Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium. This vehicle control device is provided with: a first acquisition unit that acquires first information relating to a curved road present in the direction of travel of a vehicle; a second acquisition unit that acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount by a driver of the vehicle; and a control unit that, when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section immediately before a prescribed distance from the entrance of the curved road to the entrance, performs notification control that performs notification so as to adjust the speed of the vehicle to or below a target speed obtained on the basis of the first information, and performs notification so as to adjust the speed of the vehicle to or below the target speed during execution of the notification control. And a control unit that, with reference to the second information, stops the report control when the acceleration operation amount increases from a reference value by a predetermined amount or more, and sets the reference value in accordance with the acceleration operation amount at the start point in time of the report control during a period from the start of the report control until a predetermined time elapses.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-047913, filed on March 25, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that takes into account various conditions have been increasingly active. Towards achieving this goal, efforts are being made to further improve the safety and convenience of traffic through research and development related to driving support technology. For example, an automatic braking device is disclosed that applies braking force to a vehicle before entering a curve until it reaches a safe speed that allows it to safely enter the curve (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 5190022). The automatic braking device determines whether the distance to the entrance of the curve is greater than a specified distance. When it is determined that it is greater than the specified distance, it determines whether the driver has an intention to accelerate, and reduces the braking force based on whether there is an intention to accelerate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Conventional devices sometimes fail to achieve vehicle control that matches the driver's intent. For example, they sometimes fail to accelerate the vehicle in accordance with the driver's intent. For example, the vehicle's control state sometimes changes in a manner not intended by the driver.

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium that enable vehicle control in accordance with the driver's intention. For example, the present invention enables the vehicle to accelerate in accordance with the driver's intention. Furthermore, the present invention contributes to the development of sustainable transportation systems that take passengers into consideration.

[0006] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention employ the following configurations.

[0007] (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first acquisition unit for acquiring first information related to a curve existing in the direction of travel of the vehicle; a second acquisition unit for acquiring second information including an acceleration operation amount of the driver of the vehicle; and a control unit for performing a reporting control for reporting by adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a speed below a target speed obtained based on the first information when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance of the curve to a predetermined distance before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, wherein the reporting control is stopped with reference to the second information when the acceleration operation amount increases by more than a predetermined amount from a baseline value, wherein the baseline value is set according to the acceleration operation amount at the start time of the reporting control during the period from the start of the reporting control to the lapse of a predetermined time.

[0008] (2): In the above-mentioned aspect (1), the control unit changes the notification control from a first notification based on display to a second notification based on sound, and the predetermined time is the time until the notification control changes from the first notification to the second notification.

[0009] (3): In the above-mentioned aspect (1) or (2), the control unit sets the reference value to the minimum value of the accelerator operation amount during the execution of the notification control after the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0010] (4): In the above-mentioned scheme (1), the control unit performs deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle in a manner that brings the speed of the vehicle close to the target speed obtained based on the first information when the vehicle is traveling in the section from the entrance of the curve to a predetermined distance before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve.

[0011] (5): In another embodiment of the vehicle control method of the present invention, a computer performs the following processing: obtaining first information related to a curve existing in the direction of travel of the vehicle; obtaining second information including the acceleration operation amount of the driver of the vehicle; and when the vehicle is traveling in the section from the entrance of the curve to a prescribed distance before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, performing reporting control in a manner of adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a speed below the target speed obtained based on the first information, and in the execution of the reporting control, referring to the second information, stopping the reporting control when the acceleration operation amount increases by more than a prescribed amount from the baseline value, wherein, during the period from the start of the reporting control to the lapse of a prescribed time, the baseline value is set according to the acceleration operation amount at the start time of the reporting control.

[0012] (6): The storage medium of another embodiment of the present invention is a non-temporary storage medium that can be read by a computer, and the storage medium stores a program for causing a computer to perform the following processing: obtaining first information related to a curve existing in the direction of travel of a vehicle; obtaining second information including the acceleration operation amount of the driver of the vehicle; and when the vehicle is traveling in the section from the entrance of the curve to a prescribed distance before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, performing a reporting control in a manner of adjusting the speed of the vehicle to a speed below the target speed obtained based on the first information, and in the execution of the reporting control, referring to the second information, stopping the reporting control when the acceleration operation amount increases by more than a prescribed amount from a baseline value, wherein, during the period from the start of the reporting control to the lapse of a prescribed time, the baseline value is set according to the acceleration operation amount at the start time of the reporting control.

[0013] According to the schemes (1) to (6), it is possible to control the vehicle in accordance with the driver's intention. More specifically, conventionally, when the accelerator is released at the same time as the alarm is triggered and then immediately pressed again, an unintentional accelerator override may occur. In contrast, according to the schemes (1), (5), and (6), the possibility of such an unintentional accelerator override can be reduced.

