Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of reporting a behavior of an own vehicle to the other vehicles or pedestrians around the own vehicle while reducing a burden of a driver.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device capable of executing automatic start control for automatically starting an own vehicle comprises: a target object determination section for determining whether or not a target object going to cross ahead of the own vehicle is detected while the own vehicle is stopped; and a vehicle control section which executes passing of the own vehicle and reserves the automatic start of the own vehicle when the target object is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-002370 is a known technical document relating to a vehicle control device. This publication discloses a headlamp control device that automatically turns on the headlamp of a vehicle when the headlamp of the vehicle is turned off and the vehicle starts moving from a stopped state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-002370 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, vehicle control devices have become known that can execute automatic start control, which automatically starts a vehicle stopped on a road when a predetermined condition is met. Incidentally, a stopped vehicle may operate its lights to inform surrounding vehicles and pedestrians of its own behavior. However, requiring the driver to inform surroundings of the vehicle's behavior even when the automatic start control automatically determines whether the vehicle should start is a burden on the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device capable of executing automatic start control to automatically start a vehicle, and includes a target object determination unit that determines whether a target object attempting to cross in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is stopped, and a vehicle control unit that, when a target object is detected, executes passing of the vehicle's lights and suspends automatic start of the vehicle.

[0006] According to one aspect of the vehicle control device of the present invention, when a target object attempting to cross in front of a stopped vehicle is detected, the vehicle's flashing lights are automatically activated and the automatic start of the vehicle is suspended, thereby reducing the burden on the driver compared to when the driver manually performs the flashing operation and communicating the vehicle's behavior to other vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity.

[0007] In one aspect of the vehicle control device of the present invention, a traffic light recognition unit is further provided that recognizes the lighting status of a traffic light in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is stopped, and the vehicle control unit does not have to perform passing of the vehicle when the lighting status of the traffic light is in a no-passing state even if a target object is detected.

[0008] In a vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control unit may not perform passing of the vehicle when a preceding vehicle is stopped in front of the vehicle, even if a target object is detected.

[0009] In a vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control unit may not perform passing of the vehicle even if a target object is detected if the auto light function of the vehicle is not enabled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to each aspect of the present invention, it is possible to notify surrounding vehicles and pedestrians of the behavior of the vehicle while reducing the burden on the driver. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of automatic start control of the vehicle control device. [Figure 3] 10A is a flowchart illustrating an example of a first automatic passing prohibition process, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart illustrating an example of a second automatic passing prohibition process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device 100 according to one embodiment. The vehicle control device 100 shown in Fig. 1 is a device that is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car and controls the vehicle's running and lighting devices. Hereinafter, the vehicle on which the vehicle control device 100 is mounted will be referred to as the host vehicle.

[0014] [Vehicle control device configuration] The configuration of a vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 100 includes a vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 that performs overall device management. The vehicle control ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit. The storage unit includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The vehicle control ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, executing programs stored in the storage unit by the CPU. The vehicle control ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic units. An external sensor 1, an internal sensor 2, a drive mechanism 3, and a lighting mechanism 4 are connected to the vehicle control ECU 10.

[0015] The external sensor 1 is a detection device that detects the situation around the vehicle, and includes at least one of a camera and a radar sensor.

[0016] The camera is an imaging device that captures images of the external conditions of the vehicle. The camera is provided, for example, behind the windshield of the vehicle and captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle. The camera transmits the captured images of the external conditions of the vehicle to the vehicle control ECU 10. The radar sensor is a detection device that detects objects around the vehicle using radio waves (for example, millimeter waves) or light. Radar sensors include, for example, millimeter wave radar or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The radar sensor transmits information about the detected objects to the vehicle control ECU 10.

[0017] The internal sensor 2 is a detection device that detects the traveling state of the host vehicle. The internal sensor 2 includes a vehicle speed sensor and an acceleration sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of the host vehicle. The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of the host vehicle. The internal sensor 2 may include a yaw rate sensor. The internal sensor 2 transmits information such as the detected vehicle speed to the vehicle control ECU 10.

[0018] The drive mechanism 3 is a device used to control the host vehicle. The drive mechanism 3 includes at least a drive actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The drive actuator controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) in response to a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10, thereby controlling the driving force of the host vehicle. If the host vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle), in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the driving force. If the host vehicle is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the driving force.

[0019] The brake actuator controls a brake system in response to a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle. The brake system may be, for example, a hydraulic brake system. The steering actuator controls the drive of an assist motor that controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10. In this way, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle.

[0020] The lighting mechanism 4 is a mechanism including lighting devices such as headlights of the host vehicle. The lighting mechanism 4 executes an auto light function, a passing function, and the like in response to a control signal from the vehicle control ECU 10.

[0021] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the vehicle control ECU 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control ECU 10 has a vehicle stop determination unit 11, a target object determination unit 12, a traffic light recognition unit 13, and a vehicle control unit 14.

[0022] The vehicle stop determination unit 11 determines whether the host vehicle is stopped or not based on the detection result of the internal sensor 2. For example, the vehicle stop determination unit 11 determines that the host vehicle is stopped when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is less than a stop threshold. The stop threshold is set to an appropriate value for stop determination.

