Vehicle control device

Abstract

To suppress unnecessary execution of deceleration control when detecting a stopped vehicle straddling a compartment line of a construction section and a travel lane.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device performs deceleration control of an own vehicle when detecting a stopped vehicle in front of the own vehicle on a travel lane on which the own vehicle travels. When detecting a vehicle stopped straddling a compartment line of a construction section adjacent to the travel lane and the travel lane as a stopped vehicle during automatic driving of the own vehicle, a driving operation alternate request for requesting a driver of the own vehicle to start manual driving is performed without performing deceleration control for the stopped vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-060074 is a known technical document relating to a vehicle control device. This publication describes a driving assistance device that sets virtual lanes and sets a target driving path based on the amount by which pylons installed on lane markings protrude from the lane markings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-060074 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a construction zone adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, if construction-related equipment such as pylons placed on the lane and the division lines of the construction zone are close to a stopped vehicle in the construction zone, the stopped vehicle may be detected as straddling the division lines from the vehicle in the distance. In this case, the vehicle may be mistakenly decelerated, causing discomfort to the driver of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device that performs deceleration control of a host vehicle when a stopped vehicle is detected ahead of the host vehicle on a driving lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, a construction section recognition unit that recognizes whether or not a construction section exists adjacent to the travel lane; and when the construction section recognition unit recognizes that a construction section exists, During autonomous driving of the vehicle, Construction area Vehicles that stop across the dividing line between the lane and the driving lane are detected as stopped vehicles. a stopped vehicle detection unit that determines whether a vehicle has stopped across a lane marking, and a vehicle control unit that, when the stopped vehicle detection unit detects a vehicle that has stopped across a lane marking as a stopped vehicle, issues a driving operation change request to the driver of the vehicle to start manual driving without performing deceleration control for the stopped vehicle, and, when the stopped vehicle ahead of the vehicle is detected in the driving lane but a vehicle that has stopped across the lane marking is not detected, performs deceleration control for the stopped vehicle without requesting a change of driving operation, wherein the construction section recognition unit recognizes the construction section by detecting construction-related tools including pylons, signs, or barricades, The vehicle control unit Between the time when a driver requests a change of driving operation and the time when the driver starts driving, the system determines whether or not an emergency braking condition is met based on the distance between the stopped vehicle and the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and if the emergency braking condition is met before the driver starts driving, the system starts emergency braking control of the vehicle against the stopped vehicle. .

[0006] In one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention, between the time a request for a change of driving operation is made and the time the driver starts driving, it is determined whether or not an emergency braking condition is met based on the distance between the stopped vehicle and the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and if the emergency braking condition is met before the driver starts driving, emergency braking control of the vehicle against the stopped vehicle may be started. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to each aspect of the present invention, when a stopped vehicle straddling a construction zone and a lane marking is detected, unnecessary execution of deceleration control can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a situation in which the presence of a stopped vehicle straddling a dividing line between a travel lane and a construction zone is detected. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a case where a stopped vehicle straddling a dividing line between a driving lane and a construction zone is erroneously detected, respectively, and an example of a case where a stopped vehicle straddling a dividing line between a driving lane and a construction zone is correctly detected. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pre-processing of deceleration control. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a later stage process of deceleration control during automatic driving. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a later stage process of deceleration control during driving assistance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device 1 according to one embodiment. The vehicle control device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is mounted on a vehicle (host vehicle) such as a passenger car, and controls the traveling of the host vehicle. The vehicle control device 1 has a function of executing automatic driving or driving assistance of the host vehicle.

[0012] Autonomous driving is vehicle control that allows a vehicle to travel automatically without the driver's operation. Driving assistance is vehicle control that assists the driver's operation so that the vehicle travels appropriately. The driving assistance according to this embodiment includes deceleration control that automatically decelerates the vehicle under predetermined conditions.

[0013] [Vehicle control device configuration] The configuration of the vehicle control device 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 1 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 that controls the running of the vehicle. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The ECU 10 performs various vehicle controls by loading programs stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing them on the CPU. The ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic control units.

[0014] The ECU 10 is connected to a forward camera 2 , a radar sensor 3 , a driving operation detection unit 4 , an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 5 , and a vehicle actuator 6 .

