Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a control device capable of proposing user settings suitable for individual users at an appropriate timing when an ACC function is performed.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes: an ACC control part 21; a route storage part 22 that stores a travel route in which a vehicle has traveled; an ACC history storage part 23 that stores actuation history of an ACC function including user setting information when the ACC function is actuated in association with the travel route; an environment information acquisition part 26 that acquires environment information in the periphery of the vehicle; a setting proposal part 24 that proposes user setting proposal of the ACC function on the basis of the actuation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage part 23; an ACC setting determination part 25 that, when the user setting proposal by the setting proposal part 24 is accepted by a user, determines the user setting proposal as user settings; and a timing determination part 27 that determines a presentation timing of presenting the user setting proposal by the setting proposal part 24 on the basis of the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition part 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device configured to perform an adaptive cruise control function. [Background technology]

[0002] To assist the driver in driving, an adaptive cruise control (ACC) function is known that controls the distance between vehicles so that the vehicle travels while maintaining an appropriate distance. When the ACC function is running, the vehicle's acceleration and deceleration are controlled so that it follows the vehicle ahead while maintaining the set distance set by the driver, and if there is no vehicle ahead, the vehicle is controlled to travel at a set speed set by the driver.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle, sets a suggested set vehicle speed based on a number indicating a speed limit, a turning speed limit, and a traffic flow speed, and displays the set suggested set vehicle speed on a head-up display. This device is configured to change the set vehicle speed of the ACC function to the value indicated by the suggested set vehicle speed when an authorization signal is input from an authorization switch after the suggested set vehicle speed is displayed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-215769 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Normally, when executing the ACC function, the driver must manually determine the set vehicle speed, set following distance, etc., by operating a switch, etc. For example, the user-set vehicle speed is determined by the driver operating a switch after accelerating to the desired vehicle speed, or by the driver setting the desired vehicle speed by operating a switch. In other words, to execute the ACC function, the driver must perform complicated manual operations to determine the set vehicle speed and set following distance.

[0006] Therefore, the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 sets a suggested set vehicle speed based on the speed limit indicated by a speed limit sign, the vehicle speed at which the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle when traveling around a curve reaches a predetermined upper limit lateral acceleration, and the speed of the flow of vehicles traveling around the vehicle. However, the suggested set vehicle speed set by the vehicle control device of Patent Document 1 does not take into account the driver's wishes, and therefore does not necessarily match the vehicle speed desired by the driver. Furthermore, the vehicle control device of Patent Document 1 does not take into account the timing of displaying the suggested set vehicle speed on the head-up display.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to enable the driver to perform complicated operations to determine user settings when executing the ACC function, while being able to suggest user settings suitable for each individual user at the appropriate time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device includes an ACC control unit configured to execute an ACC function, in accordance with user settings including a set vehicle speed and a set inter-vehicle distance that can be set by a user, to maintain a set vehicle speed and travel at a constant speed when there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and to maintain the set inter-vehicle distance and travel to follow the preceding vehicle when there is a preceding vehicle; a route storage unit configured to store a travel route traveled by the vehicle; an ACC history storage unit configured to store an operation history of the ACC function, including user setting information including the set vehicle speed and the set inter-vehicle distance when the ACC function was activated, in association with the travel route; and a control unit configured to acquire environmental information around the vehicle. a setting proposal unit configured to propose user settings for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit; an ACC setting determination unit configured to determine, when the user approves the user settings proposal by the setting proposal unit, the user settings as the user settings; and a timing determination unit configured to determine, based on the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit, a presentation timing for presenting the user settings proposal by the setting proposal unit, wherein the setting proposal unit presents the user settings proposal at the presentation timing determined by the timing determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The vehicle control device according to the present invention can propose user settings suitable for individual users at appropriate timing when executing the ACC function, while reducing the complicated operations required of the driver to determine user settings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the user setting determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system 1 including a control device according to this embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to execute an ACC function that, according to user settings, maintains a set vehicle speed and performs constant speed driving when there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and maintains a set inter-vehicle distance and performs following driving when there is a preceding vehicle in the lane.

[0012] 1, the control system 1 includes a control device 20. The control system 1 may also optionally include an imaging device 11, an obstacle detection device 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13 that detects the vehicle speed, an operation input device 14, a positioning device 15, a map information database 16, a display device 30, a braking device 40, and a driving device 50.

[0013] The imaging device 11 is configured to capture an image of the area ahead of the vehicle. The imaging device 11 is configured as a digital camera having an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS, and is configured to output information of the area ahead of the vehicle as a still image and / or a video. The image data of the area ahead captured by the imaging device 11 is input to the control device 20.