[0014] Furthermore, in the past, when the notification to the driver was changed from a display-based notification to an audio-based notification, the driver sometimes did not notice the notification. In contrast, according to the solution (2), the possibility of the driver not noticing the notification and operating the accelerator pedal, thereby performing unintentional accelerator override, can be reduced.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the solution (3), a driver who intends to intentionally override the accelerator can easily do so. This reduces the likelihood of an unintentional accelerator override and makes it easier to override an intentional accelerator override.

[0016] Furthermore, while the solutions (1) and (2) can reduce the possibility of the driver overriding the accelerator without noticing, there is still a possibility that the driver will not notice the display. According to the solution (4), the vehicle is decelerated, and the driver notices the display even though the driver is operating the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is still decelerating, which increases the possibility of the driver recognizing the curve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system using the vehicle control system of the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of driving support control.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining a reference value for determining whether to execute an accelerator override and execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining a reference value for determining whether to execute an accelerator override and execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the effect of the accelerator override in the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving support device in the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the accelerator override process executed by the driving support device in the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation in which an accelerator override unintentionally by the driver occurs.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an example of temporal changes in the release threshold value (first release threshold value) in the case of the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of temporal changes in the release threshold value (second release threshold value) in the second embodiment.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the accelerator override process executed by the driving support device during the accelerator override suppression period in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] <First embodiment>

[0030] [Overall structure]

[0031] Figure 1This is a block diagram of a vehicle system 1 utilizing a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. The vehicle equipped with vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator coupled to the internal combustion engine, or power discharged from a secondary battery or fuel cell.

[0032] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operating element 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected via multiplexed communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, and the like. Figure 1 The structure shown is merely an example, and a part of the structure may be omitted or other structures may be added. The driving support device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device."

[0033] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera utilizing a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is mounted at any location on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 1. To capture the front view, the camera 10 is mounted on the top of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror, or elsewhere in the vehicle. For example, the camera 10 periodically and repeatedly captures the surroundings of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0034] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves, such as millimeter waves, toward the periphery of the vehicle M and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by objects to detect at least the object's position (range and direction). The radar device 12 is mounted at any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and velocity of an object using the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0035] LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to that of light) around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. LIDAR 14 can be mounted at any location on the vehicle M.

[0036] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 to identify the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the driving support device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also output the detection results from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 directly to the driving support device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0037] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles around the vehicle M using, for example, a cellular network, Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0038] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations performed by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, buttons, and the like. The HMI 30 includes a display device. The display device (display unit) is, for example, provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. It is a display device that displays various information in the vehicle M, such as a speedometer (speedometer) indicating the driving speed of the vehicle M or a rotational speed meter (tachometer) indicating the rotational speed (rotational speed) of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle M, and is a so-called multi-information display.

[0039] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects angular velocity about a vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the vehicle M, and the like.

[0040] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M can also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, buttons, etc. A part or all of the navigation HMI 52 can also be shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, refers to the first map information 54 to determine a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on the map) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of the road by, for example, lines representing the road and nodes connected by the lines. The first map information 54 may also include road curvature, POI (Point of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may also be implemented as a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet computer held by the passenger. The navigation device 50 may also transmit the current location and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0041] The MPU 60, for example, includes a recommended lane determination unit 61, which stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as a HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into multiple segments (e.g., every 100 meters in the vehicle's direction of travel), references the second map information 62, and determines a recommended lane for each segment. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the lane from the left to which the vehicle M should travel. If the route on the map includes a branch, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to the branch destination.

[0042] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a lane boundary. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address, postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 can be updated at any time by communicating with other devices via the communication device 20. The second map information 62 includes information such as the location of a curve, the curvature of the curve, the turning radius of the curve, and the slope of the curve. This information may also be included in the first map information 54. In addition, the second map information 62 or the first map information 54 may also include information indicating whether the curve is the subject of the support control described later.

[0043] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera utilizing a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is mounted at any location within the vehicle M in a position and orientation capable of capturing a frontal image (the orientation in which the face is captured) of the head of an occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M. For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is mounted above a display device located in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. The driver monitoring camera 70 captures images of the interior of the vehicle M, including the driver, from its mounted position and outputs these images to the driving support device 100.

[0044] The driving operating parts 80 include, for example, a brake pedal 82, an accelerator pedal 84, a steering wheel, a direction indicator operating switch, a gear lever, and other operating parts. A sensor that detects the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating parts 80, and its detection results are output to the driving support device 100, or part or all of the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel does not necessarily have to be annular, and can also be in the form of a special-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, etc. A brake pedal sensor (BP sensor) 86 is installed on the brake pedal 82. An accelerator pedal sensor (AP sensor) 88 is installed on the accelerator pedal 84.

[0045] The BP sensor 86 detects the opening degree of the brake pedal 82 that changes in accordance with the driver's operation of the brake pedal 82. The AP pedal sensor 88 detects the opening degree of the accelerator pedal that changes in accordance with the driver's operation of the accelerator pedal 84.

