Vehicle control device, and control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device and a control method capable of suppressing a driver from feeling discomfort when a vehicle traveling under constant speed travel control turns right or left.SOLUTION: A control device 30 is configured to execute: travel control of controlling a vehicle 1 such that a travel speed of the vehicle 1 is a target speed corresponding to an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle; and acceleration limit control of limiting acceleration by the travel control. When an intention to turn right or left of the driver is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling under the constant speed travel control, the control device 30 executes the acceleration limit control, and ends the acceleration limit control in response to a decrease in a steering speed in the vehicle 1 during the acceleration limit control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that also take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driving assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for mobile objects (such as automobiles) in order to improve transport safety and convenience.

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting the amount of steering by a driver and setting the amount of deceleration control according to this amount of steering.Also, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for maintaining the automatic vehicle speed control in an on state when the vehicle turns right or left at an intersection while the automatic vehicle speed control that automatically controls the vehicle speed is in an on state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4052292 [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-126433 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional technology, for example, when a vehicle is driven by a driving control called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), the driver may feel uncomfortable when turning right or left, and there is room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle control device and a control method that can suppress discomfort felt by a driver when a traveling vehicle turns right or left by controlling the vehicle so that the traveling speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver, thereby further improving traffic safety and contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: A control unit is provided that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the driving control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. A vehicle control device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is A control method performed by a computer configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The computer, When an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, the acceleration suppression control is executed, and the acceleration suppression control is terminated in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. It is a control method. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device and a control method that can suppress a sense of discomfort felt by a driver when a vehicle traveling under constant speed cruise control makes a right or left turn. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle 1 controlled by a control device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the vehicle 1 traveling under ACC when making a right or left turn. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of acceleration when the vehicle 1 traveling under the ACC makes a right or left turn and when traveling straight. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the control device 30 to execute the ACC or the acceleration suppression control. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of a process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart (part 2) showing an example of the process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the vehicle control device and control method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the symbols. The following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more features of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, in the following, the same or similar elements are given the same or similar symbols, and their descriptions may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] [Vehicle configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle 1 controlled by a control device 30 which is an embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention. The vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an automobile having a drive source, and wheels including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steerable wheels (neither of which are shown). For example, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The drive source of the vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. In addition, the drive source of the vehicle 1 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels, i.e., four wheels. Either one of the front wheels or the rear wheels may be a steerable wheel, or both of them may be steerable wheels.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30, an EPS system (electric power steering system) 40, a communication unit 50, a driving force control system 60, a braking force control system 70, and an operation input unit 80.

[0014] The sensor group 10 acquires various detection values ​​related to the vehicle 1 or the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The detection values ​​acquired by the sensor group 10 are sent to the control device 30 and used for control of the vehicle 1 by the control device 30 (for example, ACC, which will be described later).

[0015] The sensor group 10 includes, for example, a front camera 11a, a rear camera 11b, a left side camera 11c, a right side camera 11d, a front sonar group 12a, a rear sonar group 12b, a left side sonar group 12c, and a right side sonar group 12d. These cameras and sonar groups can function as external sensors that obtain information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1.

[0016] The front camera 11a, the rear camera 11b, the left side camera 11c, and the right side camera 11d output image data of surrounding images obtained by capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 to the control device 30. The surrounding images captured by the front camera 11a, the rear camera 11b, the left side camera 11c, and the right side camera 11d are also referred to as a front image, a rear image, a left side image, and a right side image, respectively. An image composed of the left side image and the right side image is also referred to as a lateral image.

[0017] The front sonar group 12a, the rear sonar group 12b, the left side sonar group 12c, and the right side sonar group 12d emit sound waves around the vehicle 1 and receive reflected sounds from other objects. The front sonar group 12a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the front sonar group 12a are provided respectively at the left diagonal front, the front left, the front right, and the right diagonal front of the vehicle 1. The rear sonar group 12b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 12b are provided respectively at the left diagonal rear, the rear left, the rear right, and the right diagonal rear of the vehicle 1. The left side sonar group 12c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the left side sonar group 12c are provided respectively at the left front and the left rear of the vehicle 1. The right side sonar group 12d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the right side sonar group 12d are provided at the front and rear of the right side of the vehicle 1. Instead of or in addition to the sonar groups 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, the vehicle 1 may be provided with a radar device that emits radio waves (for example, so-called millimeter wave radio waves) around the vehicle 1 and receives reflected waves from other objects.

