Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To make a more appropriate override determination according to the contents of vehicle control being executed.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a recognition section that recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle; a vehicle control section that executes vehicle control for controlling at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle when there is a probability of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle; and a driving state detection section that detects a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle. The vehicle control includes alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle has approached further toward the obstacle than in the alarm control. The vehicle control device suspends the alarm control when steering operation equal to or more than a predetermined amount from a reference value is detected due to steering operation of the occupant detected by the driving state detection section during the alarm control, and does not suspend the avoidance control when steering operation equal to or more than a predetermined amount from the reference value is detected during the avoidance control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable traffic participants have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, efforts are being made to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of preventive safety technology. In relation to this, in recent years, a driving assistance device has been disclosed that starts collision avoidance steering assistance control to automatically steer the steering wheels of the vehicle to avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle when it is determined that the driver has performed a collision avoidance steering operation, and ends the control when a driver operation against the intention of the control (avoidance assistance steering override) is detected during the implementation of the control, and that prohibits the end of the control upon detection of the avoidance assistance steering override during a period from the start of the control until a predetermined time has elapsed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-26207 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the preventive safety technology, before performing contact avoidance control between the vehicle and an object, vehicle control may be performed to alert the vehicle occupants to the surrounding area, but such cases have not been considered for override judgment. Therefore, in the past, there was a problem that appropriate override judgment could not be made according to the vehicle control being executed.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, one of the objects of the present application is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can perform more appropriate override judgment in accordance with the content of vehicle control being executed, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, a vehicle control unit that executes vehicle control to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration or steering of the vehicle when there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, and a driving state detection unit that detects the driving state of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle control includes an alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and an avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control, and the vehicle control unit is a vehicle control device that cancels the alarm control when a steering operation of the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit during the alarm control is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, and does not cancel the avoidance control when a steering operation of the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during the avoidance control.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the vehicle control unit is configured to stop the avoidance control when a steering operation toward the reference value is detected during the avoidance control.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1), when a steering operation that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount from the reference value is first detected during the avoidance control, the vehicle control unit determines whether or not to terminate the avoidance control by performing a steering operation that returns the avoidance control to the reference value.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (1), the vehicle control unit cancels the avoidance control if, during the avoidance control, it detects a steering operation that is greater than a predetermined amount from the reference value and then detects a steering operation that returns the steering operation to the reference value.

[0010] (5) In the above aspect (1), the steering operation includes an operation based on a steering change amount derived from a steering amount by the occupant and a steering angular speed.

[0011] (6) In the above aspect (1), the warning control includes a steering control for moving the vehicle to the center of the driving lane.

[0012] (7) A vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer recognizes a situation around a vehicle, and when there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle based on the result of the recognition, executes vehicle control to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration or steering of the vehicle, and detects a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle, and the vehicle control includes warning control to notify the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and avoidance control to avoid contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more quickly than the warning control, and when a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during the warning control, the warning control is discontinued, and when a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not discontinued.

[0013] (8): A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize a situation around a vehicle, and, when there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle based on the recognition result, executes vehicle control to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration or steering of the vehicle, and detects the driving state of an occupant of the vehicle, the vehicle control including warning control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more quickly than the warning control, and, when a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during the warning control, the warning control is terminated, and when a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not terminated. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the above aspects (1) to (8), a more appropriate override determination can be made in accordance with the content of the vehicle control being executed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle on which a vehicle control device according to an embodiment is mounted; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a vehicle control unit 140. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the content of vehicle control related to contact avoidance. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the content of attention drawing control. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram for explaining the content of contact warning control. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the content of automatic steering avoidance control. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining steering control after a driver steering trigger. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram for explaining the speed conditions of the host vehicle M under which control is started for each operation phase. FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining override control for braking control. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining steering override. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining override determination timing during vehicle control. [Figure 12] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the rise and fall of the steering torque change amount. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the determination timing of a driver steering trigger. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by a driving assistance device 100 in an embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an override determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] [Overall configuration] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device (hereinafter, referred to as the subject vehicle M) is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0018] The vehicle M is equipped with, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operator 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other by a multiple communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, etc. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and part of the configuration may be omitted, or another configuration may be added. The driving support device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device".

[0019] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of the host vehicle M. For example, when capturing an image of the area ahead of the host vehicle M, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0020] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0021] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to that of light) around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M.

[0022] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the driving assistance device 100 as is. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the host vehicle M. Some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the object recognition device 16 are examples of "external world detection devices."

[0023] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0024] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupant of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupant. The HMI 30 includes, for example, a display unit 32 and a speaker 34. The display unit 32 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device. The display unit 32 displays various images (including video) in the embodiment. The display unit 32 may be integrated with the input unit as a touch panel. The speaker 34 outputs a predetermined sound (e.g., an alarm, etc.). In addition to (or instead of) the display unit 32 and the speaker 34, the HMI 30 may include a microphone, a buzzer, a vibration generating device (vibrator), a touch panel, a switch, a key, etc.

[0025] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate (for example, the rotational angular velocity around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the host vehicle M), a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle (the angle (actual steering angle) or torque amount of the steering wheel of the host vehicle M), and a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M. The vehicle sensor 40 may also be provided with a position sensor that detects the position of the host vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. The position sensor may also be a sensor that acquires position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of the navigation device 50.

[0026] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53, for example, determines a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to a destination input by a driver using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which road shapes are expressed by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by a passenger. The navigation device 50 may transmit a current position and a destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0027] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 [m] blocks in the vehicle travel direction), and determines the recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. In addition, when a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point. The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes, lane boundary information such as road dividing lines dividing lanes, and the like. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices. The first map information 54 and the second map information 62 may be stored in a storage unit within the driving assistance device 100.

[0028] The driver monitor camera 70 is a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached to an arbitrary position in the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows the head and upper body (including the position of the hands) of an occupant (hereinafter, the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M to be imaged from the front (in an orientation that images the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to the upper part of a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. Therefore, since the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70 includes the driver and the steering wheel 82, it is also possible to determine whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 from the captured image. The driver monitor camera 70 captures the interior of the vehicle M including the driver from the position where it is installed at a predetermined period and outputs the captured image to the driving support device 100.

[0029] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal 84, a brake pedal 86, a turn signal switch, a shift lever, and other operators. The driving operators 80 are fitted with sensors that detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to the driving assistance device 100, or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0030] For example, the steering wheel 82 is provided with a steering wheel sensor (SW sensor) 82A. The SW sensor 82A detects whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 by using a contact sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. The SW sensor 82A also detects the operation amount (steering torque, steering amount) and operation speed (steering angular speed) of the steering wheel 82 input (operated) by the driver. The SW sensor 82A may also detect the operation change rate (torque change rate). The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. In this case, the SW sensor 82A detects the operation amount according to each form.