[0046] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a driver recognition unit 120, a curve determination unit 130, an operation information processing unit 140, a support control unit 150, and a storage unit 190. Some or all of these functional units are implemented by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may also be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be implemented through the coordinated cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device (including a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 by attaching the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) to a drive device. The curve determination unit 130 is an example of a first acquisition unit, the operation information processing unit 140 is an example of a second acquisition unit, and the support control unit 150 is an example of a control unit.

[0047] The storage unit 190 is implemented by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0048] The recognition unit 110 identifies the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is, for example, identified as a position in absolute coordinates with a representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and used for control. The position of the object can be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or by an area. The "state" of the object can include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is in progress or about to be made).

[0049] The recognition unit 110, for example, identifies the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 identifies the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines obtained from the second map information 62 (e.g., an arrangement of solid and dashed lines) with the pattern of road dividing lines around the vehicle M identified from the image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 is not limited to road dividing lines, but can also identify the driving lane by identifying the boundaries of the driving road (road boundaries) including road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, central medians, guardrails, etc. The position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results based on the INS can also be included in this recognition. The recognition unit 110 recognizes temporary stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road events.

[0050] When identifying a driving lane, the recognition unit 110 identifies the position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may identify the deviation of the vehicle M's reference point from the lane center and the angle formed by the vehicle M's travel direction with respect to a line connecting the lane centers as the relative position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may identify the position of the vehicle M's reference point relative to either end of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane.

[0051] The driver identification unit 120 detects whether the driver is in a prescribed state based on the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70. The prescribed state refers to a state in which the hands-off lane keeping control described later can be performed. Hands-off refers to a state in which the driver is not holding the steering wheel, and hands-on refers to a state in which the driver is holding the steering wheel. The state in which the hands-off lane keeping control can be performed refers to a state in which the driver is monitoring the front (or the periphery of the vehicle M). Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver is monitoring the front so that the driver can quickly hand over the control of the vehicle M from the vehicle system 1 to the driver's operation of the vehicle M. Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver's line of sight is facing forward. Whether the driver is holding the hands or taking the hands off is determined based on the detection result of the grip sensor that detects the grip state of the steering wheel (not shown).

[0052] The curve determination unit 130 obtains first information regarding a curve located in the travel direction of the vehicle M. The first information regarding the curve includes, for example, information regarding the position and shape of the curve. The curve determination unit 130 determines the position of the curve relative to the vehicle M based on the position of the vehicle M and the first information.

[0053] The operation information processing unit 140 obtains second information related to an acceleration operation by the driver of the vehicle M. For example, the second information is information indicating the accelerator pedal opening, output from the accelerator pedal sensor 88. The operation information processing unit 140 obtains information related to a deceleration operation by the driver of the vehicle M. For example, the operation information processing unit 140 obtains information indicating the brake pedal opening, output from the BP sensor 86.

[0054] The assist control unit 150 assists the driver in controlling the vehicle M. For example, the assist control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 independently of the driver's operation, thereby automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle M. The assist control unit 150 executes so-called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control).

[0055] For example, when there is no other vehicle in front of vehicle M and within a specified distance from vehicle M, the support control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 without relying on the driver's operation so that vehicle M travels at a speed set by the driver, a legal speed, or a speed pre-set according to the road.

[0056] For example, if another vehicle is ahead of the vehicle M and within a predetermined distance from the vehicle M, the assist control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 to follow the other vehicle without relying on the driver's operation. Following means that the vehicle M travels behind the other vehicle while maintaining a position at a predetermined distance from the other vehicle.

[0057] The assistance control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 to prevent the vehicle M from deviating from the driving lane. For example, the assistance control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M travels in the center or near the center of the driving lane identified by the recognition unit 110. The assistance control unit 150 executes, for example, hands-off lane keeping control, which enables steering control of the vehicle M when the driver is not holding the steering wheel, or hands-on lane keeping control, which enables steering control of the vehicle M when the driver is holding the steering wheel.

[0058] The assistance control unit 150 automatically causes the vehicle M to change lanes. For example, the assistance control unit 150 generates a lane change trajectory and causes the vehicle M to change lanes along the generated trajectory. The assistance control unit 150 causes the vehicle M to change lanes (ALC: Automatic Lane Change) based on the destination set by the occupant and the recommended lane output by the MPU 60.

[0059] The support control unit 150 may also automatically cause the vehicle M to change lanes when the driver instructs the vehicle to change lanes. A lane change instruction refers to an operation of the lever of the turn signal switch. For example, when the driver operates the lever in the direction in which the vehicle M desires to change lanes, the vehicle M changes lanes in the direction indicated by the operation. The lane change instruction may be an operation distinct from the operation of the lever of the turn signal switch. For example, a lane change may be initiated by pressing a predetermined operation button. Some or all of the aforementioned control by the support control unit 150 may be omitted.