[0015] The front camera 2 is an imaging device that captures images of the situation ahead of the vehicle. The front camera 2 is installed, for example, behind the windshield of the vehicle and captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle. The front camera 2 transmits the captured images of the situation ahead of the vehicle to the ECU 10.

[0016] The radar sensor 3 is a detection device that detects objects around the vehicle using radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light. The radar sensor 3 includes, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The radar sensor 3 transmits the detection results of the objects around the vehicle to the ECU 10.

[0017] The driving operation detection unit 4 detects the operation of the operating units of the vehicle by the driver. The driving operation detection unit 4 includes at least one of a steering sensor, an accelerator sensor, and a brake sensor. The steering sensor detects the operation of the steering unit by the driver. The steering sensor may be capable of detecting the driver's holding the steering unit with both hands as a driving operation. The accelerator sensor detects the operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The brake sensor detects the operation of the brake pedal by the driver. The driving operation detection unit 4 transmits information related to the driver's driving operation to the ECU 10.

[0018] The HMI 5 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the ECU 10 and the driver. The HMI 5 includes, for example, a display, a speaker, and the like provided in the vehicle cabin. The HMI 5 outputs images on the display and sounds from the speaker in response to control signals from the ECU 10. The display may be a multi-information display (MID) or a head-up display (HUD). The HMI 5 may include various indicators.

[0019] The vehicle actuators 6 are devices used to control the host vehicle. The vehicle actuators 6 include at least a drive actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The drive actuator controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, thereby controlling the driving force of the host vehicle. If the host vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle), in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the driving force. If the host vehicle is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to the motor serving as a power source to control the driving force. In these cases, the motor serving as a power source constitutes the vehicle actuators 6.

[0020] The brake actuator controls a brake system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle. For example, a hydraulic brake system can be used as the brake system. The steering actuator controls the drive of an assist motor that controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. In this way, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle.

[0021] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the ECU 10. The ECU 10 has a construction zone recognition unit 11, a stopped vehicle detection unit 12, and a vehicle control unit 13.

[0022] The construction section recognition unit 11 recognizes whether or not there is a construction section adjacent to the lane the vehicle is traveling in. The construction section may be formed on an adjacent lane adjacent to the traveling lane, or may be formed on the shoulder or side strip adjacent to the traveling lane.

[0023] The construction zone recognition unit 11 recognizes the construction zone based on, for example, at least one of the image captured by the forward camera 2 and the detection results of the radar sensor 3. The construction zone recognition unit 11 recognizes the construction zone by detecting construction-related tools such as pylons, signs, and simple barricades that indicate the construction zone, for example, by image recognition or object detection.

[0024] The construction zone recognition unit 11 may recognize construction zones by sensor fusion using the detection results of the forward camera 2 and the radar sensor 3. The construction zone recognition unit 11 may also recognize construction zones using a machine learning model that applies deep learning or a convolutional neural network. The construction zone recognition unit 11 may recognize construction zones adjacent to the vehicle's travel lane from construction zone information associated with map information, based on the vehicle's position information and map information. The method for recognizing construction zones is not particularly limited, and well-known methods can be used.

[0025] The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 detects stopped vehicles located ahead of the host vehicle in the vehicle's travel lane based on at least one of the image captured by the forward camera 2 and the detection results of the radar sensor 3. Stopped vehicles are not limited to construction vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles, but may also be two-wheeled vehicles. Stopped vehicles also include parked vehicles.

[0026] The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 recognizes the lane that the vehicle is traveling in by, for example, recognizing white lines in the captured image. The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 recognizes that an object ahead of the vehicle is a vehicle by, for example, pattern matching, and detects that the object is a stopped vehicle from the detection result of the vehicle speed.

[0027] The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 determines whether there is a stopped vehicle straddling the dividing line between the driving lane and the construction zone. "Straddling a dividing line" means that part of a stopped vehicle parked in the construction zone straddles the dividing line and extends onto the driving lane. The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 determines the presence of a stopped vehicle straddling the dividing line between the driving lane and the construction zone from the dividing line between the driving lane and the construction zone recognized by white line recognition and the position of the stopped vehicle.