[0031] An accelerator pedal sensor (AP sensor) 84A is attached to the accelerator pedal 84. The AP sensor 84A detects the amount of operation (opening) of the accelerator pedal 84, which changes in response to the driver's operation of the accelerator pedal 84. A brake pedal sensor (BP sensor) 86A is provided to the brake pedal 86. The BP sensor 86A detects the amount of operation (opening) of the brake pedal 86, which changes in response to the driver's operation of the brake pedal 86.

[0032] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for driving the host vehicle M to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0033] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and an ECU. The ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operation element 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to a braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a backup mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operation of a brake pedal included in the driving operation element 80 to the cylinder via a master cylinder. Note that the brake device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from the driving support device 100 to transmit hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0034] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0035] [Driving assistance device] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a contact possibility determination unit 120, a driving state detection unit 130, a vehicle control unit 140, an HMI control unit 150, and a storage unit 160. The recognition unit 110, the contact possibility determination unit 120, the driving state detection unit 130, the vehicle control unit 140, and the HMI control unit 150 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in a drive device. The HMI control unit 150 is an example of a "notification control unit".

[0036] For example, the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220 are set so that instructions from the driving support device 100 to the driving drive force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220 are executed with priority over the detection result from the driving operator 80. Regarding braking, if the braking force based on the operation amount of the brake pedal 86 is greater than the instruction from the driving support device 100, the latter may be set to be executed with priority. Furthermore, communication priority in an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) may be used as a mechanism for executing the instruction from the driving support device 100 with priority. Regarding steering, the steering force based on the instruction from the driving support device 100 and the steering force based on the operation amount of the steering wheel 82 by the driver may be added together and executed.

[0037] The storage unit 160 may be realized by the above-mentioned various storage devices, or a solid state drive (SSD), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or the like. The storage unit 160 stores, for example, a program, information used by components in the driving assistance device 100, and various other information. The storage unit 160 may also store the above-mentioned map information (first map information 54, second map information 62).

[0038] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle M based on information input from an external environment detection device. For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position (relative position, inter-vehicle distance), speed (relative speed), acceleration, and other states of objects present in the vicinity (for example, within a predetermined distance from the vehicle M). The objects are, for example, other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and the like. The position of the object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point (center of gravity, center of drive shaft, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "action state" (for example, whether or not the vehicle is changing lanes or is about to change lanes). The recognition unit 110 also recognizes the relative position and relative speed of the object.

[0039] Further, the recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing a pattern of road dividing lines (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with a pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, median strips, guard rails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes obstacles, stop lines, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena from the object recognition results. Obstacles are objects that the host vehicle M needs to avoid contacting, and include, for example, other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

[0040] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle with respect to a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0041] The contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle (e.g., another vehicle) based on the surrounding situation (external environment information) recognized by the recognition unit 110. For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and another vehicle based on a contact margin value with another vehicle (preceding vehicle) existing in front of the host vehicle M based on the surrounding situation. The contact margin value is, for example, a value set based on a time to collision (TTC), but may also be a value set based on a time headway (THW). The time to collision (TTC) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance by the relative speed in the relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle. The time headway (THW) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance (inter-vehicle distance) by the speed of the host vehicle M. The contact margin time TTC may be derived, for example, using a learned model or a predetermined function that outputs the contact margin time TTC when the positions and speeds of the vehicle M and the other vehicle are input, or may be derived using a correspondence table in which the relative speed and relative position are associated with the contact margin time TTC. The above derivation method is similar to that for the headway time THW. For example, the shorter the contact margin time TTC (or the headway time THW), the smaller the contact margin value (in other words, the longer the contact margin time, the larger the contact margin value). For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle M and the other vehicle when the contact margin value is less than a threshold value, and determines that there is no possibility of contact when the contact margin value is equal to or greater than the threshold value. In the following, the contact margin time TTC will be described as an example of the contact margin value.

[0042] The driving state detection unit 130 detects the driving state of the occupant (driver) of the vehicle M. The driving state includes, for example, information on whether the steering wheel 82 is gripped or not, or on the steering operation amount (steering torque, steering torque change amount). The driving state may also include information on the driver's steering speed and steering angle speed (speed until a predetermined steering angle amount is reached). The driving state may also be at least one of the accelerator operation or operation amount (opening) by the accelerator pedal 84 and the brake operation or operation amount (opening) by the brake pedal 86 in addition to (or instead of) the above. The driving state is acquired based on, for example, the detection results of the SW sensor 82A, the AP sensor 84A, and the BP sensor 86A, and information obtained from the vehicle sensor 40 and the driver monitor camera 70. The driving state detection unit 130 may also detect a state in which the driver is not performing a driving operation (steering operation, accelerator operation, brake operation) based on the detection results of each sensor.

[0043] Furthermore, the driving state detection unit 130 may detect that the driver's state is not suitable for driving based on the analysis result of the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70. For example, the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver's state is not suitable for driving when the driver is not monitoring the surroundings (particularly the front) of the vehicle M due to looking away based on the analysis result of the image, or when it is predicted that the driver's concentration is reduced based on a predetermined facial expression (a face that looks sleepy, a face that looks pained), etc.

[0044] Furthermore, the driving state detection unit 130 may determine whether the driver is driving aimlessly based on the above-mentioned detection results, etc. Aiming is, for example, driving in a state in which the driver's driving operation of the vehicle M becomes slow (or does not operate) due to a decrease in the driver's attention, etc. For example, based on the detection result of the SW sensor 82A, the driving state detection unit 130 determines that the driver is driving aimlessly when the state in which the steering operation of the steering wheel 82 by the driver is less than a predetermined threshold continues for a predetermined time or more, and determines that the driver is not driving aimlessly when the state does not continue for the predetermined time or more.

[0045] Further, instead of (or in addition to) the driver's steering operation, the driving state detection unit 130 may determine that the driver is driving absentmindedly when the state in which the change in the opening degree of the accelerator pedal 84 and the brake pedal 86 is less than the threshold continues for a predetermined time or more based on the detection results of the AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A. Further, instead of (or in addition to) the above determination, the driving state detection unit 130 may determine that the driver is driving absentmindedly when the state in which the driver's state is not suitable for driving continues for a predetermined time or more, and may determine that the driver is not driving absentmindedly when the state does not continue for the predetermined time or more. Further, the determination of absentminded driving may be made comprehensively based on the determination results of the above-mentioned multiple conditions.