[0014] The obstacle detection device 12 is configured to detect an obstacle (e.g., a preceding vehicle) ahead of the vehicle and measure the relative distance (inter-vehicle distance) between the vehicle and the obstacle. For example, a millimeter-wave radar, a sonar sensor, or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) can be used as the obstacle detection device 12. The distance measurement by the obstacle detection device 12 is dynamically performed at a predetermined measurement period. The imaging device 11 can also be used as the obstacle detection device 12. The distance between the vehicle and the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 12 is input to the control device 20.

[0015] The operation input device 14 is configured to accept various operation inputs to the control device 20 by a user, for example, a driver. The operation input device 14 has, for example, an ACC switch operated by the driver to switch the ACC function on and off, a vehicle speed setting switch for setting the vehicle speed in the ACC function, a distance setting switch for setting the following distance in the ACC function, and an approval switch operated by the driver to approve a user setting proposal (described later). The operation input device 14 can be configured, for example, as a steering switch installed on a steering wheel. The operation input device 14 may also be configured, for example, as a touch panel integrated with the display of the display device 30 (described later). Furthermore, the operation input device 14 may be configured so that multiple functions are assigned to one switch.

[0016] The positioning device 15 is configured to acquire vehicle position information based on information from, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), etc. The vehicle position information acquired by the positioning device 15 and the map information in the map information database 16 are input to the control device 20.

[0017] The control device 20 is configured from a computer including, for example, a ROM that stores programs and data, a CPU that performs arithmetic processing, a RAM that stores dynamic data and arithmetic processing results, an input / output interface, etc. The control device 20 is configured to execute functions such as an ACC control unit 21, a route storage unit 22, an ACC history storage unit 23, a setting suggestion unit 24, an ACC setting determination unit 25, an environmental information acquisition unit 26, and a timing determination unit 27, and to control the entire vehicle control system 1. Details of the control in the control device 20 will be described later.

[0018] The display device 30 is configured to display information in response to commands from the control device 20 and provide information to the vehicle occupants. The display device 30 may have, for example, a liquid crystal display, indicator lights, etc. arranged on an instrument panel at the front of the vehicle, and can provide information to the occupants visually. The display device 30 may be configured, for example, as a display for a navigation system (not shown). As information providing means, a speaker, for example, may be used in addition to or instead of the display device 30, to provide information to the occupants auditorily.

[0019] The braking device 40 is a braking device that generates braking force according to the amount of depression of the brake pedal (not shown) by the driver, and is equipped with a brake controller and a brake actuator for generating braking force according to a braking command from the vehicle system or the control device 20.

[0020] The drive unit 50 is configured to generate a drive force for running the vehicle, and includes an engine controller (not shown) that controls the drive force in accordance with the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver or in accordance with a control command from the control device 20. Note that the drive unit 50 of the vehicle may be, for example, an internal combustion engine, a motor, or the like.

[0021] Next, the control in the control device 20 will be described in detail. The control device 20 is configured so that the ACC control unit 21 executes the ACC function in accordance with user settings based on image data of the area ahead of the vehicle input from the imaging device 11 and the distance to an obstacle input from the obstacle detection device 12. In order to execute the ACC function, the ACC control unit 21 controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle based on user settings input from the operation input device 14 while the ACC function is on. The ACC function is configured to operate within a predetermined vehicle speed range (for example, approximately 0 km / h to approximately 120 km / h). The ACC function is also configured to temporarily stop operation when the accelerator pedal is operated, and to stop operation when the brake pedal is operated.

[0022] When there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the ACC control unit 21 controls the braking unit 40 and the drive unit 50 to travel at a constant speed in accordance with a set vehicle speed (target vehicle speed) input from the operation input device 14. Furthermore, when the ACC function is on and there is a preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the ACC control unit 21 controls the braking unit 40 and the drive unit 50 to follow the preceding vehicle while maintaining the set inter-vehicle distance input from the operation input device 14.

[0023] Here, the user settings of the ACC function are settings of the ACC function that can be set by a user, for example, a driver, and include a set vehicle speed and a set following distance. The user settings may further include vehicle acceleration for achieving the set vehicle speed and the set following distance. The driver determines the user settings, including the set vehicle speed and the set following distance, by manually operating the operation input device 14 while the ACC function is turned on. For example, the driver can determine the set vehicle speed by operating the accelerator pedal to adjust the vehicle speed to a desired speed and then operating the operation input device 14, or by operating the operation input device 14 to select a desired vehicle speed.

[0024] The driver can determine the set inter-vehicle distance by operating the operation input device 14 to select the desired inter-vehicle distance. The driver selects the desired set inter-vehicle distance from three levels of inter-vehicle distances, for example, long, medium, and short. The set inter-vehicle distance is not limited to three levels, and options such as seven levels may be provided to allow for more detailed settings, or an arbitrary inter-vehicle distance may be set.

[0025] In this way, the driver must determine user settings, including the set vehicle speed and set following distance, by manually operating the operation input device 14 when he or she wishes to execute the ACC function. The vehicle speed and following distance must be set by manually operating the operation input device 14, which requires the driver to perform cumbersome operations to execute the ACC function. If the driver finds the cumbersome manual operations for user settings burdensome and does not use the ACC function, the ACC function provided in the vehicle cannot be effectively utilized.