[0023] The target object determination unit 12 determines whether or not a target object attempting to cross in front of the host vehicle has been detected while the host vehicle is stopped. The target object may be another vehicle crossing in front of the host vehicle to turn right, or a pedestrian crossing in front of the host vehicle. The target object determination unit 12 determines whether or not a target object has been detected based on the detection results of the external sensor 1 (detection results of the radar sensor and images captured by the camera).

[0024] The traffic light recognition unit 13 recognizes the lighting state of a traffic light ahead of the vehicle based on the detection result of the external sensor 1 (for example, an image captured by a camera). The traffic light recognition unit 13 recognizes whether the lighting state of the traffic light is a passage permitting state (for example, a green light) or a passage prohibiting state (for example, a red light). Note that the vehicle control ECU 10 does not necessarily need to have the traffic light recognition unit 13.

[0025] When automatic start control of the host vehicle is permitted by the driver, the vehicle control unit 14 executes automatic start of the host vehicle when automatic start conditions are satisfied while the host vehicle is stopped. The automatic start conditions are preset conditions. The automatic start conditions include, for example, that the driver has released his / her foot from the brake pedal, that the preceding vehicle has already started, and that the driver is holding the steering wheel. The automatic start conditions are not limited to the above, and any well-known condition related to automatic start can be adopted. The vehicle control unit 14 executes automatic start of the host vehicle by sending a control signal to the drive mechanism 3.

[0026] When a target object attempting to cross in front of the host vehicle is detected while the host vehicle is stopped, the vehicle control unit 14 automatically flashes the headlights of the host vehicle and suspends the automatic start of the host vehicle. The vehicle control unit 14 transmits a control signal to the lighting mechanism 4 to cause the host vehicle to flash the headlights. This enables the host vehicle to communicate to other vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity that the host vehicle has no intention of starting. Note that the suspension of automatic start may be such that automatic start is temporarily prohibited upon detection of the target object, or such that the automatic start conditions are no longer satisfied upon detection of the target object.

[0027] The vehicle control unit 14 may prohibit automatic passing if the auto light function of the host vehicle is not permitted. The auto light function is a function that automatically turns on and off headlights and other lighting devices according to the ambient brightness. If the driver wishes to manually control the lighting devices, the driver's intention can be met by prohibiting automatic passing.

[0028] The vehicle control unit 14 may prohibit automatic passing if it determines, based on the detection results of the external sensor 1, that a preceding vehicle is stopped in front of the host vehicle. The preceding vehicle may be, for example, another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle at a certain distance from the host vehicle. The certain distance may be 0.5 m, 1 m, or 1.5 m. Alternatively, the preceding vehicle may be another vehicle that the host vehicle is subject to tracking control. This prevents inappropriate automatic passing, since it is inappropriate to flash the light even if a motorcycle or other vehicle attempting to pass between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is detected as a target object during traffic congestion.

[0029] The vehicle control unit 14 may prohibit automatic passing when the traffic light recognition unit 13 determines that the lighting state of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle is in a no-pass state. When the traffic light ahead is in a no-pass state, it is not appropriate to flash the lights even if a target object such as a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk in front of the vehicle is detected, so inappropriate automatic passing can be avoided.

[0030] [Control method for vehicle control device] Next, a control method of the vehicle control device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the automatic start control of the vehicle control device 100. The automatic start control may be repeated at regular intervals.

[0031] 2, in S10, the vehicle control ECU 10 of the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle is stopped by the vehicle stop determination unit 11. If the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that the host vehicle is stopped (S10: YES), the process proceeds to S11. If the vehicle control ECU 10 does not determine that the host vehicle is stopped (S10: NO), the vehicle control ECU 10 ends the current automatic start control.

[0032] In S11, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines whether or not a target object attempting to cross in front of the host vehicle has been detected by the target object determination unit 12. If the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that a target object has been detected (S11: YES), the process proceeds to S12. If the vehicle control ECU 10 does not determine that a target object has been detected (S11: NO), the process proceeds to S13.

[0033] In S12, the vehicle control ECU 10 executes automatic passing by the vehicle control unit 14. The vehicle control unit 14 executes passing by the headlights of the host vehicle by sending a control signal to the lighting mechanism 4. The vehicle control unit 14 puts the host vehicle on hold without executing automatic starting. Thereafter, the vehicle control ECU 10 ends this automatic starting control. The vehicle control ECU 10 may not start the automatic starting control until a preset time has elapsed, and may repeat the processing from S10 after the set time has elapsed.

[0034] In S13, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines whether the automatic start condition is satisfied by the vehicle control unit 14. If it is determined that the automatic start condition is satisfied (S13: YES), the vehicle control ECU 10 proceeds to S14. If it is not determined that the automatic start condition is satisfied (S13: NO), the vehicle control ECU 10 ends the current automatic start control.