[0046] The above-mentioned predetermined time may be a fixed time or a variable time. The predetermined time may be set, for example, according to the contact margin time TTC between the host vehicle M and an obstacle (e.g., a preceding vehicle) around the host vehicle M and the speed of the host vehicle M. Specifically, the predetermined time is set shorter as the speed of the host vehicle M increases, or shorter as the contact margin time TTC decreases. This makes it possible to more appropriately determine whether the host vehicle M is driving aimlessly based on the situation of the host vehicle M and the surrounding situation, which are based on the speed of the host vehicle M and the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the obstacle.

[0047] The vehicle control unit 140 controls either or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle M based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 110. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 140 may control either or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle M based on the processing results of at least one of the contact possibility determination unit 120 and the driving state detection unit 130. The vehicle control unit 140 may also perform control (override control) to stop the vehicle control being executed and switch to manual driving by the driver in response to a predetermined driving operation by the driver during vehicle control. Details of the processing by the vehicle control unit 140 will be described later.

[0048] The HMI control unit 150 notifies the occupants (including the driver) of predetermined information through the HMI 30. The predetermined information includes, for example, information related to the traveling of the vehicle M, such as information related to the state of the vehicle M and information related to driving control. The information related to the state of the vehicle M includes, for example, the speed of the vehicle M, the engine speed, the shift position, and the like. The information related to the driving control includes, for example, the type of driving control being executed (for example, gentle deceleration control, centering steering control, contact avoidance braking control, contact avoidance steering control), the reason for the operation of the driving control, the status of the driving control, and the like. The information related to the driving control may include information about a warning to the driver and a contact warning warning. The predetermined information may include, for example, information related to the current position or destination of the vehicle M, information about the remaining amount of fuel, and the like, and may include information unrelated to the traveling control of the vehicle M, such as television programs, content (for example, movies) stored in a storage medium such as a DVD, and the like.

[0049] For example, the HMI control unit 150 may generate an image including the above-mentioned predetermined information and display the generated image on the display unit 32 of the HMI 30, or may generate a sound indicating the predetermined information and output the generated sound from the speaker 34 of the HMI 30. The timing at which the sound is output is, for example, when driving control is started or stopped, when the image to be displayed is switched, when the host vehicle M is in a predetermined state, etc. Furthermore, the HMI control unit 150 may output the information received by the HMI 30 to the vehicle control unit 140, etc.

[0050] [Vehicle control unit] Next, the vehicle control unit 140 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the vehicle control unit 140. The vehicle control unit 140 includes, for example, a braking control unit 142 and a steering control unit 144. The vehicle control unit 140 performs warning control and avoidance control to avoid contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle by control by the braking control unit 142 and the steering control unit 144. The warning control is a control that is activated when the host vehicle M approaches an obstacle, and includes, for example, a gentle deceleration control and a centering steering control, which will be described later. The avoidance control is a control that is activated when the host vehicle M approaches an obstacle more closely than the warning control is activated, and includes, for example, a contact avoidance braking control and a contact avoidance steering control, which will be described later.

[0051] When it is determined based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110 that an obstacle exists ahead of the host vehicle M, the braking control unit 142 performs braking control of the host vehicle M based on a target deceleration of the host vehicle M. For example, the braking control unit 142 sets a deceleration state based on a contact margin time TTC between the host vehicle M and the obstacle, and executes deceleration control based on the set deceleration state. The braking control unit 142 includes, for example, a gradual deceleration control unit 142A, a contact avoidance braking control unit 142B, and a braking override control unit 142C.

[0052] The slow deceleration control unit 142A performs slow deceleration control of the host vehicle M when the recognition unit 110 determines that an obstacle (e.g., another vehicle) exists ahead of the host vehicle M. The slow deceleration control is a control (attention control) for notifying the driver that an obstacle is approaching by a vehicle behavior (change in longitudinal G) of deceleration, and for calling attention to the obstacle, and is different from a contact avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle (however, there may be cases where the contact with the obstacle is avoided as a result). For example, when it is determined that an obstacle exists ahead of the host vehicle M, the slow deceleration control unit 142A derives a target deceleration of the host vehicle M, and decelerates the host vehicle M to approach the derived target deceleration without the driver's operation. In addition, the slow deceleration control may be performed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving absentmindedly, or may be performed when the contact margin value satisfies an operating condition of the slow deceleration control.

[0053] In addition, the slow deceleration control unit 142A may stop the slow deceleration control when the driving state detection unit 130 detects an accelerator operation (operation of the accelerator pedal 84) of the driver that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, a predetermined amount) during the slow deceleration control. In this way, by determining the driver's intention based on the accelerator operation, a more appropriate override control (control to switch to manual driving by the driver) can be executed for the slow deceleration control. The predetermined value (predetermined amount) may be changed based on the operation speed of the accelerator operation by the driver. For example, the slow deceleration control unit 142A sets the predetermined value smaller when the operation speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed than when the operation speed is less than the predetermined speed, and sets the predetermined value larger when the operation speed is less than the predetermined speed than when the operation speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed. In addition, the slow deceleration control unit 142A may change the predetermined value according to the target deceleration, for example, and set the predetermined value larger as the target deceleration increases. This allows a more appropriate override determination to be realized according to the driving situation of the driver and the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M.

[0054] The contact avoidance braking control unit 142B performs emergency brake control to avoid contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle. For example, when it is determined that the host vehicle M may come into contact with an obstacle based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit 110, the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B performs braking control (deceleration control) to avoid contact. The braking control executed by the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B includes, for example, a Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) control that supports contact avoidance or damage reduction. The braking control executed by the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B may be executed, for example, after a gradual deceleration control, or may be executed when a contact margin value satisfies an operating condition for the contact avoidance braking control.

[0055] The brake override control unit 142C judges whether or not to perform override control (override judgment) based on the driving operation (driver operation) of the driver during execution of the above-mentioned braking control (gentle deceleration control, contact avoidance braking control). The driver operation used for the override judgment during braking control is an accelerator operation or a brake operation. When it is judged that the override control is to be performed, the brake override control unit 142C stops the braking control being executed.

[0056] The steering control unit 144 controls the steering of the host vehicle M. The steering control unit 144 includes, for example, a centering steering control unit 144A, a contact avoidance steering control unit 144B, and a steering override control unit 144C.