[0028] However, there are cases where the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 makes an erroneous detection (erroneous determination). That is, in a construction section adjacent to the driving lane of the host vehicle, when a stopped vehicle in the construction section is close to construction-related tools such as pylons placed on the driving lane and the dividing line of the construction section, the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 may detect the stopped vehicle as if it is straddling the dividing line from the host vehicle located far away.

[0029] Here, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a situation in which the presence of a stopped vehicle straddling a dividing line between a driving lane and a construction section has been detected. Fig. 2 shows the host vehicle M, the driving lane Ra, the adjacent lane Rb, the right dividing line La of the driving lane Ra, the left dividing line Lb of the adjacent lane Rb, the dividing line Lc separating the driving lane Ra and the adjacent lane Rb, pylons P1 to P3, the construction section C, and the stopped vehicle U. The distance between the host vehicle M and the stopped vehicle U is indicated as distance Da. The symbol Ma indicates the future position Ma of the host vehicle M. The distance between the future position Ma of the host vehicle M and the stopped vehicle U is indicated as distance Db. The pylons P1 to P3 are arranged along the dividing line Lc.

[0030] 2, the host vehicle M is far from the stopped vehicle U, so there is a possibility that the stopped vehicle U is erroneously detected. The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 can accurately detect the stopped vehicle U when the host vehicle M approaches the stopped vehicle U.

[0031] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of a case where a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the travel lane Ra and the construction section C is erroneously detected. FIG. 3(a) shows a stopped truck N and a pylon Pu located within the construction section C (in the adjacent lane Rb). The pylon Pu is placed, for example, so that a portion of it overlaps the dividing line Lc. Note that the pylon Pu does not necessarily have to overlap a portion of the dividing line Lc, as long as it is located near the dividing line Lc. The construction section C may be formed on the shoulder of the road rather than within the adjacent lane Rb.

[0032] In the situation shown in FIG. 3(a), the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 mistakenly detected the presence of a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C because the stopped truck N and the pylon Pu were close to each other. The stopped vehicle detection unit 12 distinguishes between the stopped truck N and the pylon Pu as the host vehicle M approaches. Since the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 does not detect a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc, which was an erroneous detection, it determines that the stopped vehicle U has been lost. Lost means that an object that was once detected has been lost.

[0033] Fig. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of a case where a stopped vehicle U is accurately detected straddling a dividing line Lc between the travel lane Ra and the construction section C. In the situation shown in Fig. 3(b), the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 accurately detects a stopped truck N straddling the dividing line Lc due to the approach of the host vehicle M.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 13 controls the traveling of the host vehicle M by sending a control signal to the vehicle actuator 6. The vehicle control unit 13 executes automatic driving or driving assistance of the host vehicle M as permitted by the driver.

[0035] First, we will explain normal deceleration control during autonomous driving of the host vehicle M. Normal deceleration control is deceleration control that is performed when a stopped vehicle does not straddle the dividing line Lc between the construction section C and the driving lane Ra. In this case, the stopped vehicle is, for example, a vehicle that is stopped in the driving lane Ra due to a red traffic light or the like.

[0036] When the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 detects a stopped vehicle located in front of the vehicle M on the driving lane Ra during automatic driving of the vehicle M, the vehicle control unit 13 performs deceleration control of the vehicle M as part of the automatic driving.

[0037] The vehicle control unit 13 executes deceleration control when the host vehicle M reaches a predetermined deceleration start timing. The vehicle control unit 13 determines whether the host vehicle M has reached the deceleration start timing based on the distance between the stopped vehicle and the host vehicle M and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M. The vehicle control unit 13 determines that the host vehicle M has reached the deceleration start timing, for example, when the time to collision [TTC: Time To Collision] of the host vehicle M with the stopped vehicle becomes less than a predetermined TTC threshold. The distance between the stopped vehicle and the host vehicle M may be used instead of the time to collision. In this case, a distance threshold may be used instead of the TTC threshold. The vehicle control unit 13 decelerates the host vehicle M at a predetermined deceleration as deceleration control, and stops the host vehicle M behind the stopped vehicle.

[0038] Next, deceleration control when a stopped vehicle U is detected straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C during autonomous driving will be described (see FIG. 2). When the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 detects a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C during autonomous driving of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control unit 13 issues a driving operation change request to the driver to start manual driving.