[0060] Furthermore, when entering a curve or while traveling on a curve, the assist control unit 150 assists the driver by decelerating the vehicle M to a speed appropriate for the curve, or notifies the driver of the deceleration, thereby enabling the vehicle M to smoothly travel on the curve. This control may be hereinafter referred to as assist control.

[0061] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle M to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, as well as an ECU that controls these components. The ECU controls the aforementioned components based on information input from the support control unit 150 or from the driving operating element 80.

[0062] The brake system 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor based on information input from the support control unit 150 or from the driving operating element 80, outputting a braking torque to each wheel in response to the braking operation.

[0063] The steering system 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor applies force to, for example, a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor based on information input from the assistance control unit 150 or from the driving operating element 80 to change the direction of the steering wheel.

[0064] [Support Control]

[0065] While the vehicle M is traveling in the section (predetermined section) from the entrance to a curve to a predetermined distance ahead, or while the vehicle M is traveling on a curve, the assistance control unit 150 performs assistance control, which includes one or both of deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle M so that its speed approaches a target speed corresponding to the curve, and notification control (alarm) to issue a warning that the speed of the vehicle M is approaching the target speed. Assistance control is performed, for example, when the driving assistance device 100 is not automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle M (for example, when the ACC is not engaged) and the driver is controlling the speed of the vehicle M. The target speed is determined by, for example, the shape of the curve, the legal speed limit for the curved road, and the like.

[0066] The target of the assist control may be a curved road that satisfies a condition. For example, the condition is that the turning radius is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is the turning radius required for the vehicle M to decelerate while traveling.

[0067] Assist control may also be performed under the condition that the speed of the vehicle M is below a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed refers to a speed that does not deviate from the speed limit or recommended speed of a curve or the roads before or after the curve by more than the predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is, for example, a speed obtained by adding a set speed (e.g., 30 km / h) to the speed limit or recommended speed.

[0068] Support control can also be performed when the road surface conditions meet a criterion. Meeting the criterion means, for example, that the road surface is free of freezing or other factors that could affect braking. For example, the recognition unit 110 can identify the road surface conditions based on the detection results of the object recognition device 16, while the driving support device 100 can identify the road surface conditions based on information provided by other devices. Support control can also be performed when the slope of a curved road is less than a threshold.

[0069] Figure 2 This figure is used to illustrate support control. Time T is when vehicle M reaches position P a predetermined distance before the entrance to a curve. The predetermined distance before is a position predetermined based on the target speed. For example, the greater the deviation of vehicle M's speed from the target speed, the further the predetermined distance before is set from the entrance to the curve. As described later, when brake override or accelerator override is not in effect, the predetermined distance before is set to a position that ensures the timing for a predetermined notification, a predetermined first alarm, and a predetermined second alarm.

[0070] After passing position P, vehicle M passes through positions P1, P2, and P3 in sequence. Vehicle M arrives at position P at time T, reaches position P1 at time T+1, reaches position P2 at time T+2, and reaches position P3 at time T+3. A curved road entrance is located between positions P2 and P3. The curved road entrance is, for example, where the road (lane) begins to curve, or where the road curves by more than a threshold value.

[0071] At time T, when the speed of vehicle M exceeds the target speed, the support control unit 150 notifies the driver and decelerates vehicle M to a first deceleration level. This notification allows the driver to recognize a curve. Examples of this notification include a notification that vehicle M is approaching a curve while its speed exceeds the target speed, or a notification that support control has been initiated to decelerate vehicle M to bring the speed of vehicle M closer to the target speed. This notification is performed, for example, via the HMI 30. The notification may be an image-based notification, or may be based on sound or vibration (e.g., vibrating a seatbelt).

[0072] At time T+1, the assistance control unit 150 issues a first warning to the driver. The first warning alerts the driver to the curve. The first warning, for example, is a warning to the driver to slow down the vehicle M so that the speed of the vehicle M approaches the target speed (or becomes lower than the target speed).

[0073] At time T+2, the support control unit 150 issues a second alert to the driver, decelerating the vehicle M at a second deceleration level, and aligning the speed of the vehicle M with the target speed at time T+3. The second deceleration level is a deceleration level greater than the first deceleration level. The second alert is an alert to allow the driver to recognize the curve. The second alert is an alert for the driver, and is an alert to decelerate the vehicle M in a manner that brings the speed of the vehicle M close to the target speed (or becomes lower than the target speed). The second alert is an alert with a higher intensity than the first alert. An alert with a higher intensity is an alert that makes the driver feel the need to further decelerate. An alert with a higher intensity means, for example, that the support control unit 150 provides an image that further encourages the driver to decelerate, or outputs a louder sound, or applies a greater vibration to the driver.

