Acceleration-deceleration control apparatus

Abstract

To provide an acceleration-deceleration control apparatus capable of accurately determining the skill level of a driver in operating one-pedal operation.SOLUTION: An acceleration-deceleration control apparatus 1 includes a processor. In a case where there are frequent operations of re-stepping on to turn on an accelerator immediately after a human recognizable time following an operation to turn off the accelerator while a vehicle is decelerating, the processor changes the deceleration rate of accelerator-off to a smaller value from an initial value, whereas in a case where there is a low frequency of operations of re-stepping on to turn on the accelerator immediately after a human recognizable time, the processor changes the deceleration rate of accelerator-off to a larger value from the initial value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an acceleration / deceleration control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technology that reduces the discomfort a driver feels until they become accustomed to the one-pedal drive function. In this technology, in a vehicle where acceleration and deceleration can be controlled with one pedal, the driver's proficiency with the one-pedal drive function is calculated, and the higher this proficiency level, the smaller the amount of suppression of deceleration force by the one-pedal drive function is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-146777 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the driver's one-pedal operation proficiency is determined based solely on the driver's simple operation results, which has the problem of low accuracy in estimating the driver's one-pedal operation proficiency.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an acceleration / deceleration control device that can accurately determine a driver's level of proficiency in one-pedal operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the present disclosure provides an acceleration / deceleration control device that controls the acceleration / deceleration of a vehicle with one pedal, and is equipped with a processor. When the vehicle is decelerating, if there is a high frequency of people pressing the accelerator back on immediately after a time that is within the range of human perception after performing an accelerator release operation, the processor changes the deceleration rate for accelerator release from an initial value to a weaker value, and when there is a low frequency of people pressing the accelerator back on immediately after a time that is within the range of human perception, the processor changes the deceleration rate for accelerator release from an initial value to a stronger value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately determine the driver's proficiency in one-pedal operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an acceleration / deceleration control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a schematic diagram of the change over time in vehicle speed and accelerator opening degree when the driver presses the pedal again against his will. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the frequency of the driver's second depressing operation and the driver's preference. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the influence of the vehicle deceleration strength. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An acceleration / deceleration control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the drawings referred to in the following description merely show a schematic representation of the shape, size, and positional relationship to the extent that the contents of the present disclosure can be understood. In other words, the present disclosure is not limited to the shape, size, and positional relationship illustrated in each drawing.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) [Configuration of acceleration / deceleration control device] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an acceleration / deceleration control device according to embodiment 1. The acceleration / deceleration control device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is mounted on a vehicle that can be operated with one pedal, such as a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), an electric vehicle (EV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The acceleration / deceleration control device 1 includes a detection device 2, a drive device 3, a recording unit 4, and a control device 5.

[0011] The detection device 2 detects the accelerator opening degree of a pedal provided on the vehicle, the vehicle speed, and the on / off state of an ignition switch (hereinafter simply referred to as "IG"), and outputs the detection results to the control device 5. The detection device 2 is configured using an accelerator opening degree sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an ignition switch detection sensor, etc.

[0012] The drive unit 3 is configured using, for example, a plurality of motors, an inverter, a battery, an engine, a motor generator, front wheels, rear wheels, a reducer, etc., and drives the vehicle. The drive unit 3 operates under the control of the control device 5.

[0013] The recording unit 4 records various information related to the acceleration / deceleration control device 1. The recording unit 4 is configured using a flash memory, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The recording unit 4 has a pedal re-pressing frequency information recording unit 41. The pedal re-pressing frequency information recording unit 41 records the number of times the vehicle decelerates while it is traveling and the number of times the driver re-presses the pedal after releasing the accelerator. Here, "while the vehicle is traveling" refers to the period when the IG changes from an on state to an off state.

[0014] The control device 5 is realized using a memory and a processor having hardware. The hardware is, for example, a memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The control device 5 controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle by controlling the driving of the drive device 3 based on various detection results input from the detection device 2. The control device 5 has a setting unit 51, a determination unit 52, a calculation unit 53, and a change unit 54. In the first embodiment, the control device 5 functions as a processor.

[0015] The setting unit 51 sets a strong deceleration (deceleration characteristic) when the accelerator is released as an initial value. Specifically, the setting unit 51 sets the initial deceleration setting for the accelerator release to the highest deceleration value as the initial value.

[0016] The determination unit 52 determines, based on the detection result obtained by the detection device 2, whether the vehicle has decelerated.

[0017] The calculation unit 53 calculates the frequency of the driver re-pressing the pedal for a certain period of time based on the detection result detected by the detection device 2 and the re-pressing frequency information recorded by the re-pressing frequency information recording unit 41.