[0039] The driving operation change request is a request to the driver to start manual driving while the host vehicle M is in autonomous driving. The vehicle control unit 13 requests the driver to change driving operations by, for example, displaying an image on the display and outputting sound from the speaker by sending a control signal to the HMI 5. The vehicle control unit 13 may request the driver to change driving operations by voice, or may explain the reason for the change of driving operations to the driver by voice.

[0040] The vehicle control unit 13 determines whether the driver has started manual driving based on the driver's driving operation detected by the driving operation detection unit 4. For example, the vehicle control unit 13 determines that the driver has started manual driving when the driver holds the steering wheel of the vehicle M with both hands or when the driver steps on the accelerator pedal or brake pedal of the vehicle M.

[0041] If the driver does not start manual driving, the vehicle control unit 13 determines whether or not an emergency braking condition is satisfied. The emergency braking condition is an emergency braking control that decelerates the host vehicle M to prevent a collision between the host vehicle M and a stopped vehicle.

[0042] The vehicle control unit 13 determines that the emergency braking condition is satisfied when, for example, the host vehicle M cannot be stopped in front of the stopped vehicle unless the host vehicle M is decelerated at the maximum allowable deceleration. The vehicle control unit 13 may determine that the emergency braking condition is satisfied when the time to collision of the host vehicle M with the stopped vehicle is less than the emergency braking determination threshold, based on the distance between the stopped vehicle U and the host vehicle M and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M. The distance between the stopped vehicle U and the host vehicle M may be used instead of the time to collision.

[0043] Specifically, for example, when the driver does not start manual driving even when the host vehicle M reaches position Ma shown in FIG. 2 (when the driver does not start manual driving even when the distance between the stopped vehicle U and the host vehicle M becomes distance Db), the vehicle control unit 13 executes emergency braking control of the host vehicle M. The vehicle control unit 13 decelerates the host vehicle M at a deceleration rate that is stronger than that of normal deceleration control, and stops the host vehicle M before the stopped vehicle U. The emergency braking control corresponds to, for example, pre-crash safety (PCS). Note that the vehicle control unit 13 may be configured to determine whether or not emergency braking conditions are met not only after a request to change driving operations but also before making the request to change driving operations.

[0044] If it is determined that the emergency braking condition is not satisfied, the vehicle control unit 13 again determines whether the driver has started manual driving. Note that the vehicle control unit 13 may stop the host vehicle M if the driver has not started manual driving after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3(a), when the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 loses track of the stopped vehicle U, the vehicle control unit 13 does not need to repeatedly determine whether the emergency braking condition exists. In this case, the vehicle control unit 13 may repeatedly determine whether the driver has started manual driving, or may suggest to the driver that the automatic driving continue. If the driver's input operation approves the continuation of the automatic driving, the vehicle control unit 13 continues the automatic driving.

[0046] Next, normal deceleration control during driving assistance will be described. Normal deceleration control during driving assistance is performed as part of, for example, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control).

[0047] When the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 detects a stopped vehicle located in front of the host vehicle M on the driving lane during driving assistance of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control unit 13 performs deceleration control of the host vehicle M as driving assistance. The vehicle control unit 13 executes deceleration control of the host vehicle M when the host vehicle M reaches a predetermined deceleration start timing. The determination of the deceleration start timing can be the same as in the case of autonomous driving.

[0048] Next, deceleration control when a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the travel lane Ra and the construction section C is detected during driving assistance will be described (see FIG. 2). When the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 detects a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the travel lane Ra and the construction section C during driving assistance of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control unit 13 delays the timing of starting deceleration.

[0049] Delaying the deceleration start timing means delaying the deceleration start timing when a stopped vehicle U crossing the lane marking Lc is detected compared to when a normal stopped vehicle is detected. For example, the vehicle control unit 13 delays the deceleration start timing by setting the TTC threshold when a stopped vehicle U crossing the lane marking Lc to a smaller value than the normal TTC threshold.

[0050] After delaying the deceleration start timing, the vehicle control unit 13 determines whether the emergency braking condition is satisfied. If the vehicle control unit 13 determines that the emergency braking condition is satisfied, it executes emergency braking control. The determination of the emergency braking condition and the emergency braking control can be performed in the same manner as in the case of autonomous driving.