[0074] [Override of acceleration operation (accelerator override)]

[0075] As described above, the assist control unit 150 assists the vehicle M in traveling on a curved road. This assists the driver's operation so that the vehicle M can smoothly travel on the curved road at a target speed. However, the driver may find the assist control (particularly the deceleration control) performed by the assist control unit 150 annoying, or may prefer to accelerate the vehicle M rather than decelerate it.

[0076] With the above situation as the background, when the support control unit 150 obtains the second information indicating that the driver has performed an acceleration operation when the support control is being performed, it obtains the accelerator pedal opening output from the AP pedal sensor 88 from the obtained second information, and determines whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by more than a specified amount from the reference value within a specified period (for example, a few seconds). Here, the starting point of the specified period may be, for example, when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 84 during the execution of the support control, or when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 84 with an operation amount greater than a specified degree. When it is determined that the accelerator pedal opening has increased by more than a specified amount from the reference value within a specified period, the support control unit 150 stops the support control and accelerates the vehicle M. Hereinafter, this control is sometimes referred to as accelerator override. The accelerator pedal opening is an example of an "accelerator operation amount." Instead of this, the support control unit 150 may measure the cumulative value of the increase in the accelerator pedal opening within a specified period, and determine whether the measured cumulative value is greater than a specified amount. Hereinafter, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the setting of a reference value for determining execution of accelerator override will be described.

[0077] Figure 3 1 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV1 for determining whether to execute the accelerator override and the execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value RV1. Figure 3 In the example, starting at time T, the support control unit 150 executes support control, thereby decelerating the vehicle M to a first deceleration level and providing a notification or a first warning via the HMI 30. The driver senses a change in gravity (longitudinal G) in the direction of travel of the vehicle M as the vehicle M decelerates, and recognizes the approaching curve through the notification or the first warning via the HMI. Although the driver recognizes this situation, he or she does not wish to apply support control and begins accelerating at time T+2.

[0078] In response to the driver initiating an accelerator operation, the assist control unit 150 obtains second information indicating the driver's accelerator operation and, from the obtained second information, obtains the accelerator pedal position output by the AP pedal sensor 88. Next, the assist control unit 150 determines whether the accelerator pedal position has increased by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value RV1 within a predetermined period. The reference value RV1 is the accelerator pedal position at time T, when assist control by the assist control unit 150 begins. At time T+2#, the assist control unit 150 determines that the accelerator pedal position has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV1 within the predetermined period, terminates assist control, and accelerates the vehicle M based on the accelerator pedal position (executing accelerator override). This enables vehicle control that responds to the driver's intent. Furthermore, by setting the reference value RV1 to the accelerator pedal position at the start of assist control, the required operation amount for accelerator override is set to a consistent standard, making it easier for the driver to understand the required operation amount for accelerator override.

[0079] Figure 4 RV2 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV2 for determining whether to execute the accelerator override and execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value RV2. Figure 4 From time T, the support control unit 150 executes support control, thereby decelerating the vehicle M to a first deceleration level and issuing a notification or a first warning via the HMI 30. The driver senses a change in gravity (longitudinal G) in the direction of travel of the vehicle M due to the deceleration of the vehicle M, and recognizes the approaching curve through the notification or the first warning via the HMI. Although the driver recognizes this situation, he or she does not wish to apply the support control and attempts to override the accelerator.

[0080] Here, with Figure 3 Unlike the situation shown, the accelerator pedal opening value at the time T when the support control starts is close to the upper limit, so it is sometimes impossible to increase the accelerator pedal opening value by more than the specified amount based on this value as the reference value. Therefore, the support control unit 150 sets the minimum value of the accelerator pedal opening during the execution of the support control as the reference value RV2, and determines whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by more than the specified amount from the reference value RV2 within the specified period. For example, Figure 4In this case, at time T+3, the driver returns the accelerator pedal 84, causing the accelerator pedal position to reach its minimum value. Therefore, the assist control unit 150 sets the accelerator pedal position at time T+3 to the reference value RV2. Subsequently, at time T+4, the assist control unit 150 determines that the accelerator pedal position has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV2, terminates assist control, and accelerates the vehicle M based on the accelerator pedal position (executing accelerator override). This enables vehicle control that responds to the driver's intention. Furthermore, by setting the reference value RV2 to the minimum accelerator pedal position during assist control, the driver can execute an override even if the accelerator pedal position is large at the start of assist control and the remaining operating amount to the maximum operating amount is less than a predetermined amount.

[0081] Note that the assist control unit 150 may set the reference value RV2 only when the accelerator pedal opening cannot increase by more than a predetermined amount from the value at the time T when the assist control starts, or may always set the reference value RV2 together with the reference value RV1 during the execution of the assist control.

[0082] [Effect]

[0083] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the effects of accelerator override according to an embodiment. The vertical axis represents the accelerator pedal opening, and the horizontal axis represents time. For example, the assist control unit 150 terminates assist control if the accelerator pedal operation amount reaches a threshold value between the time the accelerator pedal 84 is operated to accelerate the vehicle M and the expiration of a predetermined period PT1. If the accumulated operation amount does not reach the threshold value until the predetermined period P1 has elapsed, assist control continues even if the driver operates the accelerator pedal 84.

