Driving support device, driving support method and driving support program

Abstract

To provide a driving support device capable of improving comfort of an occupant of an own vehicle in a scene where a preceding vehicle makes a left or right turn.SOLUTION: A processor of the driving support device executes a mild deceleration process, in which a driving device and / or a braking device is controlled so that an own vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration rate, or an acceleration suppression process, in which acceleration of the own vehicle is suppressed, in a first specific scene where the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle are traveling on a leftmost lane or a left-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or on a general road composed of a single lane, and the preceding vehicle's direction indicator indicates a left turn while the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and in a second specific scene where the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a rightmost lane or a right-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or on a general road composed of a single lane, and the preceding vehicle's direction indicator indicates a right turn while the preceding vehicle is not decelerating.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device, a driving support method, and a driving support program for assisting a driving operation for adjusting the speed of a host vehicle by a driver of the host vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] There has been proposed a driving support device for assisting a driving operation for adjusting the speed of a host vehicle by a driver of the host vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). This driving support device (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional device") is located immediately in front of the host vehicle and, in a scene where there is a preceding vehicle traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle, when it detects that the preceding vehicle is decelerating, controls the driving device and / or the braking device of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle decelerates (automatic braking).

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, in a scene where the preceding vehicle makes a left turn (right turn), it is assumed that the preceding vehicle travels at a constant speed with its direction indicator indicating a left turn (right turn), and then starts to make a left turn (right turn) while decelerating. In this scene, during the period when the preceding vehicle is traveling at a constant speed, the conventional device does not execute automatic braking. The conventional device executes automatic braking when it subsequently detects that the preceding vehicle has started to decelerate. Thus, when using the conventional device, the start timing of automatic braking (the timing at which the host vehicle starts to decelerate) is relatively late. When the driver and passengers (occupants) of the host vehicle recognize that the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle is operating, it is highly likely that the occupants will predict that the preceding vehicle will decelerate thereafter. In such a situation, there is a risk that the occupants will feel uneasy about the host vehicle continuing to travel without decelerating. Also, during this period, the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle may decrease. That is, there is a risk that the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle will be in a proximity state. In this case, there is a risk that the occupants of the host vehicle will feel uneasy.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device capable of improving the comfort of the occupants of the host vehicle in a scene where the preceding vehicle makes a left turn or a right turn.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the driving support device (1) of the present invention includes an in-vehicle sensor (20) that acquires information about the host vehicle (V) and information about a preceding vehicle (V1) traveling ahead of the host vehicle, a processor (10) capable of executing a speed adjustment process of adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling a driving device (30) and / or a braking device (40) of the host vehicle based on the information about the host vehicle and / or the information about the preceding vehicle, and is provided with. The processor A situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a general road composed of multiple lanes, specifically the leftmost lane (L) or left-turn lane (L) of the general road, or a general road composed of a single lane (S), and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, which is the first specific scene (SCN1), and a situation where the host vehicle is traveling on the rightmost lane or right-turn lane of the general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, which is the second specific scene (SCN2). In these situations, as the speed adjustment process, A deceleration reduction process of controlling the drive device and / or the braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or An acceleration suppression process of controlling the drive device and / or the braking device so that the acceleration of the host vehicle is suppressed, is executed.

[0007] Also, the driving support method according to the present invention includes an information acquisition step of acquiring information about the host vehicle and information about a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, and a speed adjustment step of adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling the drive device and / or the braking device of the host vehicle based on the information about the host vehicle and / or the information about the preceding vehicle. is included. The speed adjustment step In a situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a general road composed of multiple lanes, specifically the leftmost lane or left-turn lane of the general road, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, which is the first specific scene, and a situation where the host vehicle is traveling on the rightmost lane or right-turn lane of the general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, which is the second specific scene. In these situations, as the speed adjustment process, A deceleration reduction process of controlling the drive device and / or the braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or An acceleration suppression process for controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so as to suppress the acceleration of the host vehicle, including a step of executing the same.