[0051] If it is not determined that the emergency braking condition is satisfied, the vehicle control unit 13 determines whether the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 has lost the stopped vehicle U. If the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 has lost the stopped vehicle U, the vehicle control unit 13 does not perform deceleration control because there is no longer a target for deceleration control as driving assistance. If the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 has not lost the stopped vehicle U, the vehicle control unit 13 determines whether the host vehicle M has reached the deceleration start timing. If the host vehicle M has reached the predetermined deceleration start timing, the vehicle control unit 13 executes deceleration control of the host vehicle M.

[0052] [Vehicle control device processing] Next, the processing of the vehicle control device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the early processing of deceleration control. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is executed when the host vehicle M is undergoing automatic driving or driving assistance.

[0053] 4, in S10, the ECU 10 of the vehicle control device 1 uses the construction section recognition unit 11 to recognize whether or not there is a construction section C adjacent to the driving lane Ra on which the host vehicle M is traveling. If the ECU 10 determines that there is a construction section C adjacent to the driving lane Ra (S10: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S11. If the ECU 10 does not determine that there is a construction section C adjacent to the driving lane Ra (S10: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to S12.

[0054] In S11, the ECU 10 determines whether or not there is a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C using the stopped vehicle detection unit 12. If it is determined that there is a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C (S11: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S13. If it is not determined that there is a stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the driving lane Ra and the construction section C (S11: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to S12.

[0055] In S12, the ECU 10 executes deceleration control of the stopped vehicle U using the vehicle control unit 13. The vehicle control unit 13 performs deceleration control of the host vehicle M by sending a control signal to the vehicle actuator 6. Thereafter, the ECU 10 ends this processing.

[0056] In S13, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the emergency braking condition is satisfied by the vehicle control unit 13. If the ECU 10 determines that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S13: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S14. If the ECU 10 does not determine that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S13: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to the subsequent processing shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6.

[0057] In S14, the ECU 10 causes the vehicle control unit 13 to execute emergency braking control of the host vehicle M. The vehicle control unit 13 performs emergency braking control of the host vehicle M by transmitting a control signal to the vehicle actuator 6. Thereafter, the ECU 10 ends this processing.

[0058] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the latter stage of the deceleration control process during autonomous driving. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is executed when S13 in Fig. 4 is NO while the host vehicle M is in autonomous driving.

[0059] 5, in S20, the ECU 10 requests the driver to change driving operations via the vehicle control unit 13. The vehicle control unit 13 requests the driver to change driving operations by sending a control signal to the HMI 5. After that, the ECU 10 proceeds to S21.

[0060] In S21, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the emergency braking condition is satisfied by the vehicle control unit 13. The determination content can be the same as that of S13 in FIG. 4. If the ECU 10 determines that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S21: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S22. If the ECU 10 does not determine that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S21: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to S23.

[0061] In S22, the ECU 10 causes the vehicle control unit 13 to execute emergency braking control of the host vehicle M. After that, the ECU 10 ends the current processing.

[0062] In S23, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the driver has started manual driving using the vehicle control unit 13. If it is determined that the driver has started manual driving (S23: YES), the ECU 10 ends this processing. If it is not determined that the driver has started manual driving (S23: NO), the ECU 10 returns to S21 and repeats the processing.

[0063] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a later stage of deceleration control during driving assistance. The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 is executed when S13 in Fig. 4 is NO while the host vehicle M is undergoing driving assistance (driving assistance is permitted).

[0064] 6, in S30, the ECU 10 causes the vehicle control unit 13 to perform a delay process for the deceleration start timing. Thereafter, the ECU 10 proceeds to S31.

[0065] In S31, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the emergency braking condition is satisfied by the vehicle control unit 13. The determination content can be the same as that of S13 in FIG. 4. If the ECU 10 determines that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S31: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S32. If the ECU 10 does not determine that the emergency braking condition is satisfied (S31: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to S33.

[0066] In S32, the ECU 10 causes the vehicle control unit 13 to execute emergency braking control of the host vehicle M. After that, the ECU 10 ends the current processing.