[0084] Regardless of whether the accelerator pedal 84 is operated so as to greatly change the accelerator pedal opening in a short period of time as in the case of the transition line L1 (for example, Figure 4 ), or is it the case that the accelerator pedal 84 is operated in such a manner that the accelerator pedal opening changes smoothly as in the shift line L2 (for example, Figure 3 Thus, in either case, whether the driver performs an operation to significantly increase the opening of the operating element in a short period of time or performs an operation to gradually increase the opening over time, the support control is overridden by the accelerator operation, thereby enabling vehicle control in accordance with the driver's intention.

[0085] [flow chart]

[0086] Figure 6This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving support device 100. The order of the processing in this flowchart may be changed, and part of the processing may be omitted.

[0087] First, the driving support device 100 determines whether there is a curve at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle M (step S100). If there is a curve, the driving support device 100 determines whether the curve satisfies the conditions (step S102). If the curve satisfies the conditions, the driving support device 100 determines whether the speed of the vehicle M satisfies the conditions (step S104). If the determination in steps S100, S102, or S104 is negative, the processing of one routine in this flowchart ends.

[0088] When the vehicle speed satisfies the condition, the driving support device 100 determines whether the vehicle M has reached the first position (eg Figure 2 When the vehicle M reaches the first position, the driving support device 100 notifies the vehicle M of the first position (step S108), and decelerates the vehicle M at the first deceleration level (step S110).

[0089] Next, the driving support device 100 determines whether the vehicle M has reached the second position (for example, Figure 2 When the vehicle M reaches the second position, the driving support device 100 issues a first alarm (step S114). Next, the driving support device 100 determines whether the vehicle M reaches the third position (e.g., Figure 2 position P2) (step S116).

[0090] When the vehicle M reaches the third position, the driving support device 100 issues a second warning (step S118) and decelerates the vehicle M at the second deceleration level (step S122). Next, it is determined whether the speed of the vehicle M has reached the target speed (step S122). If the speed of the vehicle M has not reached the target speed, the process returns to step S118. If the speed of the vehicle M has reached the target speed, the driving support device 100 stops decelerating the vehicle M (step S124). This concludes the processing of one routine in this flowchart.

[0091] As described above, the driving support device 100 performs support control (steps S106 to S124 ) when the vehicle M and the curved road satisfy the conditions, thereby supporting the driver so that the vehicle M can travel on the curved road more smoothly.

[0092] In the processing of the above-described flowchart, when the accelerator override is established, the support control is stopped.

[0093] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of accelerator override processing performed by the driving support device 100. First, the driving support device 100 determines whether support control is in progress (step S200). If support control is in progress, the driving support device 100 determines whether the accelerator pedal 84 is being operated (step S202). If the accelerator pedal 84 is determined not to be operated, the driving support device 100 returns the process to step S200.

[0094] On the other hand, if it is determined that the accelerator pedal 84 is being operated, the driving support device 100 determines whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within the predetermined period (step S206). If it is determined that the accelerator pedal opening has not increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within the predetermined period, the driving support device 100 returns the process to step S202.

[0095] When it is determined that the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within a predetermined period, the driving support device 100 determines that the accelerator override is established, and the above-mentioned Figure 7 The support control of the flowchart is stopped (step S208). Next, the driving support device 100 accelerates the vehicle M according to the accelerator pedal opening (step S210). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0096] In addition, the reference value in the above step S206 is used Figure 3 The reference value RV1 and Figure 4 At least one of the reference values ​​RV1 and RV2 may be sufficient. For example, in step S206, the driving support device 100 may determine whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from either the reference value RV1 or the reference value RV2 within a predetermined period. Thus, in either case, whether the driver performs an operation that significantly increases the opening of the operating element in a short period of time (corresponding to the reference value RV2) or performs an operation that gradually increases the opening over time (corresponding to the reference value RV1), the support control is overridden by the accelerator operation, enabling vehicle control that corresponds to the driver's intention.

[0097] <Second embodiment>

[0098] In the first embodiment, the assist control unit 150 determines whether the accelerator pedal position has increased by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value within a predetermined period while assist control is being performed. If the accelerator pedal position has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within the predetermined period, the assist control unit 150 determines that accelerator override has been established. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, by setting the reference value RV2 to the minimum accelerator pedal position during assist control, the driver can be prompted to perform accelerator override even when the accelerator pedal position at the start of assist control is large and the remaining operating amount up to the maximum operating amount is less than a predetermined amount. However, in this case, under certain circumstances, the driver's accelerator pedal operation may induce unintended accelerator override, potentially leading to unintended termination of assist control.