[0018] Further, the sensor group 10 includes wheel sensors 13a and 13b, a vehicle speed sensor 14, and an operation detection unit 15. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b detect the rotation angles θa and θb of the wheels (not shown), respectively. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b may be configured by angle sensors or may be configured by displacement sensors. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b output a detection pulse every time the wheels rotate a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from the wheel sensors 13a and 13b can be used to calculate the rotation angle and the rotation speed of the wheels. The travel distance of the vehicle 1 can be calculated based on the rotation angle of the wheels. The wheel sensor 13a detects, for example, the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. The wheel sensor 13b detects, for example, the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0019] The vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the vehicle speed V, which is the traveling speed of the vehicle 1, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the control device 30. The vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the vehicle speed V based on, for example, the rotation of a countershaft of the transmission.

[0020] The operation detection unit 15 detects the operation contents performed by the driver using the operation input unit 80, and outputs the detected operation contents to the control device 30. The operation input unit 80 includes, for example, a turn signal lever 81 that accepts an operation to activate a direction indicator (also called a "turn signal") of the vehicle 1. The turn signal lever 81 is configured to be capable of accepting, for example, a "right turn signal activation operation" that is an operation to activate a right turn signal, which is a direction indicator for the right direction, and a "left turn signal activation operation" that is an operation to activate a left turn signal, which is a direction indicator for the left direction.

[0021] The operation input unit 80 may further include an operation button or an operation switch for receiving operations related to ACC, such as an operation for instructing the start / end of ACC described below, an operation for setting a target speed, etc. Also, a part of the operation input unit 80 (for example, an operation button for receiving operations related to ACC) or the whole of the operation input unit 80 may be shared with the touch panel 21 described below.

[0022] The navigation device 20 identifies the current position of the vehicle 1 using, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and provides the driver with a route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the destination. The navigation device 20 has, for example, a storage device (not shown) equipped with a map information database.

[0023] The navigation device 20 is also equipped with a touch panel 21 and a speaker 22. The touch panel 21 is configured by integrating a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display) capable of displaying images with an input device capable of receiving input of information, and functions as a display device controlled by the control device 30 and an input device that receives input of various information to the control device 30. In other words, the touch panel 21 can display various screens according to the control of the control device 30, and input various commands received from the driver to the control device 30. The speaker 22 outputs various guidance messages by voice according to the control of the control device 30.

[0024] The EPS system 40 has a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 45. The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of a steering wheel 46. The torque sensor 42 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering wheel 46. The EPS motor 43 assists the driver in operating the steering wheel 46 (in other words, steering) by applying a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46. The resolver 44 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43.

[0025] The EPS ECU 45 includes, for example, an input / output unit which is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45, a calculation unit realized by a processor or the like capable of executing various calculations, and a storage unit capable of storing various information (none of which are shown), and is responsible for the overall control of the EPS system 40. The EPS ECU 45 also outputs information indicating the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46 detected by the steering angle sensor 41 to the control device 30. The EPS ECU 45 may also output information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering wheel 46 to the control device 30. The steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0026] The communication unit 50 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 according to the control of the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 50. Examples of the external device 2 include a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. For communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, WI-FI (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. can be used.

[0027] The driving force control system 60 includes a driving ECU 61 and is configured to be able to control the driving force of the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 61 includes, for example, an input / output unit that is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the driving ECU 61, a calculation unit realized by a processor or the like capable of executing various calculations, and a storage unit that can store various information (all not shown). The driving ECU 61 controls the driving force of the vehicle 1 by controlling an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or the like that are the driving sources of the vehicle 1, based on the driver's operation of an accelerator pedal 62 (hereinafter also referred to as "accelerator operation") provided on the vehicle 1 or instructions from the control device 30.

[0028] The braking force control system 70 includes a braking ECU 71 and is configured to be able to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 71 includes, for example, an input / output unit that is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 71, a calculation unit realized by a processor or the like capable of executing various calculations, and a storage unit that can store various information (all not shown). The braking ECU 71 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling a brake device (not shown) of the vehicle 1 based on the driver's operation of a brake pedal 72 provided on the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "brake operation") or an instruction from the control device 30. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 71 generates a braking force according to the brake operation by controlling the electric motor of the brake device based on the brake operation or an instruction from the control device 30.

