GNSS sensor 36a.

[0068] The vehicle-mounted radar device 37 is composed of a plurality of sensors, such as a plurality of millimeter-wave radars. Here, the plurality of millimeter-wave radars receive and analyze the reflected waves from the objects in response to the output radio waves, thereby mainly detecting three-dimensional objects such as pedestrians and parallel vehicles, and also detecting structures (such as curbs, guardrails, walls of buildings, etc., three-dimensional objects such as cultivated plants, etc.) set at the end of the road (such as the end on the shoulder side). In addition, the plurality of millimeter-wave radars also detect three-dimensional obstacles on the road. In this case, the plurality of millimeter-wave radars detect the lateral width of the three-dimensional object, the position of the representative point of the three-dimensional object (relative position and relative distance between the vehicle) and the relative speed as specific information related to the three-dimensional object.

[0069] The multiple sensors (multiple millimeter wave radars, etc.) included in the vehicle-mounted radar device 37 are, for example, arranged on the left and right sides of the front bumper (referred to as the front left and right side sensors), the left and right sides of the rear bumper (referred to as the rear left and right side sensors), etc. Moreover, the front left and right side sensors detect three-dimensional objects in the area obliquely in front of and to the sides of the vehicle that are difficult to identify in the image of the stereo camera 11 as surrounding environment information. In addition, the rear left and right side sensors detect three-dimensional objects in the area obliquely to and to the sides of the vehicle that are difficult to identify by the front left and right side sensors as surrounding environment information.

[0070] Thus, in this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted radar device 37 functions as a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle. Information acquired by each sensor of the vehicle-mounted radar device 37 is sent to the image recognition unit 13 via the control unit 14 .

[0071] The rear sensor 38 is composed of, for example, a sonar device that uses ultrasonic waves to measure the distance and shape to the object. For example, at least one (or more) rear sensor 38 is provided on the rear bumper. The rear sensor 38 detects a three-dimensional object in the area behind the vehicle that is difficult to be recognized by the rear left and right side sensors as surrounding environment information. Thus, in this embodiment, the rear sensor 38 has a function as a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0072] The coordinates of each object outside the vehicle contained in the surrounding environment information identified by the image recognition unit 13, the locator unit 36, the vehicle-mounted radar device 37, the rear sensor 38, etc. are converted into coordinates of a three-dimensional coordinate system with the center of the vehicle as the origin in the control unit 14.

[0073] The tilt angle sensor 39 is a slope detection sensor that detects the slope of the road surface (wheel contact surface) or the tilt angle of the vehicle by detecting the inclination of the vehicle in the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) and the left-right direction (lateral direction) relative to the horizontal.

[0074] The wheel speed sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the rotation speed of the wheel by detecting a pulse signal (wheel speed pulse) generated in proportion to the rotation speed of each wheel (usually four wheels) in the vehicle. In addition, the body speed of the vehicle can be estimated based on the wheel speed data of each wheel acquired by the wheel speed sensor 40 (for example, by finding the average value of each wheel speed data, etc.).

[0075] The control unit 14 performs vehicle travel control based on information acquired by the camera unit 10 and various sensors (the positioner unit 36 ​​, the vehicle-mounted radar device 37 , the rear sensor 38 , the tilt angle sensor 39 , and the wheel speed sensor 40 ).

[0076] The driving control in this case is, for example, engine output control based on E / G_ECU 22 and torque distribution control of each drive wheel. In addition, forward or reverse travel direction control is performed by controlling the transmission based on T / M_ECU 23, and individual braking control (brake control) of each wheel based on BK_ECU 24, so as to achieve appropriate driving control of the vehicle as required.

[0077] In addition to the above-mentioned sensors, various sensors for acquiring surrounding environment information may include, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) device that uses laser light to calculate the distance and shape of an object, a near infrared sensor, an outside temperature sensor, and the like.

[0078] In addition, the above-mentioned stereo camera 11 mainly observes the predetermined field of view in the front. In addition, it can also be configured to further set a plurality of camera devices of the same manner with the predetermined field of view in the side and rear as the object. Thus, the entire surrounding range of the vehicle can be observed.