[0008] Further, the driving support program according to the present invention causes a computer provided in the host vehicle to an information acquisition step of acquiring information on the host vehicle and information on a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle, and a speed adjustment step of adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling a drive device and / or a braking device of the host vehicle based on the information on the host vehicle and / or the information on the preceding vehicle, to be executed. The speed adjustment step is a situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a general road composed of a plurality of lanes, the leftmost lane or a left-turn lane, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a second specific scene where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a general road composed of a plurality of lanes, the rightmost lane or a right-turn lane, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating. In the first specific scene and the second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, a deceleration reduction process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or an acceleration suppression process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so as to suppress the acceleration of the host vehicle, including a step of executing the same.

[0009] In the first specific scene and the second specific scene, the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, but then there is a high possibility that the preceding vehicle will start to decelerate. Therefore, the processor executes a gentle deceleration process or an acceleration suppression process in the first specific scene and the second specific scene. When the processor executes the gentle deceleration process, the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle increases. Also, when the processor executes the acceleration suppression process, the reduction in the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is suppressed. That is, according to the present invention, in the specific scene, a relatively large distance can be ensured between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to suppress causing uneasiness to the occupant. Also, when the preceding vehicle starts to decelerate thereafter, the host vehicle can be decelerated with a margin. That is, the deceleration rate (backward acceleration) of the host vehicle is small. Thus, according to the present invention, the comfort of the occupant of the host vehicle can be improved compared to the case of using a conventional device.

[0010] In a driving support device according to an aspect of the present invention, at a second time point when a predetermined time (Δtth) has elapsed from a first time point when the processor started executing the gentle deceleration process or the acceleration suppression process in the first specific scene and the second specific scene, the processor ends the execution of the gentle deceleration process or the acceleration suppression process.

[0011] In the first specific scene and the second specific scene, when the time during which the preceding vehicle is traveling at a constant speed or the time during which the preceding vehicle is accelerating is relatively long, the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle may become excessively large. According to this aspect, since the upper limit value of the time for executing the gentle deceleration process or the acceleration suppression process is defined, it is possible to suppress the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle from becoming excessively large.

[0012] In a driving support device according to another aspect of the present invention, the processor In a scene other than the first specific scene and the second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, a following process is executed to adjust the speed of the host vehicle so that the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle matches a target value determined based on the speeds (vs, vs1) of the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle.

[0013] When the preceding vehicle starts decelerating in the first specific scene and the second specific scene, and then the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes smaller than the target value, the processor controls the drive device and / or the braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates. That is, the host vehicle is automatically braked. In the first specific scene and the second specific scene, since a relatively large distance is ensured between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, in this automatic braking, the host vehicle can be decelerated with a margin. That is, the deceleration (backward acceleration) of the host vehicle is small. According to this, it is possible to suppress the comfort of the passengers in the host vehicle from being impaired.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] (Schematic) As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle V (hereinafter referred to as “own vehicle”) having an automatic driving function. The driving support device 1 has a function (speed adjustment function) of assisting a driving operation for adjusting the speed of the own vehicle by a driver of the own vehicle in a state where the automatic driving function is invalidated.

[0016] (Specific Configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 1 includes an ECU 10, an in-vehicle sensor 20, a driving device 30, and a braking device 40.

[0017] The ECU 10 includes a microcomputer including a CPU 10a, a ROM 10b (rewritable non-volatile memory), a RAM 10c, a timer 10d, and the like. The CPU realizes various functions by executing programs (instructions) stored in the ROM. The ECU 10 is connected to other ECUs via a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0018] The in-vehicle sensor 20 includes a camera 21 and a millimeter-wave radar 22 as sensors for acquiring information about a preceding vehicle V1 located in front of the own vehicle.

[0019] Camera 21 includes an imaging device and an image analysis device. The imaging device incorporates, for example, a CCD. The imaging device is installed at the front of the host vehicle and is directed forward of the host vehicle. The imaging device captures the front area of the host vehicle at a predetermined frame rate to acquire image data. The image analysis device obtains the image data from the imaging device, analyzes the image data, and recognizes (identifies) targets existing within the angle of view. The image analysis device recognizes, for example, lane marks (the dividing lines of the driving lane) and road signs (signs indicating, for example, a left-turn lane, a right-turn lane, etc.). Also, the image analysis device recognizes, for example, a preceding vehicle V1 located in the section immediately in front of the host vehicle in the driving lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. Further, the image analysis device recognizes, for example, the operating state (the lighting state of the direction indicator lamp) of the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle V1. The image analysis device provides these recognition results to ECU10.