[0029] [Control device] The control device 30 is a computer that performs overall control of the vehicle 1 based on information input from the sensor group 10, the navigation device 20, the EPS system 40, the communication unit 50, the driving force control system 60, the braking force control system 70, and the like.

[0030] The control device 30 includes, for example, an input / output unit 31, a control unit 32, and a storage unit 35. The input / output unit 31 is an interface that inputs and outputs data between the inside and outside of the control device 30 in accordance with the control of the control unit 32. The storage unit 35 includes a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, and stores various information (for example, data and programs) for controlling the operation of the vehicle 1. The control unit 32 is configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each component of the vehicle 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 35 or the like.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control unit 32 is configured to be capable of executing "constant speed traveling / vehicle distance control" as an example of the cruise control in the present invention. The constant speed traveling / vehicle distance control is also generally called "ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)". In this embodiment, the constant speed traveling / vehicle distance control will also be referred to as "ACC" hereinafter.

[0032] In ACC, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the traveling speed of vehicle 1 becomes a target speed according to the distance between vehicle 1 and another vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "preceding vehicle") traveling in front of vehicle 1, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of vehicle 1. More specifically, ACC includes "constant speed traveling control" that controls vehicle 1 so that the traveling speed of vehicle 1 (i.e., vehicle speed V) becomes a predetermined target speed set by the driver, and "inter-vehicle distance control" that controls vehicle 1 so that the inter-vehicle distance between vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of vehicle 1 becomes approximately constant. That is, during ACC, if there is no preceding vehicle, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the speed becomes the target speed set by the driver, and if there is a preceding vehicle, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the inter-vehicle distance between vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle is kept approximately constant and follows the preceding vehicle.

[0033] For example, the control unit 32 starts ACC in response to the driver performing an operation to instruct the start of ACC (hereinafter also referred to as an "ACC ON operation"), in other words, in response to the receipt of the ACC ON operation. After that, the control unit 32 ends ACC in response to the driver performing an operation to instruct the end of ACC (hereinafter also referred to as an "ACC cancel operation"), in other words, in response to the receipt of the ACC cancel operation. In other words, after starting ACC in response to the ACC ON operation, the control unit 32 can maintain ACC until the ACC cancel operation is received. Then, the control unit 32 can automatically control the vehicle speed V when the vehicle 1 traveling with ACC turns right or left. As a result, when the vehicle 1 traveling with ACC turns right or left, the vehicle 1 can be driven at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0034] Incidentally, when the driver himself controls the vehicle speed V and the like to turn the vehicle 1 right or left, the driver may generally first turn the steering wheel 46 rapidly while keeping the vehicle 1 at a low speed, and when the steering angle θst becomes large to a certain extent (i.e., when the steering angle is nearing the end), the driver may gradually turn the steering speed ω and finely adjust the steering angle θst to accelerate the vehicle 1. That is, in this case, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 (in other words, the vehicle speed V) may be controlled in conjunction with the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1.

[0035] In contrast, in the ACC, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is usually controlled based on the target speed set by the driver and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle. For this reason, if the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is controlled based on the target speed set by the driver and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle as in normal times when the vehicle 1 traveling by the ACC makes a right or left turn, the way in which the vehicle 1 accelerates may differ from the case in which the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like to make the vehicle 1 turn right or left, which may cause the driver to feel uncomfortable.

[0036] Therefore, the control unit 32 is further configured to be able to execute acceleration suppression control that suppresses the acceleration of the vehicle 1 by the ACC, executes the acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling by the ACC, and ends the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. This allows the way in which the vehicle 1 traveling by the ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be the same as when the driver controls the vehicle speed V or the like to turn the vehicle 1 right or left, and makes it possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the vehicle accelerates when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of the ACC that allows the vehicle 1 to travel at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, and to improve the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0037] For example, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the steering angle θst and steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 becoming larger than preset thresholds. This makes it possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the operation (in other words, steering) of the steering wheel 46 by the driver. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., turn the vehicle 1 right or left) by simple processing that does not use map information, images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, or the like.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on an operation to activate the direction indicator of the vehicle 1, i.e., an operation of the turn indicator lever 81, instead of or in addition to the operation of the steering wheel 46. In this case, the control unit 32 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left when the driver activates the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 continuously for a predetermined time or more (for example, when the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 flashes continuously for 5 [s] or more). In this case, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left when the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 flashes a predetermined number of times or more (for example, six times or more) after the driver starts to flash the direction indicator. In this way, even if the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected based on an operation to activate the direction indicator of the vehicle 1, i.e., an operation of the turn indicator lever 81, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., turn right or left of the vehicle 1) by simple processing that does not use map information or images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the brake operation in addition to the operation of the steering wheel 46 and / or the turn signal lever 81. In this case, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on, for example, the driver operating the brakes after activating the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 (in other words, the driver operating the brake device of the vehicle 1).