[0079] In addition, among the above-mentioned various sensors, for example, the tilt angle sensor 39, the wheel speed sensor 40, the accelerator sensor 32a, the steering angle sensor 35a, etc. have a function as a vehicle state recognition device for acquiring vehicle state information.

[0080] Furthermore, the control unit 14 internally includes a stuck determination unit 15 , a first escape assist control unit 16 , a second escape assist control unit 17 , and the like.

[0081] The jam determination unit 15 is a structural unit or a circuit unit that determines the jam state of the vehicle. Specifically, the jam determination unit 15 determines whether the vehicle is in a jam state based on the vehicle state information acquired by the vehicle state recognition device (tilt angle sensor 39, wheel speed sensor 40, accelerator sensor 32a, steering angle sensor 35a, etc.). In addition, when it is determined that the vehicle is in a jam state, the jam determination unit 15 determines the jam level corresponding to the jam state (details will be described later).

[0082] The first escape assist control unit 16 is a structural unit or circuit unit that performs a first escape assist control, i.e., an automatic escape control, for assisting the vehicle to escape from a stuck state. The first escape assist control unit 16 performs a first escape assist control (described in detail later) corresponding to the stuck level determined by the stuck determination unit 15.

[0083] The second disengagement assist control unit 17 is a structural unit or circuit unit that performs the second disengagement assist control, i.e., output control of the disengagement operation instruction, or the third disengagement assist control, i.e., output control of other disengagement operation instructions, for assisting the vehicle to disengage from the stuck state. The second disengagement assist control unit 17 executes the second disengagement assist control (details to be described later) based on the stuck level determined by the stuck determination unit 15 or based on the selection instruction of the driver (user). In addition, if the stuck state continues after the first disengagement assist control or the second disengagement assist control is executed, the second disengagement assist control unit 17 executes the third disengagement assist control (details to be described later).

[0084] It should be noted that all or part of the image recognition unit 13, the control unit 14, the jam determination unit 15, the first separation assist control unit 16, the second separation assist control unit 17, the CP_ECU 21, the E / G_ECU 22, the T / M_ECU 23, the BK_ECU 24, the PS_ECU 25, etc. are composed of a processor including hardware.

[0085] Here, the processor is composed of a well-known structure including a central processing unit (CPU), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), a non-volatile memory, a non-volatile storage device, a non-transitory computer readable medium, etc., and its peripheral devices, etc., for example.

[0086] Software programs executed by the CPU, fixed data such as data tables, etc. are stored in advance in the ROM, nonvolatile memory, nonvolatile storage device, etc. Then, the CPU reads the software program stored in the ROM, etc., expands it in the RAM, and executes it. In addition, the software program appropriately refers to various data, etc., thereby realizing the functions of the above-mentioned structural parts, structural units (13 to 17, 21 to 25), etc.

[0087] In addition, the processor may be formed by a semiconductor chip such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) etc. In addition, each of the above-mentioned components, structural units (13 to 17, 21 to 25) etc. may be formed by an electronic circuit.

[0088] Furthermore, the software program may be provided as a computer program product in whole or in part on a non-transitory computer readable medium such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other removable medium, a card-type memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) device, or an SSD (Solid State Drive) device.

[0089] Here, the jam level determined by the jam determination unit 15 of the control unit 14 described above will be briefly described below.

[0090] The jam level is to indicate the degree (level) of jamming of a vehicle when it is traveling in a bad road area by dividing the levels into different stages. Here, the jam state of the vehicle means that the vehicle cannot move forward or backward, that is, cannot travel.

[0091] Therefore, first, the stuck determination unit 15 confirms whether the wheel is spinning based on the wheel speed data based on the output of the wheel speed sensor 40 and the throttle opening data based on the output of the throttle sensor 32a. In addition, the acceleration in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is confirmed based on the output of the acceleration sensor (not shown). Furthermore, the time-dependent change in the position of the vehicle located by the GNSS sensor 36a is confirmed. In this way, when the spinning of the wheel is confirmed, the acceleration in the front-rear direction of the vehicle = 0 (zero), and the position of the vehicle located by the GNSS sensor 36a does not change, it is determined that the vehicle is stuck.