[0057] When the recognition unit 110 determines that an obstacle exists in front of the vehicle M, the centering steering control unit 144A executes steering control (centering steering control) to move the vehicle M toward the center of the driving lane. This steering control is not for avoiding contact with the obstacle, but for notifying the driver that an obstacle is approaching by the vehicle behavior (change in lateral G) of moving laterally near the center, and for encouraging attention to the obstacle (however, it may result in avoiding contact with the obstacle). This steering control can make the driver notice the obstacle in front early, and can contribute to driving to avoid contact. The centering steering control may be executed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving absent-mindedly, or may be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating condition of the steering control. In addition, the above-mentioned gentle deceleration control and centering steering control may be executed separately, or may be executed simultaneously at the same timing (for example, at the attention-attracting control stage).

[0058] The contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs steering control of the host vehicle M to avoid contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle. For example, when avoidance within the driving lane of the host vehicle M is possible, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs a steering operation to move in a direction not to contact the obstacle within a range not departing from the same lane without the driver's steering operation. In addition, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may perform steering control of the host vehicle M so that the behavior of the host vehicle M after the avoidance operation is stable after the host vehicle M has performed an avoidance operation with respect to an obstacle by straddling a dividing line that divides the driving lane due to the driver's steering operation. The steering control performed by the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may be performed, for example, after the centering steering control, or may be performed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating condition of the steering control.

[0059] The steering override control unit 144C determines whether or not to perform override control based on a driver operation during execution of steering control (centering steering control, contact avoidance steering control). The driver operation used for override determination during steering control is a steering operation. When it is determined that override control is to be performed, the steering override control unit 144C stops the steering control being executed.

[0060] The vehicle control unit 140 may execute controls other than the above-mentioned vehicle controls. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 may perform steering control to keep the host vehicle M within the driving lane as LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System) control (lane maintenance control). In this case, the vehicle control unit 140 assists the driver's steering operation by controlling the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane, for example. The steering override control unit 144C may determine whether or not to perform override control based on the driver's operation during the execution of the LKAS control, and may stop the LKAS control being executed when it is determined that the override control is to be executed.

[0061] [Vehicle control for collision avoidance] Next, the vehicle control for contact avoidance in the embodiment will be specifically described. In the following description, it is assumed that the obstacle is another vehicle (preceding vehicle) traveling ahead of the vehicle M. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the vehicle control for contact avoidance. The example of FIG. 3 shows the vehicle control when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact based on the contact margin time TTC. In the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that time T1 is the earliest, followed by times T2, T3, T4, and T5 in that order. In the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the driving state detection unit 130 continues to determine whether or not the driving is mindless at a predetermined cycle from a stage before time T1.

[0062] First, at time T1, it is assumed that the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a contact possibility between the vehicle M and another vehicle. When it is determined that there is a contact possibility, the vehicle control unit 140 performs attention calling control ((1) in the figure) to call the driver's attention to the surroundings (particularly the traveling direction) based on the contact margin time TTC and the result of the absentminded driving determination.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the contents of the attention calling control. In the example of Fig. 4, two lanes L1 and L2 that can be traveled in the same direction (X-axis direction in the figure) are shown. The lane L1 is divided by road dividing lines LN1 and LN2, and the lane L2 is divided by road dividing lines LN2 and LN3. In the example of Fig. 4, the host vehicle M travels on the lane L1 at a speed VM, and another vehicle m1 is present in front of the host vehicle M and travels on the lane L1 at a speed Vm1.

[0064] 4, the vehicle control unit 140 performs the attention calling control when the time to contact TTC based on the relative position and relative speed between the vehicle M and the other vehicle m1 becomes less than the first predetermined time at time T2 and the driver is determined to be driving aimlessly. Time T2 is, for example, the time when the time to contact TTC becomes about 3 to 4 seconds.

[0065] The attention calling control includes, for example, at least one of the slow deceleration control and the centering steering control. The slow deceleration control executed in the attention calling control is a control in the first deceleration state. The slow deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (first target deceleration) so that a load (longitudinal G) of a first upper limit deceleration (about 0.1 [G]) is applied to the driver in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction). In addition, in the attention calling control (first deceleration state), the slow deceleration control unit 142A may first perform the slow deceleration control at a first deceleration rate (for example, longitudinal G of 0.05 [G]), and then perform the deceleration control at a second deceleration rate (for example, longitudinal G of 0.1 [G]) that is greater than the first deceleration rate. By controlling the deceleration rate to be increased in a stepwise manner in this way, it is possible to reduce the load on the occupants such as the driver at the start of execution of the slow deceleration control, and to prevent the occupants from being surprised by the slow deceleration control.

[0066] In the attention calling control shown in Fig. 4, the centering steering control unit 144A performs centering steering control to steer the host vehicle M so that a reference point such as the center of gravity or center is positioned in the center of the driving lane (lane L1) based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 110, map information, etc. In the example of Fig. 4, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a future target trajectory K1 of the host vehicle M corresponding to the gradual deceleration control and the centering steering control, and controls the steering and speed of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the target trajectory K1.

[0067] At time T2, the HMI control unit 150 may generate an image including information indicating the reason for the activation of the driver's attention-calling control (gentle deceleration control, centering steering control), and notify the driver by displaying the generated image on the display unit 32. The image may also include information to call attention. In this case, however, audio output may not be performed. This makes it possible to simply inform the driver that the host vehicle M is approaching another vehicle m1, to call attention to the vehicle, and to prompt the driver to take early evasive action.

[0068] Returning to Fig. 3, when the time to contact TTC becomes less than the second predetermined time (second predetermined time<first predetermined time) at time T3 while the driver does not call attention to the surroundings (or performs override control) even if the above-mentioned attention calling control is performed, and the driver is determined to be driving aimlessly, the contact attention warning control ((2) in Fig. 3) is performed. Time T3 is the time when the time to contact TTC becomes about 2 seconds, for example.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the contents of the contact warning control. FIG. 5 shows a situation in which the contact margin time TTC becomes 2 [seconds] in a situation where the driver does not operate the accelerator from the situation shown in FIG. 4. In the contact warning control stage, the gradual deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration), executes gradual deceleration control according to the set second target deceleration, generates a target trajectory K2, and controls the host vehicle M to travel along the generated target trajectory K2. The gradual deceleration control executed in the contact warning control is a control in the second deceleration state. In the second deceleration state, the gradual deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration) so that a load (longitudinal G) larger than the first upper limit deceleration is applied to the driver in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction) at or below the second upper limit deceleration (about 0.2 [G]). This makes it possible to more clearly make the driver aware that the host vehicle M is approaching another vehicle m1. In this way, deceleration control is performed while increasing the deceleration rate as necessary, so that more time is created to make the driver aware of the other vehicle m1, and the driver can drive in a way that allows him or her to avoid contact with the other vehicle m1 with ease.