[0099] Figure 8 : is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation in which the driver unintentionally overrides the accelerator. As an example of such a situation, Figure 8 Indicates a situation where the driver returns the accelerator pedal and then immediately steps on the accelerator pedal at the same time as the support control is started. In this case, the reference value of the accelerator pedal opening is set to the reference value RV2 by the accelerator operation (return of the accelerator pedal) performed at the time when the support control is started at time T. In addition, the driver immediately steps on the accelerator pedal again after returning the accelerator pedal. Therefore, the accelerator pedal opening reaches the new reference value RV2 in a short time, the accelerator override is established, and the support control is released (time T+5). In this way, when the support control is immediately released even after it is started, it is difficult for the driver to notice that the support control is working. Moreover, since the driver returns the accelerator pedal, even if the deceleration is felt (the first deceleration), it is easy to mistakenly believe that the deceleration is caused by his own accelerator pedal operation. Therefore, at Figure 8 In such a case, there is a possibility that the support control is started without the driver recognizing it, and the support control is ended without the driver recognizing it.

[0100] Figure 9This is a diagram showing an example of the time variation of the release threshold (first release threshold) in the case of the first embodiment. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the accelerator pedal opening. Here, the release threshold is a threshold for the accelerator pedal opening when judging the release of the support control (establishment of accelerator override) when the value of the accelerator pedal opening at the start of the support control is large and the remaining operation amount up to the maximum operation amount of the accelerator pedal operation is less than a prescribed amount. More specifically, the release threshold in the case of the first embodiment is a threshold obtained by adding a prescribed amount when judging whether the accelerator override is established to the reference value RV2. That is, in the first embodiment, when the accelerator pedal opening exceeds the release threshold, it is judged that the accelerator override is established. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish the release threshold in the case of the first embodiment from the release threshold in the second embodiment, the former will be referred to as the "first release threshold" and the latter will be referred to as the "second release threshold."

[0101] However, if Figure 9 As in the example of , if support control is initiated when the accelerator pedal opening is large and the remaining accelerator pedal operation amount is less than a predetermined amount, and the driver returns the accelerator pedal to its original position and then immediately depresses the accelerator pedal again at the start of support control (time T), accelerator override is established immediately after the start of support control and is released immediately after the start of support control. This is because the accelerator pedal is returned at the start of support control, causing the reference value RV2 to change to the minimum accelerator pedal opening value D in a short period of time from the start of support control. min In this case, when the reference value RV2 is set to the minimum value D min After that, when the accelerator pedal opening is from the reference value RV2 (minimum value D min ) increases by more than the prescribed amount d1 (ie, the accelerator pedal opening exceeds the first release threshold), that is, at time T+5, the accelerator override is established and the support control is released.

[0102] In situations where accelerator override is easily established, the driver may mistakenly believe that deceleration starting at time T is caused by their own accelerator operation (returning the accelerator pedal), failing to recognize that support control has been initiated. For example, if the first alert is recognized, the driver may recognize that deceleration starting at time T is caused by support control. However, if the first alert is not recognized, particularly if the first alert is only displayed visually and the driver misses the display, it may be difficult for the driver to recognize that support control has been initiated, and the driver may mistakenly believe that deceleration starting at time T is caused by their own accelerator operation (returning the accelerator pedal), failing to recognize that support control has been initiated.

[0103] Such a situation where the vehicle performs an action not intended by the driver, or the driver misinterprets the vehicle's behavior, is not desirable from the perspective of safe driving. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a control method for suppressing such unintended accelerator override by the driver is described, expanding upon the first embodiment.

[0104] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of the time change of the release threshold value (second release threshold value) in the second embodiment. Figure 9 ), the reference value RV2 is set to the minimum value of the accelerator pedal opening after the start of the support control, and the d that determines the first release threshold relative to the reference value RV2 is set to a predetermined amount, so that the accelerator pedal opening reaches the minimum value D min The first release threshold after this is D min +d1 and becomes fixed, which makes it easy for the accelerator to override. Figure 10 As shown, during the period from the start of support control until the predetermined time has passed, the second release threshold is set to a value higher than the first release threshold, thereby suppressing the establishment of accelerator override. This predetermined time can be arbitrarily set based on driving safety and the convenience of support control. For example, the predetermined time can be set to the time from the start of support control until the start of the second deceleration. Hereinafter, the period from the start of support control until the predetermined time has passed is referred to as the "accelerator override suppression period."

[0105] The second release threshold value, which is higher than the first release threshold value, is higher than that in the first embodiment to suppress the occurrence of accelerator override. The second release threshold value during the accelerator override suppression period may be a fixed value or a value determined based on the reference value RV2. Figure 10 This is an example of fixing the second release threshold during the accelerator override suppression period to a value TH that is greater than the first release threshold at the start of support control. The second release threshold TH may be a predetermined value or may be determined based on the accelerator pedal position at the start of support control. For example, the second release threshold TH may be a value obtained by adding a predetermined amount d2 to the accelerator pedal position at the start of support control. The predetermined amount d2 may be the predetermined amount d1 that determines the first release threshold.