[0092] When it is determined that the vehicle is stuck in this manner, the stuck determination unit 15 then determines a predetermined stuck level based on outputs from the tilt angle sensor 39 , the wheel speed sensor 40 , the accelerator sensor 32 a , and the like.

[0093] As an example, the stuck level shown here is represented by five levels from level 1 with a high possibility of disengagement to level 5 with a low possibility of disengagement. In this case, it is defined as: "Level 1" is set to the situation where at least one wheel is spinning (slipping) and the vehicle angle is less than 5 degrees front to rear or left to right; "Level 2" is set to the situation where at least one wheel is spinning (slipping) and the front-to-back or left-to-right vehicle angle is less than 10 degrees; "Level 3" is set to the situation where at least two wheels are spinning (slipping) and the front-to-rear or left-to-right vehicle angle is less than 20 degrees; "Level 4" is set to the situation where at least three wheels are spinning (slipping) and the front-to-rear or left-to-right vehicle angle is less than 30 degrees; "Level 5" is set to a situation where all (four) wheels are spinning (slipping) and the vehicle does not move despite a large accelerator opening.

[0094] As described later, when it is determined that the stuck level is 1 to 3, the first escape assist control unit 16 of the control unit 14 executes automatic escape control for assisting the vehicle in escaping from the stuck state.

[0095] As described later, when it is determined that the stuck level is 4 or 5, the second escape assist control unit 17 of the control unit 14 issues an escape operation instruction for escaping from the stuck state of the vehicle.

[0096] Here, the second departure assist control (output control of the departure operation instruction) performed in the second departure assist control unit 17 will be briefly described below.

[0097] The first disengagement operation instruction is, for example, a set of operation instructions predetermined according to a jam model. Here, the jam model refers to a type of surrounding environment conditions including the road surface state when the vehicle becomes jammed. Figure 2 As shown in the table.

[0098] It should be noted that the stuck model (road surface state, etc.) is determined based on image information and other various information (surrounding environment information) acquired by the surrounding environment recognition device such as the camera unit 10. Therefore, first, in the second departure assist control unit 17, the stuck model is determined based on the surrounding environment information acquired by the surrounding environment recognition device.

[0099] Here, in this embodiment, as specific examples of the stuck model, for example, the following types can be cited: (1) The type in which the tires slip on flat ground; (2) Type of tire slippage when climbing a slope; (3) Types of terraces and rocky environments; (4) The type where the wheel is stuck in a pit or sinking; (5) Types in sandy and muddy environments.

[0100] Then, the notification device 31a outputs a disengagement operation instruction suitable for each determined jamming model to the driver (user) in a predetermined display format (see Figure 2 of the table).

[0101] In this case, as a specific example of the disengagement operation instruction, Figure 2 As shown, there are the driving mode to be selected, the gear to be selected, the accelerator operation status, the steering angle, etc.

[0102] It should be noted that Figure 2 In the above, as to the driving mode to be selected, selection of either the first bad road mode or the second bad road mode in the bad road driving mode is indicated according to the jam model (road surface state).

[0103] In addition, Figure 2 In the figure, the gear to be selected is the gear position of the transmission, and selection of the D gear for forward travel is indicated regardless of the jamming model (road surface condition).

[0104] exist Figure 2 In the example, the accelerator operation is indicated based on the sticking model (road surface condition). Specifically, for an accelerator operation on a flat surface (case (1)), an instruction is given to "maintain the accelerator at a low opening". In other cases (cases other than (1)), an instruction is given to "slowly depress the accelerator".

[0105] exist Figure 2 In the example, the steering angle indicates the steering wheel operation. Figure 2 "Go straight" in this case means that the steering angle is approximately 0 degrees. Figure 2 In the present invention, "steering" refers to an operation instruction to steer at a predetermined steering angle (approximately 90 to 180 degrees). According to these operation instructions, the driver (user) performs the operation appropriately.