[0040] [Operation when a vehicle using ACC turns right or left] Here, an example of the operation of the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC when turning right or left will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the following description, the steering angle θst is set to 0 when the steering wheel 46 is at a predetermined center position, and increases in the + direction when the steering wheel 46 is turned to the right (i.e., clockwise) and increases in the - direction when the steering wheel 46 is turned to the left (i.e., counterclockwise). As for the steering speed ω, the clockwise direction is set to the + direction and the counterclockwise direction is set to the - direction.

[0041] 2, assume that at time t1 when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a target speed Vtar by the ACC, a right turn signal operation is performed on the turn signal lever 81, and the right turn signal included in the direction indicators of the vehicle 1 is activated. Note that the target speed Vtar is a speed that is preset by the driver or the manufacturer of the vehicle 1, for example, as a target speed by the ACC.

[0042] Then, assume that a brake operation is performed at time t2 after time t1. In this case, the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left from time t2 when the brake operation is performed with the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 activated, and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation. More specifically, at this time, the control device 30 temporarily stops the ACC, controls the drive source of the vehicle 1 via the drive force control system 60 so as not to accelerate the vehicle 1 by the ACC even if the vehicle speed V falls below the target speed Vtar, and controls the brake device of the vehicle 1 via the braking force control system 70 so as to generate a braking force corresponding to the brake operation (in other words, the amount of operation of the brake pedal 72).

[0043] Then, from time t3 after time t2, when the driver starts to turn the steering wheel 46, the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω start to increase. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the driver starts to turn the steering wheel 46 to the right, so the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω start to increase in the + direction. In this way, when the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 each become larger than a preset threshold value (for example, a predetermined value larger than 0), the control device 30 resumes ACC and starts acceleration suppression control.

[0044] When the acceleration suppression control is being executed, if the vehicle speed V is lower than the target speed Vtar, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. However, the upper limit of the acceleration at this time is set to a predetermined value for the acceleration suppression control (for example, 0.5 [m / s 2 This enables the control device 30 to maintain the vehicle speed V at a substantially constant value during the acceleration suppression control.

[0045] Then, when the steering angle θst becomes large to a certain extent (i.e., when the steering is nearing the end), the driver slows down the steering speed ω and turns the vehicle 1 while finely adjusting the steering angle θst. As a result, as shown in Fig. 2, the steering speed ω starts to decrease slightly before the time t10 when the steering angle θst becomes maximum.

[0046] The control device 30 terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to the decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. When the acceleration suppression control is terminated, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1, for example, by the ACC so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. In addition, at this time, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at an acceleration (for example, 0.5 [m / s 2 In the example shown in FIG. 2, the control device 30 ends the acceleration suppression control at a time t4 immediately after the steering speed ω starts to decrease, and thereafter, accelerates the vehicle 1 at an acceleration suppression control rate of 0.5 [m / s 2 The vehicle 1 is accelerated at a predetermined acceleration greater than [Vtar] so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar.

[0047] As described above, the control device 30 executes the acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC, and ends the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. Then, after ending the acceleration suppression control, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar at an acceleration greater than that during the acceleration suppression control. This allows the manner in which the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be similar to the manner in which the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. to turn the vehicle 1 right or left, and makes it possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the manner of acceleration when turning right or left.