[0020] The millimeter-wave radar 22 includes a transmitting / receiving unit and a signal processing unit. The transmitting / receiving unit radiates radio waves in the millimeter-wave band (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves") to the surrounding area (the front of the host vehicle) of the host vehicle and receives the millimeter waves (reflected waves) reflected by solid objects located within the area. The signal processing unit obtains various information regarding each reflection point of the millimeter waves based on physical quantities such as the time from when the transmitting / receiving unit radiates the millimeter waves until the reflected waves are received, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the difference between the frequency of the radiated millimeter waves and the frequency of the received reflected waves. For example, the signal processing unit calculates the position of each reflection point (the relative position (direction and distance) with respect to the transmitting / receiving unit). Also, the signal processing unit calculates the speed (relative speed) of each reflection point with respect to the host vehicle. Then, the calculation result (data indicating the distribution of the reflection points (the position and speed of each reflection point with respect to the host vehicle)) is provided to ECU10.

[0021] Here, the angle of view (the image-capturable range) of camera 21 and the field of view (the area where the millimeter waves are radiated) of millimeter-wave radar 22 overlap. ECU10 can obtain information regarding targets located in front of the host vehicle, the position (relative position) of an object with respect to the host vehicle, the speed (relative speed) of an object with respect to the host vehicle, etc. based on the fusion information obtained by integrating the information acquired from camera 21 and the information acquired from millimeter-wave radar 22.

[0022] The vehicle-mounted sensor 20 further includes a vehicle speed sensor 23 and an acceleration sensor 24 as sensors for acquiring information regarding the behavior of the host vehicle.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 23 includes a rotation speed measurement circuit and a speed calculation device. The rotation speed measurement circuit includes a pulse generation circuit that outputs a pulse (electrical signal) each time the wheel of the host vehicle rotates by a predetermined angle, and a counter circuit that counts the number of the pulses. The speed calculation device acquires the output value (number of pulses) of the counter circuit at a predetermined period (each time a unit time elapses), and resets the count value to "0". In this way, the speed calculation device acquires the rotation speed N of the wheel per unit time. The speed calculation device acquires the speed vs (speed in the front-rear direction (absolute value)) of the host vehicle by multiplying the rotation speed N by a coefficient k. Then, the speed calculation device provides the acquired speed vs to the ECU 10. The ECU 10 acquires the relative speed vr between the preceding vehicle V1 and the host vehicle based on the information acquired from the camera 21 and the millimeter wave radar 22. Further, the ECU 10 acquires the speed vs (speed with respect to the road surface) from the vehicle speed sensor 23. The ECU 10 can acquire the speed vs1 (speed vs1 = vr + vs with respect to the road surface) of the preceding vehicle V1 based on the relative speed vr and the speed vs.

[0024] The acceleration sensor 24 includes a piezoelectric element. When the host vehicle is accelerated or decelerated in the front-rear direction, the piezoelectric element deforms in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle, and the output voltage of the piezoelectric element changes accordingly. The acceleration sensor 24 acquires the acceleration in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle based on the output voltage of the piezoelectric element. Then, the acceleration sensor 24 provides these accelerations to the ECU 10.

[0025] The in-vehicle sensor 20 further includes a navigation system 25 as a sensor for acquiring information about the road on which the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle V1 are traveling. The navigation system 25 is included. The navigation system 25 acquires the position (latitude and longitude) of the host vehicle based on the GPS signal. Also, the navigation system 25 stores map information. The map information includes information about the type of road (ordinary road or highway) and information about the lanes constituting the road (number of lanes, left-turn lane, right-turn lane, etc.). The navigation system 25 acquires information about the type of road and information about the lanes on which the host vehicle is traveling based on the position of the host vehicle and the map information, and provides it to the ECU 10.

[0026] The drive device 30 generates a driving force and applies the driving force to the drive wheels among the wheels (left front wheel, right front wheel, left rear wheel, and right rear wheel). The drive device 30 includes an engine ECU, an internal combustion engine, a transmission, etc. The engine ECU acquires the target value of the driving force from the ECU 10. The engine ECU controls the throttle valve (opening degree of the solenoid valve) of the internal combustion engine so that the driving force applied to the drive wheels matches the target value. The output (driving force) of the internal combustion engine is transmitted to the drive wheels via the transmission and the driving force transmission mechanism (e.g., drive shaft).