[0106] In addition to these operation instructions, reference animations corresponding to the jamming models may be prepared. Here, the reference animations refer to dynamic image data obtained by, for example, pre-filmed test tracks showing conditions corresponding to various jamming models, in which an instructor of a vehicle manufacturer or the like uses a test vehicle that is actually stuck and gives explanations while demonstrating the operation of getting out of a stuck state. The reference animations are prepared in advance by, for example, the vehicle manufacturer or the like.

[0107] The presence or absence of the reference animation is clearly indicated on the output screen of the escape operation instruction (refer to Figure 2 ). Furthermore, when there is a reference animation, the reference animation can be played and displayed as long as the driver (user) arbitrarily expresses his / her intention (selection operation).

[0108] Thus, in the driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment, predetermined control is appropriately performed according to the determination result of the jam level. In the present embodiment, automatic disengagement control is performed in the case of a relatively mild jam state (levels 1 to 3). In addition, in the case of a more severe jam state (levels 4 and 5), a disengagement operation instruction is performed, and the driver (user) disengages from the jam state through manual operation.

[0109] It should be noted that in this case, there is also a demand for enjoying the pleasure of the disengagement operation from the stuck state, depending on the driver (user). In order to meet such a demand, the driver (user) may arbitrarily select an instruction operation to cancel the start of the automatic disengagement control by the first disengagement assist control unit 16 regardless of the result of the determination of the stuck level.

[0110] In this case, an operation member is provided for selecting whether to perform the disengagement operation from the stuck state by automatic control or to perform the disengagement operation by manual operation to assist in completely disengaging from the stuck state, so that the driver (user) can select the disengagement operation method. Furthermore, if the driver (user) selects to perform the complete disengagement operation by manual operation, the driver (user) can always perform the disengagement operation by manual operation regardless of the result of the determination of the stuck level.

[0111] However, it is also considered that the driver (user) cannot escape from the stuck state even if he / she performs the escape operation according to the escape operation instruction of the second escape assist control unit 17. Considering such a situation, in the present embodiment, the second escape assist control unit 17 further performs a different third escape assist control, i.e., output control of other escape operation instructions.

[0112] Here, as other disengagement operation instructions, for example, the following instructions can be listed: (a) Please remove the floor mats and lay them on the front running line of the front wheels; (b) Please remove the parts of XX and use them as a shovel to fill the hole where the wheel fell into; (c) Alternate between the D and R ranges to turn the vehicle forward and backward.

[0113] It should be noted that in this case, the above-mentioned examples (a), (b), and (c) are not continuous instructions, but are assumed to be separate instructions corresponding to the stuck model. In the other disengagement operation instructions, reference animations corresponding to the respective instructions may be prepared.

[0114] Furthermore, even if the driver (user) performs another disengagement operation in accordance with the third disengagement assist control (another disengagement operation instruction) performed by the second disengagement assist control unit 17 described above, the vehicle cannot be disengaged from the stuck state.

[0115] Therefore, in such a case, in the present embodiment, the vehicle-mounted communication unit 20 is used to communicate with a predetermined external organization (external system), namely, the information center 50, to control the sending of rescue assistance requests, vehicle surrounding environment information, and vehicle status information (e.g., stuck location information, driving data, fuel remaining, etc.).

[0116] Here, as the predetermined external organization (external system), in addition to a dedicated network constructed by a vehicle manufacturer, a communication company, etc., a vehicle manufacturer's sales shop located nearby, a private company providing road services, etc. are assumed.

[0117] Below, use Figure 3 Among the operations of the driving assistance device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, a description will be given of a release assist control for assisting release from a stuck state when the vehicle is stuck during driving in a bad road area. Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a part of the operation of the driving assistance device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a departure assistance control for assisting departure from a stuck state.

[0118] The operation of the driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment described below assumes a situation where a vehicle driven by a normal driver (user) is unexpectedly stuck while traveling on a bad road area such as a snowy road, a forest road, or a campsite, for example, for leisure use.

[0119] In this case, first, the vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment drives forward on a road or the like. Here, the road or the like includes not only ordinary public roads, private roads, etc., but also areas other than ordinary roads such as camping sites or riverbanks, etc., in public or private places. Furthermore, when the vehicle is driving, the driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment mounted on the vehicle is in an activated state.