[0070] During the contact attention warning control, in addition to (or instead of) the gradual deceleration control, the centering steering control may be executed by the centering steering control unit 144A. During the contact attention warning control, the HMI control unit 150 may execute control (alarm escalation control) to highlight an image of the attention information displayed on the display unit 32 or to output an alarm to the speaker 34. This makes it possible to more clearly alert the driver to the high possibility of contact by using an image or sound while further decelerating, and to urge the driver to pay attention or to perform contact avoidance control. The above-mentioned attention calling control and contact attention warning control are controls executed as "alarm control".

[0071] Returning to Fig. 3, after executing the contact attention warning control, the vehicle control unit 140 executes the automatic steering avoidance control at time T4 when it is determined that automatic avoidance is possible within the driving lane based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 110 ((3) in Fig. 3). Time T4 is a time when the host vehicle M is closer to the other vehicle m1 than time T3 (for example, before the contact margin time TTC is about 2 [seconds]).

[0072] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the contents of the automatic steering avoidance control. In the example of FIG. 6, the control is performed when the driver does not perform a predetermined accelerator operation after the execution of the contact attention warning control. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B recognizes the area of ​​the driving lane (lane L1) and the position of the other vehicle m1 based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 110, generates a target trajectory K3 for traveling in the avoidance space when an avoidance space exists in the driving lane, and executes steering control so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory K3. In this case, the acceleration / deceleration control by the vehicle control unit 140 may be executed as necessary. In addition, during the automatic steering avoidance control, the HMI control unit 150 may continue to execute the above-mentioned warning escalation control. As a result, when steering avoidance is possible with highly safe control, more appropriate vehicle control can be realized by executing the automatic steering control.

[0073] In addition, the vehicle control unit 140 may execute CMBS control in parallel with the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B at the timing of time T4. When the CMBS control is executed, the above-mentioned automatic steering avoidance control and the driver steering assistance control described later may not be executed. In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may output an alarm (image, sound) related to the CMBS control.

[0074] Returning to FIG. 3, at time T5 when the driver operates the steering wheel 82 (detects the driver steering trigger) and performs a steering operation in a direction to avoid the other vehicle m1, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs contact avoidance steering control (driver steering assist control) so as not to deviate further into the adjacent lane (lane L2) adjacent to the driving lane (lane L1) ((4) in FIG. 3). The driver steering trigger is, for example, when the amount of steering torque of the driver to avoid the other vehicle m1 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The driver steering assist control may be performed after the automatic steering avoidance control, or may be performed after the contact attention warning control (at the timing of time T4 without performing the automatic steering avoidance control).

[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining steering control after a driver steering trigger. In the example of FIG. 7, when there is no space on the lane L1 to avoid contact of the host vehicle M with another vehicle m1 and when a driver steering trigger is detected, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B allows the host vehicle M to move from the lane L1 to the adjacent lane L2, and performs steering control of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M does not further deviate from the adjacent lane L2. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may generate a target trajectory K4 for changing lanes to the lane L2, and execute steering assistance so that the position of the host vehicle M approaches the target trajectory K4 by the driver's steering operation. In addition, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may control the steering wheel 82 to apply a reaction force to the driver's steering operation to suppress the steering amount. In addition, during the driver steering assistance control, the HMI control unit 150 may continue to execute the above-mentioned warning escalation control. As a result, even when emergency avoidance steering is performed by the driver's steering operation, more appropriate vehicle control can be achieved.

[0076] Returning to FIG. 3, when the contact margin time TTC approaches the limit value after the attention warning control shown in FIG. 3(1) and the driver performs a steering operation, the vehicle control unit 140 executes driver steering assist control so as not to cross further into the adjacent lane, similar to the control in FIG. 3(4) (FIG. 3(5)). In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may perform notification control such as a notification or an alarm that the driver steering assist control is operating. The above-mentioned contact avoidance braking control and contact avoidance steering control are controls executed as "avoidance control".

[0077] Here, in each operation phase of the attention call, contact attention warning, automatic steering avoidance, and contact avoidance steering shown in FIG. 3, the determination condition for operation may be added to satisfy a condition related to the speed of the host vehicle M. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the speed condition of the host vehicle M for starting control for each operation phase. For example, in the contact avoidance steering control in the automatic steering avoidance and the driver steering assistance control, the control is performed when the speed VM of the host vehicle M is 40 [km / h] or more. Since this control is a control after the attention call, if the contact margin time TTC is about 2 [seconds], the contact can be sufficiently avoided by the driver's brake operation. In addition, the centering steering control in the attention call and contact attention warning is controlled to be performed when the speed VM of the host vehicle M is 30 [km / h] or more. In addition, in the case of the accelerator operation (AP operation), the slow deceleration control in the attention call and contact attention warning is controlled to be performed when the speed VM of the host vehicle M is 30 [km / h] or more. This speed is below the steering avoidance limit speed and is within the range where there is a performance margin of the CMBS control, so that more appropriate driving control can be realized by setting this condition. In addition, when there is no AP operation, the control is performed when the speed VM of the vehicle M is 5 [km / h] or more. In other words, the speed is set lower when the AP operation of the driver is not detected than when the AP operation is detected. This relaxes the start condition of the gradual deceleration control in a situation where there is no AP operation, so that the gradual deceleration control can be performed in various situations, including a mindless driving state in a traffic jam, and contact between the vehicle M and another vehicle m1 can be avoided more safely.

[0078] Brake Override Next, the override control by the brake override control unit 142C will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the override control for the brake control. In the example of FIG. 9, the override control for the gradual deceleration control is explained. In the example of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 4 etc., when the host vehicle M and another vehicle m1, which is a preceding vehicle, are present on the lane L1, the state of the host vehicle M, the driver, and the vehicle control (for example, the output to the HMI 30, the deceleration (braking) control) over time are shown. In the example of FIG. 9, the time T11 is the earliest, followed by T12, T13, T14, and T15 in that order.

[0079] The period from time T11 to time T12 shown in Fig. 9 is a state in which the driver is determined to be in a distracted driving state. During this period, the driver performs AP operation, and the host vehicle M travels at a constant speed (longitudinal G is 0 (zero)). In addition, no information is output to the HMI 30, and no deceleration control is performed.