[0027] When the host vehicle is a hybrid vehicle (HEV), the engine ECU matches the driving force generated by either one or both of the "internal combustion engine and electric motor" as the vehicle drive source to the target value. Also, when the host vehicle is an electric vehicle (BEV), the motor ECU may be used instead of the engine ECU. The motor ECU matches the driving force generated by the "electric motor" as the vehicle drive source to the target value.

[0028] The braking device 40 applies a braking force to the wheels. The braking device 40 includes a brake ECU, a hydraulic circuit, and a brake caliper. The hydraulic circuit includes a reservoir (not shown), an oil pump, various valve devices, a hydraulic sensor, etc. The brake caliper is a hydraulic actuator provided with a cylinder and a piston. When oil is supplied to the cylinder, the piston is pushed out from the cylinder. A brake pad is provided at the tip of the piston, and this brake pad is pressed against the brake disk. The brake ECU acquires the target value of the braking force from the ECU 10. The brake ECU controls the hydraulic circuit so that the braking force applied to the wheels matches the target value.

[0029] (Speed adjustment function) When the ECU 10 determines that the preceding vehicle V1 exists, it executes a following process of controlling the drive device 30 and / or the braking device 40 (hereinafter referred to as "drive device etc.") so that the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle V1 (inter-vehicle distance D) matches the target value Dd and the speed vs of the host vehicle follows the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1. Hereinafter, this function is referred to as the "following function". However, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the ECU 10 executes a deceleration reduction process of controlling the drive device etc. so that the host vehicle is gently decelerated instead of the following process. Hereinafter, this function is referred to as the "deceleration reduction function".

[0030] (Following function) Based on the information acquired from the camera 21 and the millimeter-wave radar 22, the ECU 10 sequentially acquires the inter-vehicle distance D and the relative speed vr between the preceding vehicle V1 and the host vehicle. Further, the ECU 10 sequentially acquires the speed vs of the host vehicle from the vehicle speed sensor 23. The ECU 10 acquires the speed vs1 (speed with respect to the road surface) of the preceding vehicle V1 based on the relative speed vr and the speed vs (speed with respect to the road surface). The ECU 10 determines the target value Dd of the inter-vehicle distance D based on the speed vs of the host vehicle and the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1.

[0031] When the relative speed vr is greater than "0", the inter-vehicle distance D increases. In a state where the inter-vehicle distance D is greater than the target value Dd, the ECU10 sets the target value of the acceleration α (the increase rate of the forward speed) of the host vehicle to a predetermined value α1 (>0) so that the speed vs of the host vehicle is greater than the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1. Then, the drive device etc. is controlled so that the acceleration α (measured value) of the host vehicle matches the predetermined value α1 (acceleration process). As a result, the inter-vehicle distance D decreases and approaches the target value Dd. When the inter-vehicle distance D matches the target value Dd, the ECU10 sets the target value of the acceleration α of the host vehicle to "0". Then, the ECU10 controls the drive device etc. so that the host vehicle travels at the same speed as the preceding vehicle V1.

[0032] On the other hand, when the relative speed vr is less than "0", the inter-vehicle distance D decreases. In a state where the inter-vehicle distance D is less than the target value Dd, the ECU10 sets the target value of the deceleration β (backward acceleration) to a predetermined value β1 so that the speed vs of the host vehicle is less than the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1. Note that the deceleration β corresponds to the decrease rate of the forward speed of the host vehicle. The ECU10 controls the drive device etc. so that the deceleration β (measured value) of the host vehicle matches the predetermined value β1 (deceleration process). As a result, the inter-vehicle distance D increases and approaches the target value Dd. When the inter-vehicle distance D matches the target value Dd, the ECU10 sets the target value of the deceleration β of the host vehicle to "0". Then, the ECU10 controls the drive device etc. so that the host vehicle travels at the same speed as the preceding vehicle V1.