[0018] The change unit 54 changes the initial value of the deceleration when the accelerator is released, which is set by the setting unit 51, in accordance with the frequency of re-depressing the accelerator, which is calculated by the calculation unit 53.

[0019] [Processing Executed by the Acceleration / Deceleration Control Device] Next, a description will be given of the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device 1. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device 1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, first, the setting unit 51 sets a strong deceleration (deceleration characteristic) when the accelerator is released as an initial value (step S1). Specifically, the setting unit 51 sets the highest deceleration value as the initial value for the initial deceleration setting when the accelerator is released. The driver's re-operation of the accelerator pedal occurs more frequently when the deceleration is strong than when the deceleration is weak (see FIG. 5, for example. Note that the line L11 shows the relationship between the frequency of the driver's re-operation and the driver's preference in the case of strong deceleration (high sensitivity), and the line L12 shows the relationship between the frequency of the driver's re-operation and the driver's preference in the case of weak deceleration (low sensitivity)). Therefore, by setting the highest deceleration value as the initial value for the initial deceleration setting when the accelerator is released, the setting unit 51 can improve the speed and accuracy of detecting whether the deceleration characteristic is suitable for the driver.

[0021] Next, the determination unit 52 determines whether the vehicle has decelerated based on the detection result detected by the detection device 2 (step S2). If the determination unit 52 determines that the vehicle has decelerated (step S2: Yes), the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 proceeds to step S3, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the determination unit 52 determines that the vehicle has not decelerated (step S2: No), the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 proceeds to step S5.

[0022] In step S3, the calculation unit 53 calculates the frequency of the driver re-pressing the pedal for a certain period of time based on the detection result detected by the detection device 2 and the re-pressing frequency information recorded by the re-pressing frequency information recording unit 41.

[0023] Figure 3 is a diagram that illustrates the changes in vehicle speed and accelerator pedal depression over time when the driver presses the pedal again against his or her will. In Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents vehicle speed or accelerator pedal depression. In Figure 3, curve L1 represents vehicle speed, and curve L2 represents accelerator pedal depression.

[0024] As shown by curves L1 and L2 in FIG. 3, the calculation unit 53 calculates the frequency of accelerator re-opening by dividing the frequency (number of times) of accelerator full closure during a predetermined period of time while the vehicle is decelerating by the total number of decelerations during travel. Here, the predetermined period is, for example, a time (e.g., 2 seconds) equivalent to a few times the amount of human information processing (e.g., 250 ms / time). Furthermore, the total number of decelerations during travel is the number of decelerations during the period the vehicle travels from when the IG is turned on until the IG is turned off. As a result, when the vehicle is decelerating, the calculation unit 53 calculates the frequency of accelerator re-opening by dividing the frequency (number of times) of accelerator full closure during travel by the total number of decelerations during travel recorded by the deceleration frequency information recording unit 41 of the recording unit 4.

[0025] Returning to FIG. 2, the explanation of step S4 and subsequent steps will be continued. In step S4 , the change unit 54 changes the initial value of the deceleration rate when the accelerator is released, which is set by the setting unit 51 , in accordance with the frequency of re-depression calculated by the calculation unit 53 .

[0026] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the frequency of a driver's depressurization operation and the driver's preference. In Figure 4, the vertical axis represents the frequency of a driver's depressurization operation during deceleration, and the horizontal axis represents the driver's preference. Also, the line L10 in Figure 4 represents the relationship between the frequency of a driver's depressurization operation and the driver's preference.

[0027] For example, as shown by the straight line L10 in Fig. 4, the more frequently the driver re-presses the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is decelerating, the weaker the deceleration rate when the accelerator pedal is closed is changed by the change unit 54. Conversely, the less frequently the driver re-presses the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is decelerating, the stronger the deceleration rate when the accelerator pedal is closed is changed by the change unit 54. This makes it possible to match the accelerator deceleration rate to the driver's current state (preference).

[0028] Returning to FIG. 2, the explanation of step S5 and subsequent steps will be continued. In step S5, if the IG is turned off (step S5: Yes), the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 ends this process. On the other hand, if the IG is not turned off (step S5: No), the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 returns to step S3.

[0029] According to the first embodiment described above, the change unit 54 changes the initial value of the deceleration when the accelerator is released, which is set by the setting unit 51, to the deceleration when the accelerator is released in accordance with the frequency of re-pressing the pedal calculated by the calculation unit 53, so that the driver's proficiency in one-pedal operation can be determined with high accuracy.