[0080] After time T12, the vehicle control unit 140 performs the gradual deceleration control because the execution condition for the gradual deceleration control is satisfied. In this case, longitudinal G during gradual deceleration occurs in the host vehicle M. Also, at this stage, a notification of the reason for operation (only an image display including information indicating that the host vehicle M is approaching another vehicle m1 ahead) is output to the HMI 30. In the example of FIG. 9, the driver feels the longitudinal G due to the gradual deceleration with his body and recognizes the notification content output by the HMI 30, thereby performing forward recognition (surroundings monitoring) of the host vehicle M and determining the next action (driving operation).

[0081] At time T13, the driver performs an AP operation to accelerate the host vehicle M while the gradual deceleration control is being performed. At this time, since the AP operation is not performed by a predetermined amount (predetermined value) or more, the brake override control unit 142C determines that the override control is not to be performed and continues the gradual deceleration control. At this stage, the HMI 30 also continues to output the operation reason notification. Then, at time T14 when the AP operation becomes the predetermined amount or more, the brake override control unit 142C determines that the execution condition of the override control is satisfied and stops the gradual deceleration control by the gradual deceleration control unit 142A. After that, the host vehicle M accelerates according to the accelerator opening due to the driver's manual driving, and a longitudinal G accompanying the acceleration is generated. As a result, the override control for the gradual deceleration is performed.

[0082] 9, since the AP operation is constant from time T14 onwards, the host vehicle M accelerates to a speed corresponding to the AP operation after the override, and becomes a constant speed when the speed VM reaches a speed corresponding to the accelerator opening (time T15). After the override control is executed, the HMI 30 ends notifications such as warnings and alarms, and the gradual deceleration control is not executed until the next gradual deceleration execution condition is met.

[0083] Here, the brake override control unit 142C stops the gradual deceleration control when an AP operation of a predetermined amount or more is detected, but the predetermined amount (predetermined value) may be changed depending on the speed at which the driver performs the AP operation (AP operation speed). For example, the brake override control unit 142C sets the predetermined amount to be small when the AP operation speed of the driver is a predetermined speed or more, and sets the predetermined amount to be large when the AP operation speed is less than the predetermined speed. In this way, the brake override control unit 142C can perform a more appropriate override determination for the gradual deceleration control by determining the driver's intention from the AP operation speed of the driver. In addition, the brake override control unit 142C can perform the override determination in a short time by performing the override determination when the AP opening change rate is a predetermined value or more (3 to 5%), and can respond to a driver who performs the AP operation quickly. In addition, the brake override control unit 142C can perform the override determination based on the magnitude of the operation amount even when the override determination cannot be performed by the AP operation in a short time by performing the override determination when the AP operation amount increases by 10 to 20% or more (10 to 20%) based on the AP opening at the start of the control. This makes it possible to accommodate drivers who perform AP operations slowly.

[0084] [Steering override] Next, the contents of the steering override by the steering override control unit 144C will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the steering override. FIG. 10 explains the override judgment condition of the centering steering control during the warning control as an example. FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the steering angle of the vehicle M and the torque characteristic of the steering wheel 82, where the horizontal axis indicates the steering angle of the vehicle M and the vertical axis indicates the steering torque (torque amount) of the steering wheel 82. In addition, in the example of FIG. 10, a threshold value (threshold value for judging the aimless driving) for judging whether or not the steering torque is aimless, a judgment threshold value TH1 (an example of a first threshold value) for judging the override of the avoidance control (automatic steering avoidance control and driver steering assistance control), and a judgment threshold value TH2 (an example of a second threshold value) for judging the override of the LKAS control are shown. The threshold value for judging the aimless driving is set to, for example, a steering torque smaller than the steering angle at which the direction of the vehicle M changes (becomes a predetermined angle or more). This makes it possible to judge aimless driving even in a stable driving state before the direction of the vehicle M actually changes.

[0085] During centering steering control, the steering override control unit 144C executes override control to stop steering control when the driver's steering torque (steering amount) is equal to or greater than a threshold value. In this override determination, the steering override control unit 144C changes a determination threshold value depending on whether the steering direction of the driver's steering torque is forward or reverse to the steering control by the vehicle control unit 140. The forward direction indicates the same direction as the steering direction for moving the host vehicle M in the lateral direction (road width direction) by the vehicle control unit 140 (vehicle system), and the reverse direction is the opposite direction to the forward direction (for example, the opposite direction to the steering direction for moving the host vehicle M in the lateral direction by the vehicle control unit 140, the direction that hinders steering by the vehicle system). For example, in the case of centering steering control, the forward direction is the steering direction for moving the host vehicle M to the center of the driving lane, and the reverse direction is the steering direction for moving the host vehicle M in a direction away from the center of the driving lane.

[0086] Specifically, for example, the judgment threshold for steering in the reverse direction (reverse direction threshold) is set to a value smaller than the judgment threshold for steering in the forward direction (forward direction threshold). The reverse direction threshold is set to, for example, a steering torque that causes a slight change in the direction of the host vehicle M. Since the driver's intention against the steering control can be clearly grasped by steering in the reverse direction, an appropriate override judgment can be made even with a small steering torque. Note that the reverse direction threshold is set to, for example, a value close to the judgment threshold TH1 (a value whose error is less than a predetermined value). In other words, the reverse direction threshold is set to a value closer to the judgment threshold TH1 than to the judgment threshold TH2.

[0087] On the other hand, the forward threshold is set to a value larger than the reverse threshold. Since the driver may be dragged by the steering control on the system side to perform a steering operation in the same direction as the vehicle control, by increasing the forward threshold, it is possible to perform override control in a state where the driver's intention is made clearer by detecting a large steering torque. Note that the forward threshold is set to a value close to the judgment threshold TH2 (a value whose error is less than a predetermined value), for example. In other words, the forward threshold is set to a value closer to the judgment threshold TH2 than to the judgment threshold TH1. In this way, by setting the value close to (corresponding to) the judgment threshold of the override of another driving assistance (existing driving control), it becomes easier for the driver to grasp the amount of operation required for the override, and the driver can perform an appropriate steering operation to switch to manual driving.

[0088] The above-mentioned judgment thresholds (distracted driving judgment threshold, judgment thresholds TH1, TH2, reverse direction threshold, forward direction threshold) may be variably set according to, for example, the road conditions on which the host vehicle M is traveling (for example, a curved road, a straight road, etc.), and may be variably set according to the vehicle type (steering characteristics for each vehicle type) of the host vehicle M. In addition, the steering override control unit 144C may perform override judgment based on a steering torque change amount described later, instead of the steering torque.