[0048] [Acceleration when a vehicle using ACC turns right or left, and acceleration when going straight] Incidentally, the vehicle 1 may turn right or left at an intersection or may go straight. Depending on whether the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left or goes straight at an intersection, the control device 30 may control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 as follows.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the acceleration of a vehicle 1 traveling using ACC when turning right or left, and when going straight. FIG. 3(a) shows an example of the operation of vehicle 1 when turning right or left at an intersection IC, and FIG. 3(b) shows an example of the operation of vehicle 1 when going straight through the intersection IC.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the traffic light SG at the intersection IC is on red when the vehicle 1 approaches the intersection IC, whether it is turning right or left or going straight at the intersection IC. Here, the red light is a lighting state indicating that the vehicle may not proceed beyond a predetermined stopping position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 decelerates in response to the driver's braking operation just before the intersection IC, and stops at the predetermined stopping position. Thereafter, when the traffic light SG switches to a blue light, the vehicle 1 proceeds through the intersection IC. Here, the blue light is a lighting state indicating that the vehicle may proceed beyond the predetermined stopping position.

[0051] When the vehicle 1 turns right or left at the intersection IC, the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected as described above. That is, in this case, the control device 30 executes the acceleration suppression control in response to the detection of the driver's intention to turn right or left as described above, and ends the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. Then, in this case, as shown in (a) of FIG. 3, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at a first acceleration so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar as the acceleration suppression control ends. Here, the first acceleration is an acceleration smaller than a second acceleration described later.

[0052] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 goes straight through the intersection IC, the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected. That is, in this case, the control device 30 does not execute the acceleration suppression control. Then, in this case, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3, when the brake operation is released and the vehicle 1 resumes traveling, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at a second acceleration so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. Here, the second acceleration is an acceleration greater than the above-mentioned first acceleration, and is, for example, an acceleration that is usually used when accelerating by ACC and is preset by the driver or the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0053] That is, when the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like to go straight through the intersection IC, the driver may generally accelerate the vehicle 1 with a larger acceleration than when the driver turns right or left at the intersection IC. In consideration of the driving that the driver may generally perform in this way, when the vehicle 1 goes straight through the intersection IC (i.e., when the acceleration suppression control is not executed because the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected), the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 with a larger acceleration than when the vehicle 1 turns right or left at the intersection IC (i.e., when the acceleration suppression control is executed because the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected). This allows the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC to accelerate through the intersection IC in the same way as when the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like to go through the intersection IC, and makes it possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of ACC, which allows the vehicle 1 to travel at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, and improve the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0054] As described above, the control device 30 executes the acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected, and the acceleration when accelerating the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar with the end of the acceleration suppression control is set as the first acceleration. On the other hand, when the control device 30 does not execute the acceleration suppression control because the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected, the control device 30 sets the acceleration when accelerating the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar as the second acceleration. This makes it possible to make the acceleration method when the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC proceeds through the intersection IC similar to the case where the driver himself controls the vehicle speed V etc. to proceed through the intersection IC, and makes it possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration method.

[0055] The first acceleration may be set based on, for example, the past driving characteristics of the driver of the vehicle 1. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 can be controlled taking into consideration the past driving characteristics of the driver. This allows the way in which the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be the same as when the driver himself controls the vehicle speed V to turn right or left, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way of acceleration.

[0056] More specifically, the control device 30 may learn the acceleration when the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. and the vehicle 1 turns right or left at an intersection etc. as the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle 1, and set the first acceleration based on the learning result. In this case, for example, the average value of the acceleration when the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. and the vehicle 1 turns right or left at an intersection etc. during a predetermined period in the past may be set as the first acceleration.

[0057] Also, the first acceleration may be set, for example, based on the steering angle θst of the vehicle 1. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 taking into consideration the steering angle θst of the vehicle 1. As a result, when the steering angle θst is large, such as when the vehicle 1 turns (for example, a so-called U-turn), the acceleration set as the first acceleration can be made smaller than when the steering angle θst is small, and the safety of the vehicle 1 can be improved.

[0058] More specifically, the control device 30 may derive the first acceleration corresponding to the steering angle θst in the vehicle 1 by referring to a map that defines the first acceleration for each steering angle θst, and set the first acceleration. In this case, the map that defines the first acceleration for each steering angle θst is stored in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0059] The first acceleration may be set based on, for example, the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. In this way, when the traveling vehicle 1 turns right or left by the ACC, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 taking into consideration the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. This makes it possible to suppress, for example, acceleration that causes the vehicle speed V to exceed the legal speed, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle 1. Note that the control device 30 may obtain the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, for example, by performing image analysis on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, or by referring to a map information database of the navigation device 20.