[0067] In S33, the ECU 10 determines whether the stopped vehicle detection unit 12 has lost the stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc between the travel lane Ra and the construction section C. If it is determined that the stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc has been lost (S33: YES), the ECU 10 ends this processing because there are no more vehicles to decelerate. If it is not determined that the stopped vehicle U straddling the dividing line Lc has been lost (S33: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to S34.

[0068] In S34, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the deceleration start timing of the host vehicle M has arrived using the vehicle control unit 13. If the ECU 10 determines that the deceleration start timing of the host vehicle M has arrived (S34: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to S35. If the ECU 10 does not determine that the deceleration start timing of the host vehicle M has arrived (S34: NO), the ECU 10 returns to S33 and repeats the processing.

[0069] In S35, the vehicle control unit 13 executes deceleration control for the stopped vehicle U. After that, the ECU 10 ends this processing.

[0070] According to the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment described above, when the presence of a stopped vehicle U straddling the driving lane Ra and the dividing line Lc of the construction section C is detected during automatic driving of the vehicle M, a request is made to the driver to change driving operations and deceleration control is not performed, so that unnecessary deceleration control can be suppressed when a stopped truck N in the construction section C and a pylon Pu (see Figure 3(a)) located near the dividing line Lc are mistakenly detected as a single entity.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 1, if the host vehicle M approaches the stopped vehicle U without the driver starting driving despite a request for a change of driving operation, emergency braking control is performed, thereby preventing the host vehicle M from getting too close to the stopped vehicle U. Note that if it is determined that there is no stopped vehicle U straddling the lane marking Lc due to the approach of the host vehicle M (if the stopped vehicle U has been lost), emergency braking is not performed.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device 1, if the presence of a stopped vehicle U straddling the travel lane Ra and the division line Lc of the construction section C is detected during driving assistance of the host vehicle M, the timing to start deceleration is delayed. As a result, the presence of the stopped vehicle U can be accurately detected as the host vehicle M approaches the stopped vehicle U, and if the stopped vehicle U is falsely detected, deceleration control is not executed, thereby suppressing the execution of unnecessary deceleration control.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms, including the above-described embodiments, with various modifications and improvements made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0074] The vehicle control device 1 may be configured to be able to execute only either autonomous driving or driving assistance. If the vehicle control device 1 is only able to execute autonomous driving, it does not need to be able to execute the processing corresponding to the flowchart in Fig. 6. If the vehicle control device 1 is only able to execute driving assistance, it does not need to be able to execute the processing corresponding to the flowchart in Fig. 5. Furthermore, the vehicle control device 1 does not necessarily need to determine the emergency braking condition and perform emergency braking control. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...vehicle control device, 2...forward camera, 3...radar sensor, 4...driving operation detection unit, 5...HMI, 6...vehicle actuator, 10...ECU, 11...construction zone recognition unit, 12...stopped vehicle detection unit, 13...vehicle control unit.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle control device that performs deceleration control of a host vehicle when a stopped vehicle is detected ahead of the host vehicle on a driving lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, a construction section recognition unit that recognizes whether or not a construction section exists adjacent to the travel lane; a stopped vehicle detection unit that, when the construction section recognition unit recognizes that the construction section exists, determines whether a vehicle that stops across a dividing line between the construction section adjacent to the driving lane and the driving lane has been detected as the stopped vehicle during autonomous driving of the host vehicle; a vehicle control unit that, when the stopped vehicle detection unit detects a vehicle that has stopped across the lane marking as the stopped vehicle, issues a driving operation change request to the driver of the vehicle to start manual driving without performing the deceleration control for the stopped vehicle, and, when the stopped vehicle ahead of the vehicle is detected on the driving lane but a vehicle that has stopped across the lane marking is not detected, performs the deceleration control for the stopped vehicle without issuing the driving operation change request; Equipped with the construction section recognition unit recognizes the construction section by detecting construction-related tools including pylons, signs, or barricades; the vehicle control unit determines whether an emergency braking condition is satisfied based on the distance between the stopped vehicle and the host vehicle and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle during the period from when the driver makes the driving operation change request until the driver starts driving the host vehicle; A vehicle control device that starts emergency braking control of the host vehicle with respect to the stopped vehicle when the emergency braking condition is satisfied without the driver starting a driving operation.

Images