[0089] [Timing of override decision in warning control and avoidance control] As described above, the vehicle control in the vehicle control unit 140 includes warning control (gentle deceleration, centering steering control) and avoidance control (automatic steering avoidance control and driver steering assistance control), but the timing of override determination (timing to execute the override) in each control may be made different based on the driver's operation, etc.

[0090] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the determination timing of override during vehicle control. Note that the example of FIG. 11 shows the determination timing in warning control (centering steering control) related to steering control and the determination timing in avoidance control (automatic steering avoidance control, driver steering assist control). The example of FIG. 11 also shows the timing of detecting a driver steering trigger, which is an operating condition of the driver steering assist control. In the warning control and avoidance control, when a condition (shown in FIG. 11) determined in advance for each control content is satisfied among the steering torque, steering angular velocity, and steering torque change amount (one example of steering change amount), the steering override control unit 144C executes an override determination corresponding to the satisfied condition. Note that the steering torque change amount is a value derived based on the steering torque and steering angular velocity. For example, when the steering angular velocity is 10 [deg / s] and the steering torque is 1.0 [Nm], the torque change amount corresponding to the above numerical value is derived.

[0091] For example, as shown in Fig. 11, the steering override control unit 144C uses the steering torque change amount being equal to or greater than a threshold as a judgment condition, and further performs override control in the warning control when a rising edge of the steering torque change amount is detected, and performs override control in the avoidance control when a falling edge is detected. The rising edge of the steering torque change amount is, for example, a state in which the steering torque change amount is changing away from a reference value (reference position). The falling edge of the steering torque change amount is, for example, a state in which the steering torque change amount is changing toward (returning to) a reference value. The reference value is, for example, a position where the steering angle (or steering torque change amount) is 0, or a position of the steering wheel 82 when no steering operation is being performed.

[0092] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the rise and fall of the steering torque change amount. In the example of FIG. 12, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the steering torque change amount at a predetermined time. The steering torque change amount of 0 (zero) is a state in which the driver does not perform a steering operation, and indicates a reference value. For example, the steering override control unit 144C detects the rise when the steering torque change amount becomes equal to or greater than a threshold in a direction away from the reference value, and executes override control of the warning control (centering steering control) being executed at this timing. Also, the steering override control unit 144C detects the fall when the steering torque change amount changes by equal to or greater than a threshold in a direction returning to the reference value (approaching the reference change amount) from a rising state (a state equal to or greater than a threshold), and executes override control of the avoidance control (automatic steering avoidance control, driver steering assistance control) being executed at this timing. The fall may be determined based on whether or not the change amount from the maximum steering torque in the rising state (return amount to the reference value) is equal to or greater than a threshold, or the fall may be detected when the steering torque change amount becomes equal to or greater than a threshold and then returns to less than the threshold. Also, the fall is not limited to the case where there is steering return to the reference value. For example, since the steering torque change amount is derived based on the steering torque and the steering angular velocity, the steering angular velocity may decrease even when the vehicle is stationary with steering turned, so that the change in steering torque may drop.

[0093] Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining the determination timing of the driver steering trigger. In the example of Fig. 13, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates steering torque and steering angular velocity, respectively. In the driver steering assist control, since the contact margin time TTC is executed in a short time remaining, it is better to detect the driver steering trigger immediately after detecting the driver's steering operation. Therefore, in the case of the driver steering trigger, the driver steering trigger is detected at the rise of the steering operation (steering torque, steering angular velocity) that becomes equal to or exceeds a threshold value in a short time as shown in Fig. 13.

[0094] As described above, by adjusting the judgment timing for each content (phase) of vehicle control, the override control can be executed at a more appropriate timing. For example, for centering steering control, the override control can be executed at the timing (rise timing) when the steering operation is started, so that the warning control can be released (stopped) at an early timing. In addition, for avoidance control, the override judgment is performed at the fall time, so that the judgment can be made at a timing different from the detection timing (rise) of the driver steering trigger, which is one of the operating conditions of the driver steering assist control. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the execution judgment of the driver steering assist control and the override judgment of the avoidance control from being executed at the same timing, and various judgments can be made at a more appropriate timing.

[0095] In addition, the steering override control unit 144C may perform the override determination at the timing of the falling edge when the avoidance control is initially determined to be rising, and thereafter perform the override determination at the timing of the rising edge. At the first rising edge, the detection timing of the driver steering trigger during the automatic steering avoidance control and the override determination timing are the same, so the detection of the driver steering trigger is prioritized at the first rising edge, and the override determination of the avoidance control is performed at the subsequent falling edge. Then, for the subsequent (second and subsequent) override determinations, the override determination may be performed at the timing of the rising edge, since the driver steering trigger determination has already been performed.

[0096] [Processing flow] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the driving support device 100 in the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 14, of the processes executed by the driving support device 100, a vehicle control process including override control in particular will be described.

[0097] In the example of FIG. 14, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M (step S100). Next, the contact possibility determination unit 120 derives a contact margin time TTC between the host vehicle M and an obstacle based on the recognized surrounding conditions (step S110). Next, the driving state detection unit 130 detects the driving state of the driver of the host vehicle M (step S120) and determines whether the driver is driving absentmindedly (step S130). If it is determined that the driver is driving absentmindedly, the vehicle control unit 140 determines whether the contact margin time TTC satisfies the operating condition of the braking control or the steering control (step S140). In the process of step S140, it may be determined whether the operating conditions of both the braking control and the steering control are satisfied. If it is determined that the contact margin time TTC satisfies the operating condition of the braking control or the steering control, the vehicle control unit 140 executes vehicle control corresponding to the operating condition (step S150). This vehicle control includes, for example, at least one of the above-mentioned attention warning control, contact attention warning control, automatic steering avoidance control, driver steering assistance control, and CMBS control.

[0098] Next, the vehicle control unit 140 determines whether or not a predetermined driver operation has been performed during execution of vehicle control (step S160). If it is determined that a predetermined driver operation has been performed, the vehicle control unit 140 stops the vehicle control being executed (step S170). This ends the process of this flowchart. Also, if it is determined in the process of step S130 that the driver is not driving aimlessly, if it is determined in the process of step S140 that the contact margin time TTC does not satisfy the operating condition of the braking control or steering control, or if it is determined in the process of step S160 that a predetermined driver operation has not been performed during execution of vehicle control, the process of this flowchart ends.