[0060] The first acceleration may be set arbitrarily by, for example, the driver performing a predetermined operation on the operation input unit 80. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left, the driver can control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 at a desired acceleration.

[0061] [Processing performed by the control device] Next, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control device 30. First, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control device 30 to execute the ACC or acceleration suppression control with reference to FIG.

[0062] (Processing for executing ACC and acceleration suppression control) 4, the control device 30 first determines whether or not an ACC ON operation has been performed (step S1). If it is determined that an ACC ON operation has not been performed (step S1: NO), the control device 30 repeats the process of step S1 until it is determined that an ACC ON operation has been performed. Then, if it is determined that an ACC ON operation has been performed (step S1: YES), the control device 30 starts the ACC (step S2).

[0063] Next, the control device 30 determines whether or not an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S3). If it is determined that an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S3: YES), the control device 30 ends the ACC (step S4) and ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0064] If it is determined that the ACC cancellation operation has not been performed (step S3: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the driver is performing a brake operation (step S5). If it is determined that the driver is performing a brake operation (step S5: YES), the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation (step S6).

[0065] Note that, when the control device 30 temporarily stops the ACC and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation, the control device 30 may notify the driver that the ACC will be resumed via the display device of the touch panel 21, the speaker 22, etc. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling with the ACC is decelerating in response to the brake operation, the driver who wishes to continue the ACC can be prevented from performing an unnecessary operation, such as turning the ACC on again, thereby reducing the burden on the driver.

[0066] Next, the control device 30 judges whether or not an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S7). If it is judged that an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S7: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the process of step S4 described above. On the other hand, if it is judged that an ACC cancel operation has not been performed (step S7: NO), the control device 30 returns to the process of step S5 described above.

[0067] Furthermore, when it is determined that the brake operation is not being performed (step S5: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected by, for example, the processing shown in Fig. 5 and the like (step S8). When the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected (step S8: YES), the control device 30 executes acceleration suppression control (step S9) and returns to the processing of step S8 described above. When the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected (step S8: NO), the control device 30 returns to the processing of step S3 described above.

[0068] (Processing for detecting the driver's intention to turn right or left) Next, an example of a process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. For example, the control device 30 repeatedly executes a series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6 at a predetermined cycle during the period from when the ACC is turned on to when the ACC is cancelled.

[0069] 5, the control device 30 first determines whether the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected (step S11). If the driver's intention to turn right or left has not been detected (step S11: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the right turn signal has been activated by a right turn signal activation operation, or the left turn signal has been activated by a left turn signal activation operation (step S12).

[0070] When it is determined that the right or left turn signal has been operated (step S12: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not a brake operation has been performed (step S13). When it is determined that a brake operation has been performed (step S13: YES), the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left (step S14) and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, when it is determined that no brake operation has been performed (step S13: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0071] Furthermore, when it is determined in the process of step S12 that the right or left turn signal is not activated (step S12: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the steering angle θst is greater than a threshold value θs (step S15). Here, the threshold value θs is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0072] When it is determined that the steering angle θst is greater than the threshold value θs (step S15: YES), the control device 30 determines whether the steering speed ω is greater than a threshold value ωs (step S16). Here, the threshold value ωs is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0 and greater than a threshold value ωe described later, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0073] When the control device 30 determines that the steering speed ω is greater than the threshold value ωs (step S16: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the process of step S14 described above. On the other hand, when the control device 30 determines that the steering speed ω is not greater than the threshold value ωs (step S16: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0074] Furthermore, when it is determined in the process of step S15 that the steering angle θst is not larger than the threshold value θs (step S15: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the steering angle θst is smaller than the threshold value -θs (step S17). Here, the threshold value -θs is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign (i.e., positive / negative) of the threshold value θs described above, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0075] When it is determined that the steering angle θst is not smaller than the threshold value -θs (step S17: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. On the other hand, when it is determined that the steering angle θst is smaller than the threshold value -θs (step S17: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering speed ω is smaller than the threshold value -ωs (step S18). Here, the threshold value -ωs is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign of the above-mentioned threshold value ωs, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0076] When it is determined that the steering speed ω is not smaller than the threshold value -ωs (step S18: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. On the other hand, when it is determined that the steering speed ω is smaller than the threshold value -ωs (step S18: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the process of step S14 described above.