[0030] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, when the ignition switch is turned on, the initial deceleration when the accelerator is released is set to the highest value as the initial value, but in this embodiment, the initial deceleration is set to a deceleration associated with the driver. In the following, the configuration of the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the second embodiment will be described, followed by the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the second embodiment. Note that the same components as those of the acceleration / deceleration control device according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] [Configuration of acceleration / deceleration control device] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an acceleration / deceleration control device according to embodiment 2. An acceleration / deceleration control device 1A shown in Fig. 6 further includes a driver detection device 6 in addition to the functional configuration of the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 according to embodiment 1. Furthermore, the acceleration / deceleration control device 1A includes a recording unit 4A and a control device 5A instead of the recording unit 4 and the control device 5 of the acceleration / deceleration control device 1 according to embodiment 1.

[0032] The driver detection device 6 detects a driver in a vehicle and outputs the detection result to the control device 5A. Specifically, the driver detection device 6 detects the face of the driver by well-known pattern matching processing or the like and outputs the detection result to the control device 5A. The driver detection device 6 is configured using a camera or the like.

[0033] The recording unit 4A includes a driver information recording unit 42 in addition to the configuration of the recording unit 4 according to the first embodiment. The driver information recording unit 42 records driver information in which an initial value of deceleration when the accelerator is released is set for each piece of driver identification information that identifies a driver.

[0034] The control device 5A further includes a recording control unit 55 in addition to the functional configuration of the control device 5 according to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the control device 5A functions as a processor.

[0035] The recording control unit 55 records the current deceleration when the accelerator is released and the driver identification information in association with each other in the driver information recording unit 42.

[0036] [Processing of acceleration / deceleration control device] Next, the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device 1A will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG 7, which shows an outline of the processing executed by the acceleration / deceleration control device 1A.

[0037] 7, the determination unit 52 determines driver identification information for identifying the driver based on the face of the driver detected by the driver detection device 6 and the driver information recorded by the driver information recording unit 42 (step S10). Specifically, the determination unit 52 determines whether the characteristic pattern of the driver's face detected by the driver detection device 6 is recorded as driver identification information (driver ID) in the driver information recorded by the driver information recording unit 42.

[0038] Next, if the determination unit 52 determines that the driver information recording unit 42 contains driver identification information, the setting unit 51 sets the deceleration at accelerator release to a value corresponding to the driver identification information (driver ID) of the driver determined by the determination unit 52 (step S11). Note that if the determination unit 52 determines that the driver information recording unit 42 does not contain driver identification information, the setting unit 51 sets the deceleration at accelerator release to an initial value. Specifically, the setting unit 51 sets the initial deceleration setting for accelerator release to the highest deceleration value.

[0039] Steps S12 to S15 correspond to steps S2 to S5 in Fig. 2, respectively, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. After step S15, the acceleration / deceleration control device 1A proceeds to step S16.

[0040] In step S16, the recording control unit 55 associates the current deceleration when the accelerator is released with the driver identification information and records them in the driver information recording unit 42. After step S16, the acceleration / deceleration control device 1A ends this process.

[0041] According to the second embodiment described above, when the driver identification information is determined by the determination unit 52, the setting unit 51 sets the deceleration at the time of accelerator release that is linked to the driver (driver identification information), so that a deceleration suitable for the driver can be set at the start immediately after the IG is turned on. (Other forms) Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0042] Although some of the embodiments of the present application have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that have undergone various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the disclosure of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1,1A Acceleration / Deceleration Control Device 2. Detection device 3. Drive unit 4,4A Recording section 5,5A control device 6 Driver detection device 41 Frequency information recording section 42 Driver information recording unit 51 Setting section 52 Judgment section 53 Calculation section 54 Changes 55 Recording control section

Claims

1. An acceleration / deceleration control device that controls acceleration / deceleration of a vehicle with one pedal, a processor; The processor: When the vehicle is decelerating, if there is a high frequency of accelerator re-on operations immediately after a time within which the vehicle can be recognized by a person after an accelerator release operation, the deceleration rate for accelerator release is changed from the initial value to a weaker value, whereas if there is a low frequency of accelerator re-on operations immediately after a time within which the vehicle can be recognized by a person, the deceleration rate for accelerator release is changed from the initial value to a stronger value. Acceleration and deceleration control device.

2. 2. The acceleration / deceleration control device according to claim 1, The processor: Set the initial deceleration rate at accelerator release to the highest value. Acceleration and deceleration control device.

3. 2. The acceleration / deceleration control device according to claim 1, The processor: setting the deceleration rate at the time of accelerator release to a deceleration rate at the time of accelerator release corresponding to driver identification information that identifies a driver who drives the vehicle; Acceleration and deceleration control device.

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