[0099] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the override determination process. The example of FIG. 15 shows an example of the contents executed in the process of steps S160 to S170 described above. The example of FIG. 15 also shows the override determination process related to the steering operation. In the example of FIG. 15, the steering override control unit 144C determines whether or not the warning control is in progress (step S200). If it is determined that the warning control is in progress, the steering override control unit 144C determines whether or not a rise in the steering torque change amount has been detected (step S210). If it is determined that a rise in the steering torque change amount (for example, a change of a predetermined amount or more from a reference value) has been detected, the steering override control unit 144C stops the warning control being executed (step S220).

[0100] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S200 that warning control is not in progress, the steering override control unit 144C determines whether or not avoidance control is in progress (step S230). If it is determined that avoidance control is in progress, the steering override control unit 144C determines whether or not a fall in the steering torque change amount (for example, a change of a predetermined amount or more that returns to a reference value) has been detected (step S240). If it is determined that a fall has been detected, the steering override control unit 144C stops the avoidance control being executed (step S250). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0101] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S210 that a rise in the amount of change in steering torque has not been detected, if it is determined in the processing of step S230 that avoidance control is not in progress, or if it is determined in the processing of step S240 that a fall in the amount of change in steering torque has not been detected, this flowchart ends.

[0102] As described above, according to the embodiment, the driving assistance device 100 (an example of a vehicle control device) includes a recognition unit 110 that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle M, a vehicle control unit 140 that executes vehicle control to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle M when there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle M and an obstacle, and a driving state detection unit 130 that detects the driving state of an occupant of the vehicle M, and the vehicle control includes an alarm control that notifies the occupant when the vehicle M approaches an obstacle, and an avoidance control that avoids contact with the obstacle when the vehicle M approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control.By canceling the alarm control when a steering operation of the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit 130 during the alarm control is detected to be greater than a predetermined amount from a reference value, and by not canceling the avoidance control when a steering operation of the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit 130 is detected to be greater than a predetermined amount from a reference value during the avoidance control, a more appropriate override judgment can be made according to the content of the vehicle control being executed.

[0103] Specifically, according to an embodiment, in steering avoidance control, the override judgment for warning control (gentle deceleration control, centering steering control) is determined based on the operation status (rising) in the steering direction, and the override judgment for avoidance control is determined based on the operation status (falling) in the return direction from the steering direction, thereby making it possible to suppress unintended override control due to the driver's steering operation in avoidance control related to driver steering assistance control.

[0104] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the slow deceleration control and centering steering control are performed in the attention calling control and the contact warning control when the driver is determined to be driving absentmindedly as one of the operation conditions. However, the slow deceleration control and the centering steering control may be selected and performed depending on whether the driver is driving absentmindedly or not. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 may perform the slow deceleration control and the centering steering control in the attention calling control and the contact warning control when the driver is determined to be driving absentmindedly, and may perform either the slow deceleration control or the centering steering control when the driver is determined not to be driving absentmindedly. In addition, the vehicle control unit 140 may not perform the centering steering control (for example, when the vehicle is driven along a road dividing line) or may perform the slow deceleration control when the host vehicle M moves in a direction approaching the other vehicle m1 by performing the centering steering control. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 140 may perform the slow deceleration control when the lane dividing line of the driving lane cannot be recognized, since the centering steering control cannot be performed. In the above-described embodiment, the gentle deceleration control and the centering steering control may be performed without determining whether or not the driver is driving absentmindedly.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the obstacle is not limited to the preceding vehicle, but may be another vehicle approaching the vehicle M. The obstacle may be a pedestrian, a bicycle, or other object (not necessarily a moving object). The numerical values ​​shown in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and may be appropriately adjusted according to the road conditions (shape, number of lanes, road type), the driver's driving conditions (degree of absentmindedness), the vehicle conditions (speed, vehicle type, shape, number of passengers), etc.

[0106] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; a processor coupled to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: Recognize the vehicle's surroundings, When it is determined based on the result of the recognition that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, a vehicle control is executed to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle; Detecting a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle; the vehicle control includes an alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and an avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control, When a steering operation by the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit during the warning control is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, the warning control is stopped, When a steering operation that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is detected during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not terminated. Vehicle control device.

[0107] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 10...camera, 12...radar device, 14...LIDAR, 16...object recognition device, 20...communication device, 30...HMI, 40...vehicle sensor, 50...navigation device, 60...MPU, 70...driver monitor camera, 80...driving operator, 82...steering wheel, 84...accelerator pedal, 86...brake pedal, 100...driving support device, 110...recognition unit, 120...contact possibility determination unit, 130...driving state detection unit, 140...vehicle control unit, 142...braking control unit, 144...steering control unit, 150...HMI control unit, 160...memory unit, 200...driving force output device, 210...brake device, 220...steering device, M...own vehicle

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a vehicle control unit that executes vehicle control to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle when it is determined based on a recognition result of the recognition unit that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle; A driving state detection unit that detects a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle, the vehicle control includes an alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and an avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control, The vehicle control unit includes: When a steering operation by the occupant detected by the driving state detection unit during the warning control is detected to be a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, the warning control is stopped, When a steering operation that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is detected during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not terminated. Vehicle control device.

2. The vehicle control unit stops the avoidance control when a steering operation toward the reference value is detected during the avoidance control. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. the vehicle control unit, when a steering operation of a predetermined amount or more from the reference value is detected for the first time in the avoidance control, determines whether or not to terminate the avoidance control by a steering operation returning to the reference value. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

4. the vehicle control unit detects a steering operation returning to the reference value after detecting a steering operation of a predetermined amount or more from the reference value during the avoidance control, and then stops the avoidance control. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

5. The steering operation includes an operation based on a steering change amount derived from a steering amount by the occupant and a steering angular speed. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

6. The warning control includes a steering control for moving the vehicle to the center of the driving lane. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

7. The computer Recognize the vehicle's surroundings, When it is determined based on the result of the recognition that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, a vehicle control is executed to control at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle; Detecting a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle; the vehicle control includes an alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and an avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control, When a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be greater than or equal to a predetermined amount from a reference value during the warning control, the warning control is stopped. When a steering operation that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is detected during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not terminated. A vehicle control method.

8. On the computer, Recognize the vehicle's surroundings, executing vehicle control for controlling at least one of acceleration / deceleration and steering of the vehicle when it is determined based on the recognition result that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle; Detecting a driving state of an occupant of the vehicle; the vehicle control includes an alarm control for notifying the occupant when the vehicle approaches the obstacle, and an avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle when the vehicle approaches the obstacle more closely than the alarm control, When a steering operation by the occupant is detected to be greater than or equal to a predetermined amount from a reference value during the warning control, the warning control is stopped. When a steering operation that is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount is detected during the avoidance control, the avoidance control is not terminated. program.

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