[0077] Furthermore, in the process of step S11, if it is determined that the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected (step S11: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering angle θst is greater than 0 (step S19), as shown in Fig. 6. If it is determined that the steering angle θst is greater than 0 (step S19: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering speed ω has become smaller than a threshold value ωe (step S20). Here, the threshold value ωe is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0078] When it is determined that the steering speed ω is smaller than the threshold value ωe (step S20: YES), the control device 30 determines that the right / left turn of the vehicle 1 is almost completed and the driver no longer has the intention to turn right / left (step S21), and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, when it is determined that the steering speed ω is not smaller than the threshold value ωe (step S20: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0079] Furthermore, in the process of step S19, if it is determined that the steering angle θst is not greater than 0 (step S19: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering angle θst is less than 0 (step S22). If it is determined that the steering angle θst is less than 0 (step S22: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering speed ω has become greater than a threshold value -ωe (step S23). Here, the threshold value -ωe is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign of the above-mentioned threshold value ωe, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0080] When it is determined that the steering speed ω is greater than the threshold value -ωe (step S23: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the process of step S21 described above. On the other hand, when it is determined that the steering speed ω is not greater than the threshold value -ωe (step S23: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0081] 5 and 6, the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the determination in step S13 that a brake operation has been performed, but this is not limited to the above. For example, when the control device 30 determines in step S12 that the right or left turn signal has been activated, the control device 30 may proceed directly to step S14 and detect the driver's intention to turn right or left.

[0082] As described above, the control device 30 can detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the steering angle θst and steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 becoming larger than the threshold values ​​θs and ωs in the positive direction, or smaller than the threshold values ​​-θs and -ωs in the negative direction, respectively, and execute the acceleration suppression control. Furthermore, the control device 30 can detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the right turn signal operation and left turn signal operation that activate the direction indicators of the vehicle 1, and execute the acceleration suppression control. As a result, the control device 30 can accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left from the operation that the driver normally performs when turning the vehicle 1 right or left, and can appropriately start the acceleration suppression control.

[0083] In addition, when the driver turns the vehicle 1 right or left, the absolute value of the steering speed ω decreases as the steering angle θst approaches a target value, and by utilizing this property, the control device 30 can accurately detect that the steering is nearing the end and appropriately terminate the acceleration suppression control. This allows the way in which the vehicle 1 traveling with the ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be the same as when the driver turns the vehicle 1 right or left by controlling the vehicle speed V, etc., and makes it possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the acceleration occurs when turning right or left.

[0084] Furthermore, when a brake operation is performed on the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC (i.e., when the driver activates the brake device of the vehicle 1), the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC so that the ACC does not accelerate even if the vehicle speed V falls below the target speed Vtar, and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation. Then, after the brake operation is released, the control device 30 resumes control of the vehicle 1 (i.e., ACC) so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. This makes it possible to reduce the driver's effort in resuming ACC compared to a case in which ACC is terminated in response to a brake operation. Also, when the vehicle 1 is decelerating in response to a brake operation, by notifying the driver that ACC will be resumed, the driver is prevented from performing unnecessary operations to resume ACC, making it possible to reduce the driver's effort.

[0085] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the components in the above-mentioned embodiment may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, a four-wheeled automobile is exemplified as a vehicle, but the vehicle is not limited to this. A vehicle to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied may be a two-wheeled automobile (a so-called motorcycle).

[0087] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the control device 30 of the vehicle 1 capable of running using ACC (constant speed control and vehicle distance control) was described. However, the control device of the present invention is also applicable to a control device of a vehicle that does not have the function of vehicle distance control and can run using constant speed control (cruise control).

[0088] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that, in parentheses, components corresponding to those in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0089] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) configured to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle (vehicle 1) so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: A control unit (control unit 32) executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the constant speed traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed (steering speed ω) of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. Vehicle control device.

[0090] According to (1), the acceleration of a vehicle traveling by cruise control when turning right or left can be made similar to that when the driver controls the vehicle's traveling speed to turn the vehicle, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of cruise control that can make the vehicle travel at an appropriate traveling speed without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle. This in turn can further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0091] (2) A vehicle control device according to (1), The control unit is Detecting the intention to turn right or left based on the fact that the steering angle (steering angle θst) of the vehicle and the steering speed are each greater than a preset threshold value. Vehicle control device.