[0035] In S14, the vehicle control ECU 10 causes the vehicle control unit 14 to automatically start the host vehicle. The vehicle control unit 14 executes the automatic start of the host vehicle by sending a control signal to the drive mechanism 3. Thereafter, the vehicle control ECU 10 ends the current automatic start control.

[0036] Next, the first automatic passing prohibition process will be described with reference to Fig. 3(a). Fig. 3(a) is a flowchart showing an example of the first automatic passing prohibition process. The first automatic passing prohibition process is executed when the automatic start control of Fig. 2 can be executed.

[0037] 3(a), in S20, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines whether the auto light function of the host vehicle is permitted by the vehicle control unit 14. If the auto light function of the host vehicle is not permitted (S20: YES), the vehicle control ECU 10 proceeds to S21. If the auto light function of the host vehicle is permitted (S20: NO), the vehicle control ECU 10 ends the first automatic passing prohibition process.

[0038] In S21, the vehicle control ECU 10 prohibits the automatic passing of the vehicle by the vehicle control unit 14. The vehicle control unit 14 does not perform the automatic passing of the vehicle even if a target object is detected.

[0039] The second automatic passing prohibition process will be described with reference to Fig. 3(b). Fig. 3(b) is a flowchart showing an example of the second automatic passing prohibition process. The second automatic passing prohibition process is executed when the automatic start control of Fig. 2 can be executed.

[0040] 3(b), in S30, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines whether the preceding vehicle is stopped by the vehicle control unit 14. If the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that the preceding vehicle is not stopped (S30: NO), the vehicle control ECU 10 proceeds to S31. If the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that the preceding vehicle is stopped (S30: YES), the vehicle control ECU 10 proceeds to S32.

[0041] In S31, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines whether the lighting state of the traffic light ahead of the host vehicle is a passage prohibition state using the traffic light recognition unit 13. If there is no traffic light within a certain distance ahead of the host vehicle, the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that the lighting state of the traffic light is not a passage prohibition state. If the vehicle control ECU 10 determines that the lighting state of the traffic light is a passage prohibition state (S31: YES), the vehicle control ECU 10 proceeds to S32. If the vehicle control ECU 10 does not determine that the lighting state of the traffic light is a passage prohibition state (S31: NO), the second automatic passing prohibition process ends.

[0042] In S32, the vehicle control ECU 10 prohibits the vehicle control unit 14 from performing automatic passing. The vehicle control unit 14 does not perform automatic passing even when a target object is detected. The first automatic passing prohibition process in FIG. 3(a) and the second automatic passing prohibition process in FIG. 3(b) described above may be incorporated as part of the automatic start control in FIG. 2.

[0043] According to the vehicle control device 100 of this embodiment described above, when a target object attempting to cross in front of the vehicle is detected while the vehicle is stopped, the vehicle's flashing lights are executed and the automatic start of the vehicle is suspended. This reduces the burden on the driver compared to when the driver performs the flashing operation, while also making it possible to communicate the behavior of the vehicle to other vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity.

[0044] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 100 prohibits automatic passing when the auto light function of the vehicle is not permitted, thereby complying with the driver's intentions by not performing automatic passing when the driver intends to turn off the auto light function and manually control the lighting devices.

[0045] In addition, the vehicle control device 100 prohibits automatic passing when it determines that a preceding vehicle is stopped in front of the vehicle, thereby avoiding inappropriate automatic passing when a motorcycle or other object attempting to slip between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle in a traffic jam is detected as a target object.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 100 prohibits automatic passing when it determines that the lighting state of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle is in a no-pass state, thereby making it possible to avoid inappropriate automatic passing when a target object such as a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk in front of the vehicle stopped at the traffic light is detected.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms, including the above-described embodiments, with various modifications and improvements made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0048] The vehicle control device 100 does not necessarily have to have the traffic light recognition unit 13, and traffic light recognition is not essential. The vehicle control device 100 does not necessarily have to restrict the automatic passing function depending on whether the auto light function is permitted. The vehicle control device 100 does not necessarily have to restrict the automatic passing function depending on whether the preceding vehicle is stopped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...external sensor, 2...internal sensor, 3...drive mechanism, 4...lighting mechanism, 10...vehicle control ECU, 11...stop determination unit, 12...target object determination unit, 13...traffic light recognition unit, 14...vehicle control unit, 100...vehicle control device

Claims

1. A vehicle control device capable of executing automatic start control to automatically start a host vehicle, a target object determination unit that determines whether or not a target object attempting to cross in front of the host vehicle has been detected while the host vehicle is stopped; a vehicle control unit that, when the target object is detected, executes a passing light of the host vehicle and suspends automatic starting of the host vehicle; A vehicle control device comprising:

2. a traffic light recognition unit that recognizes a lighting state of a traffic light ahead of the vehicle while the vehicle is stopped; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit does not execute a passing light of the host vehicle when the traffic light is in a no-passing state even when the target object is detected.

3. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit does not execute a flashing of the host vehicle when a preceding vehicle is stopped in front of the host vehicle, even if the target object is detected.

4. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit does not execute passing of the vehicle when an auto light function of the vehicle is not enabled, even if the target object is detected.

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