[0033] Note that the target value Dd is correlated with the speed vs of the host vehicle and the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1. For example, the target value Dd when the speeds vs and vs1 are relatively small is smaller than the target value Dd when the speeds vs and vs1 are relatively large. A database (table) representing the relationship between the speeds vs, vs1 and the target value Dd or parameters defining an arithmetic expression for calculating the target value Dd are stored in the ROM10b. The ECU10 determines the target value Dd based on the above database or arithmetic expression.

[0034] (Deceleration mitigation function) Based on the information obtained from in-vehicle sensor 20, the ECU 10 sequentially determines whether the following condition X1 or condition X2 is satisfied. [Condition X1]... A situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle V1 are traveling on a general road composed of a leftmost lane L among general roads composed of multiple lanes or a general road composed of a single lane S, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a left turn (the left side direction indicator is blinking), and the preceding vehicle V1 is not decelerating (refer to FIGS. 2(A), 3(A), and 4(A)). [Condition X2]... A situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle V1 are traveling on a general road composed of a rightmost lane R among general roads composed of multiple lanes or a general road composed of a single lane S, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a right turn (the right side direction indicator is blinking), and the preceding vehicle V1 is not decelerating (refer to FIGS. 2(B), 3(B), and 4(B)).

[0035] Here, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the ECU 10 regards a left-turn lane (a left-turn dedicated lane or a lane where left turns are permitted at an intersection) among roads composed of multiple lanes as the lane L (the leftmost lane). Also, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the ECU 10 regards a right-turn lane (a right-turn dedicated lane or a lane where right turns are permitted at an intersection) among roads composed of multiple lanes as the lane R (the rightmost lane).

[0036] When the first specific scene SCN1 where condition X1 is satisfied and the second specific scene SCN2 where condition X2 is satisfied occur, instead of the following process, the ECU 10 executes a deceleration mitigation process. Specifically, in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, the ECU 10 controls a drive device or the like so that the deceleration β (backward acceleration) of the host vehicle matches a relatively small target value βd (<β1) (deceleration mitigation process). As described above, in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, the preceding vehicle V1 is not decelerating (during constant speed driving or accelerating), and the host vehicle is gently decelerated. Therefore, the inter-vehicle distance D increases, but in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, the increase in the inter-vehicle distance D is allowed.

[0037] The ECU 10 measures the time Δt elapsed from the time t1 when the deceleration mitigation process is started. The ECU 10 ends the execution of the deceleration mitigation process and resumes the following process at the time t2 when the time Δt reaches the threshold value Δtth. Here, the threshold value Δtth is a value determined in advance as the standard time from the time when the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle starts to operate until the preceding vehicle starts to decelerate. However, when the ECU 10 detects that the preceding vehicle V1 has started to decelerate during the execution of the deceleration mitigation process, it ends the execution of the deceleration mitigation process at that time and resumes the following process. Note that the ECU 10 continues to execute the deceleration mitigation process until the time t2 even when the operation of the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 is stopped during the execution of the deceleration mitigation process. However, the ECU 10 may end the execution of the deceleration mitigation process and resume the following process when the operation of the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 is stopped.

[0038] Next, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the program PR1 and program PR2 executed by the CPU 10a (hereinafter referred to as "CPU") of the ECU 10 to implement the above deceleration function will be described. Here, in program PR1 and program PR2, a flag F is used. The flag F indicates whether the execution of the follow-up process (acceleration process and deceleration process) is permitted. When the execution of the acceleration process and the deceleration process is permitted, the flag F is set to "1", and when the execution of the acceleration process and the deceleration process is prohibited, the flag F is set to "0". Note that when the ignition switch of the host vehicle transitions from the off state to the on state, the flag F is initialized to "1".

[0039] When the ignition switch is in the on state, the CPU starts executing programs PR1 and PR2 at a predetermined cycle.

[0040] (Program PR1) The CPU starts executing program PR1 from step 100 and proceeds to step 101.

[0041] At step 101, the CPU determines whether the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road based on the information acquired from the navigation system 25. If the CPU determines that the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road (101: Yes), the process proceeds to step 102. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road (101: No), the process proceeds to step 112, and at this step 112, the execution of program PR1 ends.