[0092] According to (2), it is possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the steering of the vehicle by the driver. Therefore, for example, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., turn the vehicle right or left) by simple processing that does not use map information or images of the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0093] (3) A vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), The control unit is Detecting the intention to turn right or left based on the driver's activation of a turn indicator of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

[0094] According to (3), it is possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the driver's activation of the vehicle's turn indicator. Therefore, for example, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., turn the vehicle right or left) by simple processing that does not use map information or images of the vehicle's surroundings.

[0095] (4) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (3), The control unit is When the driver of the vehicle operates the brakes of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brakes are released, the travel control is resumed. Vehicle control device.

[0096] According to (4), it is possible to reduce the driver's effort in resuming driving control after applying the vehicle brakes.

[0097] (5) A vehicle control device according to (4), The control unit is When the vehicle is being decelerated in response to the brake, the driver is notified that the driving control will be resumed. Vehicle control device.

[0098] According to (5), it is possible to prevent the driver from performing unnecessary operations in order to resume cruise control, thereby reducing the burden on the driver.

[0099] (6) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (5), The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set as a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set as a second acceleration; The first acceleration is smaller than the second acceleration. Vehicle control device.

[0100] According to (6), by changing the way in which a vehicle accelerates when turning right or left and when going straight, it is possible to achieve the same effect as when the driver controls the vehicle's driving speed himself / herself, thereby preventing the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way in which the vehicle accelerates when turning right or left or going straight.

[0101] (7) A vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed as the acceleration suppression control is terminated. The first acceleration is set based on the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

[0102] According to (7), when a vehicle traveling under cruise control turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle in consideration of the driver's past driving characteristics. As a result, when a vehicle traveling under cruise control turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle in the same way as when the driver controls it, and it is possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the acceleration is performed at that time.

[0103] (8) A vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed as the acceleration suppression control is terminated. The first acceleration is set based on a steering angle of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

[0104] According to (8), when a traveling vehicle turns right or left by cruise control, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle taking into consideration the steering angle of the vehicle. As a result, when the steering angle is large, for example, when the vehicle is turning (for example, making a so-called U-turn), the acceleration of the vehicle can be reduced, and the safety of the vehicle can be improved.

[0105] (9) A vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed as the acceleration suppression control is terminated. The first acceleration is set based on the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Vehicle control device.

[0106] According to (9), when a traveling vehicle turns right or left using cruise control, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle taking into consideration the legal speed limit of the road the vehicle is traveling on. This makes it possible to suppress acceleration that would cause the vehicle's traveling speed to exceed the legal speed limit, for example, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0107] (10) A control method performed by a computer configured to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, the control method comprising: The computer, When an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, the acceleration suppression control is executed, and the acceleration suppression control is terminated in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. Control methods.

[0108] According to (10), the acceleration of a vehicle traveling by cruise control when turning right or left can be made similar to that when the driver controls the vehicle's traveling speed to turn the vehicle, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of constant speed cruise control that can drive the vehicle at an appropriate traveling speed without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle. This can further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1 vehicle 30 Control device 32 Control section θst steering angle ω Steering speed

Claims

1. A vehicle control device configured to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: A control unit is provided that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. Vehicle control device.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit is detecting the intention to turn right or left based on the steering angle and the steering speed of the vehicle becoming larger than preset thresholds; Vehicle control device.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit is Detecting the intention to turn right or left based on the driver's activation of a turn indicator of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit is When the driver of the vehicle operates the brakes of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brakes are released, the travel control is resumed. Vehicle control device.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, The control unit is When the vehicle is being decelerated in response to the brake, the driver is notified that the driving control will be resumed. Vehicle control device.

6. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set as a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set as a second acceleration; The first acceleration is smaller than the second acceleration. Vehicle control device.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed upon termination of the acceleration suppression control. The first acceleration is set based on a past driving characteristic of the driver of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed upon termination of the acceleration suppression control. The first acceleration is set based on a steering angle of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, The control unit is When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed upon termination of the acceleration suppression control. The first acceleration is set based on a legal speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is traveling. Vehicle control device.

10. A control method performed by a computer configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The computer, When an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, the acceleration suppression control is executed, and the acceleration suppression control is terminated in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. Control methods.

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