[0120] When the vehicle is in this state, Figure 3 In step S1, the control unit 14 performs a surrounding environment and vehicle state recognition process for acquiring surrounding environment information and vehicle state information of the vehicle based on output data from the camera unit 10 and various sensors (36-40), etc. The surrounding environment and vehicle state recognition process is continuously performed while the driving assistance device 1 of the vehicle is in the activated state.

[0121] In step S2, the jam determination unit 15 of the control unit 14 determines whether jam has occurred, that is, whether the vehicle has become jammed, based on the various information obtained in the process of step S1. Here, as described above, the occurrence of jam is determined by confirming the idling of the wheels, the change of the vehicle position, etc. based on the vehicle state information.

[0122] If it is determined in the process of step S2 that a jam has occurred, the process proceeds to step S3. If it is determined that a jam has not occurred, the process returns to the process of step S1 described above, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0123] In step S3, the jam determination unit 15 of the control unit 14 performs a jam level determination process. The jam level determination process is as described above.

[0124] Next, in step S4, the control unit 14 confirms whether an operation selection instruction for performing a disengagement operation to assist disengagement from a stuck state by manual operation has been generated. The operation selection instruction is performed by the driver (user) operating a predetermined operation component included in the HMI 31 according to his / her own will. Here, if an on signal for manual operation for disengagement is confirmed, a series of processes are terminated (end). In addition, if an on signal for manual operation for disengagement is not confirmed, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0125] In step S5, the control unit 14 checks whether the result of the determination of the jam level in the process of step S3 is 1 to 3. Here, if the result of the determination of the jam level is 1 to 3, the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the result of the determination of the jam level is 4 or 5, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0126] In step S7 , the control unit 14 outputs a disengagement operation instruction corresponding to the stuck level 4 or the stuck level 5 according to the stuck level.

[0127] Next, in step S8 , the control unit 14 performs control processing (user operation control processing) of each component unit according to the operation instruction of the driver (user), and then proceeds to the processing of step S9 .

[0128] On the other hand, when the determination result of the jam level in the process of the above step S5 is 1 to 3, if the process proceeds to step S6, then in this step S6, the first escape assist control unit 16 of the control unit 14 executes a predetermined automatic escape control process corresponding to each of the jam levels 1 to 3. Then, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0129] In step S9, the stuck determination unit 15 of the control unit 14 confirms whether the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state. Here, the confirmation of whether the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state is based on the vehicle state information acquired by the vehicle state recognition device. Here, for example, if the movement of the vehicle is confirmed, it can be inferred that the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state.

[0130] In the process of step S9, if it is confirmed that the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state, a series of processes are terminated (end). On the other hand, if it is not confirmed that the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state, the process proceeds to the next step S10.

[0131] In step S10, the second disengagement assist control unit 17 of the control unit 14 further executes a different third disengagement assist control, that is, output control of other disengagement operation instructions. Here, the other disengagement operation instructions are as described above.

[0132] In step S11 , the control unit 14 performs control processing (user operation control processing) of each component according to the operation instruction of the driver (user), and then proceeds to the processing of step S12 .

[0133] In step S12, the stuck determination unit 15 of the control unit 14 checks whether the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state. If the vehicle has escaped from the stuck state, the series of processes are terminated (end). If the vehicle has not escaped from the stuck state, the process proceeds to the next step S13.

[0134] In step S13 , the control unit 14 communicates with a predetermined external organization (external system) through the vehicle-mounted communication unit 20 to execute a rescue assistance request process.

[0135] Next, in step S14, the control unit 14 executes a process of transmitting the current vehicle surrounding environment information and vehicle state information. Then, a series of processes are terminated (end). The driver (user) can just wait for rescue assistance.

[0136] As described above, according to the above embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a bad road area, it is determined whether a stuck state has occurred, and if a stuck state has occurred, the stuck level is further determined. Based on the thus determined stuck level, driving control for escaping from the stuck state is automatically performed.