[0106] Figure 11 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the accelerator override process executed by the driving support device 100 during the accelerator override suppression period in the second embodiment. Figure 11 In the Figure 7 The same process is carried out by marking Figure 7The same reference numerals are used and their descriptions are omitted. First, if the driving support device 100 determines in step S200 that the vehicle is currently in support control, it then determines whether the vehicle is currently in the override suppression period ( S300 ). If the vehicle is currently in the override suppression period, the driving support device 100 sets the release determination mode to the second mode ( S301 ), and the process proceeds to S202 .

[0107] Here, the release determination mode refers to an operational mode for determining whether to release the support control when the driver performs an operation that significantly increases the opening of the operating element within a short period of time (corresponding to reference value RV2). The second mode compares the accelerator pedal opening with the second release threshold to determine whether accelerator override has been established, while the first mode compares the accelerator pedal opening with the first release threshold to determine whether accelerator override has been established. On the other hand, if it is determined in S300 that the current period is not within the override suppression period, the driving support device 100 changes the release determination mode to the first mode (S302), and the process proceeds to S202.

[0108] According to the second embodiment described above, as in the first embodiment, in either case of the driver performing an operation to significantly increase the opening of the operating member in a short period of time (a case corresponding to the reference value RV2) or performing an operation to gradually increase the opening over a period of time (a case corresponding to the reference value RV1), the support control can be overridden by the acceleration operation, and in the case of an operation to return the accelerator pedal and then immediately step on the accelerator pedal again at the same time as the start of the support control, the occurrence of accelerator overriding can also be suppressed during the overriding suppression period.

[0109] According to the embodiment described above, when the driver performs an accelerator operation while performing assist control, the assist control unit 150 determines whether the accelerator operation amount has increased by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined period, and terminates assist control if the accelerator operation amount has increased by a predetermined amount or more. This enables vehicle control that is consistent with the driver's intention.

[0110] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0111] A vehicle control device comprising:

[0112] a storage device storing a program; and

[0113] Hardware processor,

[0114] The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device to perform the following processing:

[0115] acquiring first information related to a curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle;

[0116] obtaining second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; and

[0117] performing, when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance of the curve to a predetermined distance immediately before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, reporting control to adjust the vehicle speed to a speed equal to or lower than a target speed obtained based on the first information; and, while the reporting control is being executed, referring to the second information, stopping the reporting control when the accelerator operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value.

[0118] in,

[0119] During a period from the start of the notification control to the lapse of a predetermined time, the reference value is set based on the accelerator operation amount at the start time of the notification control.

[0120] While the modes for carrying out the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device includes: a first acquiring unit that acquires first information related to a curved road existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; a second acquiring unit for acquiring second information including an accelerator operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; as well as a control unit that, when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance to the curve to a predetermined distance immediately before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, performs a notification control to notify that the speed of the vehicle is adjusted to be equal to or lower than a target speed obtained based on the first information, and, while executing the notification control, refers to the second information and stops the notification control when the accelerator operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value. During a period from the start of the notification control to the lapse of a predetermined time, the reference value is set based on the accelerator operation amount at the start time of the notification control.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit changes the notification control from a first notification based on display to a second notification based on sound, The predetermined time is the time until the report control changes from the first report to the second report.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control unit sets the reference value to a minimum value of the accelerator operation amount during execution of the notification control after the predetermined time has elapsed.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit performs deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle so that the speed of the vehicle approaches a target speed obtained based on the first information when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance of the curve to a predetermined distance before the entrance or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve.

5. A vehicle control method, wherein a computer performs the following processing: acquiring first information related to a curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; obtaining second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; and performing, when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance to the curve to a predetermined distance immediately before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, reporting control to adjust the vehicle speed to a speed equal to or lower than a target speed obtained based on the first information; and, while the reporting control is being executed, referring to the second information, stopping the reporting control when the accelerator operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value. in, During a period from the start of the notification control to the lapse of a predetermined time, the reference value is set based on the accelerator operation amount at the start time of the notification control.

6. A storage medium, which is a non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer, storing a program, The program is used to cause the computer to perform the following processing: acquiring first information related to a curve existing in a traveling direction of the vehicle; obtaining second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; and performing, when the vehicle is traveling in a section from an entrance to the curve to a predetermined distance immediately before the entrance, or when the vehicle is traveling on the curve, reporting control to adjust the vehicle speed to a speed equal to or lower than a target speed obtained based on the first information; and, while the reporting control is being executed, referring to the second information, stopping the reporting control when the accelerator operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value. in, During a period from the start of the notification control to the lapse of a predetermined time, the reference value is set based on the accelerator operation amount at the start time of the notification control.

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