[0042] At step 102, the CPU determines whether the host vehicle is traveling in lane L or lane S based on the information acquired from the navigation system 25. If the CPU determines that the host vehicle is traveling in lane L or lane S (102: Yes), the process proceeds to step 103. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the host vehicle is traveling in lane L or lane S (102: No), the process proceeds to step 112, and at this step 112, the execution of program PR1 ends.

[0043] At step 103, the CPU determines whether the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a left turn (whether the left turn indicator is blinking) based on the information acquired from the camera 21. If the CPU determines that the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a left turn (103: Yes), the process proceeds to step 104. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a left turn (103: No), the process proceeds to step 112, and at this step 112, the execution of the program PR1 is terminated.

[0044] At step 104, the CPU acquires the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 based on the information acquired from the camera 21, the millimeter-wave radar 22, and the vehicle speed sensor 23. Then, the CPU determines whether the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 is constant or increasing based on the change in the speed vs1 (the time-series data of the speed vs1). If the CPU determines that the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 is constant or increasing (104: Yes), the process proceeds to step 105. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 is constant or increasing (104: No), the process proceeds to step 112, and at this step 112, the execution of the program PR1 is terminated.

[0045] At step 105, the CPU sets the flag F to "0". That is, the CPU interrupts the following process (prohibits the execution of the acceleration process and the deceleration process). Then, the CPU proceeds to step 106.

[0046] At step 106, the CPU starts the deceleration mitigation process. Then, the CPU proceeds to step 107.

[0047] At step 107, the CPU starts measuring the elapsed time Δt since the start of the deceleration mitigation process using the timer 10d. Then, the CPU proceeds to step 108.

[0048] The CPU obtains the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 at step 108 based on the information acquired from the millimeter-wave radar 22 and the vehicle speed sensor 23. Then, the CPU determines whether the speed vs1 is decreasing (whether the preceding vehicle V1 has started decelerating) based on the time-series data of the speed vs1. If the CPU determines that the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 is decreasing (108: Yes), the process proceeds to step 110. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the speed vs1 of the preceding vehicle V1 is decreasing (108: No), the process proceeds to step 109.

[0049] At step 109, the CPU determines whether the time Δt exceeds the threshold value Δtth. If the CPU determines that the time Δt exceeds the threshold value Δtth (109: Yes), the process proceeds to step 110. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the time Δt exceeds the threshold value Δtth (109: No), the process returns to step 108. That is, in this case, the CPU continues the gentle deceleration process.

[0050] At step 110, the CPU ends the execution of the gentle deceleration process. Then, the CPU proceeds to step 111.

[0051] At step 111, the CPU sets the flag F to "1". That is, the CPU resumes the following process (permits the execution of the acceleration process and the deceleration process). Then, the CPU proceeds to step 112 and ends the execution of the program PR1 at this step 112.

[0052] (Program PR2) The CPU starts the execution of the program PR2 from step 200 and proceeds to step 201.

[0053] The CPU determines, at step 201, whether the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road based on the information acquired from the navigation system 25. If the CPU determines that the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road (201: Yes), the process proceeds to step 202. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the host vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road (201: No), the process proceeds to step 212, and at this step 212, the execution of program PR2 is terminated.

[0054] The CPU determines, at step 202, whether the host vehicle is traveling in lane R or lane S based on the information acquired from the navigation system 25. If the CPU determines that the host vehicle is traveling in lane R or lane S (202: Yes), the process proceeds to step 203. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the host vehicle is traveling in lane R or lane S (202: No), the process proceeds to step 212, and at this step 212, the execution of program PR2 is terminated.

[0055] The CPU determines, at step 203, whether the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a right turn (whether the right turn signal is blinking) based on the information acquired from the camera 21. If the CPU determines that the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a right turn (303: Yes), the process proceeds to step 204. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the turn indicator of the preceding vehicle V1 indicates a right turn (203: No), the process proceeds to step 212, and at this step 212, the execution of program PR2 is terminated.

[0056] Steps 204 to 212 are the same as steps 104 to 112 of program PR1, so the descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0057] When the flag F is "1", the CPU executes a program (not shown) to implement the above follow-up function. This program includes steps of determining a target value Dd of the inter-vehicle distance D based on the speeds vs and vs1, and steps of accelerating (acceleration process) or decelerating (deceleration process) the host vehicle so that the inter-vehicle distance D (measured value) matches the target value Dd.