[0137] Here, when the jam level is relatively low, the first escape assist control (automatic escape control) for automatically escaping from the jam state is executed. When the jam level is higher, the second escape assist control (output control of escape operation instruction) for escaping from the jam state is executed.

[0138] Such driving assist control enables the driver (user) to perform appropriate operation for getting out of a stuck state even if the driver (user) does not have knowledge of a specific operation method for getting out of a stuck state, for example.

[0139] Therefore, when a stuck state occurs, the possibility of easily and quickly getting out of the stuck state is always ensured regardless of the stuck level. At the same time, the driver (user) can eliminate the anxiety caused by the occurrence of the stuck state and gain a sense of security that the stuck state can be easily eliminated and escaped.

[0140] If the vehicle cannot escape from the stuck state even by the first escape assist control and the second escape assist control, another escape operation instruction as the third escape assist control can be further received. This can ensure a wider possibility of the vehicle escaping from the stuck state.

[0141] Furthermore, when the vehicle cannot escape from the stuck state even by the third escape assist control, a rescue assist request is made by communication with an external organization (external system). This allows the driver (user) to gain a greater sense of security.

[0142] Furthermore, in the second escape assist control, when a reference animation corresponding to the stuck model is prepared, the driver (user) can more clearly understand the escape operation instruction by viewing the reference animation, thereby enabling more reliable, rapid, and safe driving assistance.

[0143] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, Figure 3 In the flowchart of FIG. 1 , if the on signal of the manual operation is confirmed by the processing of the above step S4, since the driver (user) wants to drive by manual operation, a series of processing is immediately terminated. However, the present invention is not limited to such processing.

[0144] For example, when a manual operation on signal is confirmed in the process of step S4, a judgment process may be performed next as to whether a notification display of a disengagement operation instruction is desired. Here, when the driver (user) selects a notification display of a disengagement operation instruction, the second escape assist control unit 17 performs a predetermined disengagement operation instruction corresponding to the jam level. The effect at this time is substantially the same as the process of step S8, but in this case, a disengagement operation instruction corresponding to jam levels 1 to 3 is also included.

[0145] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be implemented without departing from the scope of the main purpose of the invention. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments include inventions of various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements. For example, even if several constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in one of the above-mentioned embodiments, the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the structure in which the constituent element is deleted can also be extracted as an invention if the technical effect can be achieved. Furthermore, the constituent elements in different embodiments can also be appropriately combined. The present invention is not limited to its specific embodiment except as limited by the attached claims (claims).

Claims

1. A driving assistance device for a vehicle, characterized in that: To assist the vehicle in escaping from a stuck state, the driving assist device for the vehicle comprises: A surrounding environment recognition device, which obtains the surrounding environment information of the vehicle; A vehicle state recognition device, which obtains vehicle state information of the vehicle; a notification device for notifying a driver of the vehicle of predetermined information; as well as a control unit that performs driving control of the vehicle, The control unit comprises: a jam determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a jammed state based on the vehicle state information, and further determines a jam level when it is determined that the vehicle is in a jammed state; a first escape assist control section that performs automatic escape control for assisting the vehicle in escaping from a stuck state; and a second escape assisting control unit configured to control output of escape operation instruction information for assisting the vehicle to escape from the stuck state to the notification device; The control unit executes control by one of the first escape assist control portion or the second escape assist control portion according to the sticking level.

2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the stuck state continues after the first escape assist control unit or the second escape assist control unit performs control, the second escape assist control unit further performs output control of other escape operation instruction information to the notification device.

3. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vehicle driving assistance device further includes an on-vehicle communication unit for performing mutual communication with an external system. When the stuck state continues after the second disengagement assist control unit performs output control of the other disengagement operation indication information of the notification device, the control unit uses the on-vehicle communication unit to communicate with the external system to send a rescue assistance request, and sends the surrounding environment information of the vehicle and the vehicle status information to the external system.

4. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle driving assist device further includes an operating member that cancels the start of execution of the automatic departure control by the first departure assist control unit. The control unit controls output of the disengagement operation instruction information to the notification device by the second disengagement assist control unit, regardless of a determination result of the stuck level.

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