[0058] (Effect) In the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, the preceding vehicle V1 is not decelerating, but then there is a high possibility that the preceding vehicle V1 will start to decelerate. Therefore, the ECU10 executes a gentle deceleration process in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2. As a result, the inter-vehicle distance D increases. That is, in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, a relatively large inter-vehicle distance D can be ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress causing uneasiness to the occupants. Also, when the preceding vehicle V1 starts to decelerate later, the host vehicle can be decelerated with a margin. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the comfort of the occupants of the host vehicle can be improved compared to the case of using a conventional device.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and as described below, various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention.

[0060] <Modification 1> Instead of the gentle deceleration process in the above embodiment, an acceleration suppression process may be executed to control the drive device 30 and / or the brake device 40 so that the acceleration (increase in the speed vs) of the host vehicle is suppressed. For example, in the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, even if the driver steps on the accelerator pedal, the ECU10 does not increase the target value of the driving force.

[0061] <Modification 2> In the above embodiment, the ECU 10 can execute acceleration processing and deceleration processing in the follow-up processing. Alternatively, only deceleration processing may be executable in the follow-up processing. That is, in scenes other than the first specific scene SCN1 and the second specific scene SCN2, an increase in the inter-vehicle distance D beyond the target value Dd may be allowed.

Description of Signs

[0062] 1... Driving support device, 10... ECU, 20... In-vehicle sensor, 30... Driving device, 40... Braking device

Claims

1. An in-vehicle sensor that acquires information about the host vehicle and information about a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle, A processor capable of executing a speed adjustment process for adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling a drive device and / or a braking device of the host vehicle based on the information about the host vehicle and / or the information about the preceding vehicle, A driving support device comprising: The processor is In a situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on a general road composed of multiple lanes, the leftmost lane or a left-turn lane, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a first specific scene, and, in a situation where the host vehicle is traveling on the rightmost lane or a right-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, a second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, A deceleration reduction process for controlling the drive device and / or the braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or An acceleration suppression process for controlling the drive device and / or the braking device so that the acceleration of the host vehicle is suppressed, A driving support device configured to execute.

2. In the driving support device according to Claim 1, The processor is configured to end the execution of the acceleration suppression process or the deceleration reduction process at a second time point when a predetermined time has elapsed from a first time point when the execution of the acceleration suppression process or the deceleration reduction process was started in the first specific scene and the second specific scene. A driving support device.

3. In the driving support device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, The processor is In a scene other than the first specific scene and the second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, a following process for adjusting the speed of the host vehicle so that the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle matches a target value determined based on the speeds of the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is executed. A configured driving support device.

4. An information acquisition step of acquiring information about the host vehicle and information about a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle, A speed adjustment step of adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling a drive device and / or a braking device of the host vehicle based on the information about the host vehicle and / or the information about the preceding vehicle, A driving support method including: The speed adjustment step is in a situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on the leftmost lane or left-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a first specific scene; and in a situation where the host vehicle is traveling on the rightmost lane or right-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, a deceleration reduction process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or an acceleration suppression process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so that the acceleration of the host vehicle is suppressed, and includes a step of executing, and is configured as, a driving assistance method.

5. A driving assistance program for causing a computer provided in the host vehicle to execute an information acquisition step of acquiring information about the host vehicle and information about a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, and a speed adjustment step of adjusting the speed of the host vehicle by controlling a drive device and / or a braking device of the host vehicle based on the information about the host vehicle and / or the information about the preceding vehicle, wherein the speed adjustment step is in a situation where the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are traveling on the leftmost lane or left-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a left turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a first specific scene; and in a situation where the host vehicle is traveling on the rightmost lane or right-turn lane of a general road composed of multiple lanes, or a general road composed of a single lane, and the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle indicates a right turn and the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, and a second specific scene, as the speed adjustment process, a deceleration reduction process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so that the host vehicle decelerates at a predetermined deceleration, or an acceleration suppression process of controlling a drive device and / or a braking device so that the acceleration of the host vehicle is suppressed, and includes a step of executing, and is configured as, a driving assistance program.

Images