[0026] Therefore, the vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to determine user settings suitable for each individual user at an appropriate timing when executing the ACC function, while reducing the complicated operations by the driver to determine the user settings. Specifically, the control device 20 proposes user settings for the ACC function to the driver at a timing when the driver is expected to want to set them, based on the driver's past operation history of the ACC function. When the driver approves the proposed user settings, the control device 20 determines the proposed settings as the user settings and executes the ACC function by the ACC control unit 21. The proposal of user settings by the control device 20 will be described in detail below.

[0027] First, the route storage unit 22 is configured to store the travel route traveled by the vehicle. The route storage unit 22 stores the travel route traveled by the vehicle based on, for example, vehicle position information input from the positioning device 15 and map information input from the map information database 16. The travel route stored in the route storage unit 22 is information on roads on which the vehicle has traveled in the past, and is information indicating the travel experience of the vehicle.

[0028] The ACC history storage unit 23 is configured to store, in association with a driving route, an ACC function operation history, including operation information indicating whether the vehicle has turned the ACC function on / off and user setting information, including the set vehicle speed and set following distance when the ACC function was activated. The ACC function operation history stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 also includes the operation start position on the driving route where the ACC function was turned on. In other words, the ACC history storage unit 23 stores, for each driving route that the vehicle has traveled in the past, the ACC function operation history, such as whether the ACC function was used and, if so, what user settings were used for the ACC function. The ACC function operation history is information on the ACC function operation experience, indicating how the vehicle has operated the ACC function.

[0029] The setting suggestion unit 24 is configured to present user setting suggestions for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 when the vehicle is currently traveling along a route stored in the route storage unit 22. That is, when the vehicle is traveling along a route that has been traveled in the past using the ACC function, the setting suggestion unit 24 suggests user settings to the driver to improve the convenience of the ACC function. The setting suggestion unit 24 determines the content of the user settings to be proposed based on various information, and displays the user setting suggestions on the display device 30 to present them to the driver at a presentation timing determined by the timing determination unit 27, which will be described later.

[0030] The setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether the vehicle's driving environment is suitable for using the ACC function, i.e., whether the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions for the ACC function are met, based on the following information: (i) The current route is a route that you have previously traveled. (ii) The operation history of the ACC function is stored in association with the driving route. (iii) The user-specified vehicle speed is equal to or less than the speed limit. (iv) There is no traffic congestion. (v) No bad weather

[0031] The setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions are met when the conditions (i) to (v) are met. Note that the information on (iii) the speed limit, (iv) the traffic congestion state, and (v) bad weather are optional conditions, and the setting suggestion unit 24 may determine whether the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions are met without taking this information into consideration.

[0032] When the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the above suggestion conditions are met, it determines the content of the user setting suggestion and presents it to the driver. The setting suggestion unit 24 can determine the content of the user setting suggestion based on, for example, the following information: (a) User setting information for past ACC functions (b) Speed ​​limit information (c) Traffic congestion information (d) Weather information

[0033] The setting suggestion unit 24 basically determines the content of the user setting suggestion using (a) past user setting information of the ACC function. The setting suggestion unit 24 can further determine the content of the user setting suggestion suitable for the current situation by taking into account environmental information around the vehicle acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 26, i.e., (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information. These environmental information, i.e., (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information, are also suggestion conditions for presenting the user setting suggestion, as described above. Furthermore, these environmental information can also be said to be timing conditions for determining the presentation timing for presenting the user setting suggestion, which will be described later.

[0034] The environmental information acquisition unit 26 is configured to acquire environmental information about the environment around the vehicle. The environmental information acquisition unit 26 can acquire, as the environmental information about the environment around the vehicle, for example, vehicle position information input from the positioning device 15. The environmental information acquisition unit 26 can include a speed limit acquisition unit 26a, a traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b, and a weather information acquisition unit 26c.

[0035] The speed limit acquisition unit 26a is configured to acquire the speed limit designated for the road on the travel route. The speed limit acquisition unit 26a can recognize road signs specifying the speed limit from, for example, image data of the area ahead of the vehicle captured by the imaging device 11, and acquire the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. If speed limit information is also stored in the map information database 16, the speed limit acquisition unit 26a may acquire the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the vehicle position information acquired by the positioning device 15 and the map information in the map information database 16.

[0036] The traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b is configured to acquire information about traffic congestion occurring ahead of the vehicle. The traffic congestion information includes whether or not traffic congestion has occurred ahead of the vehicle and, if traffic congestion has occurred, the length of the traffic congestion. In other words, the traffic congestion information includes the start and end points of the traffic congestion. The traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b can acquire traffic congestion information ahead of the vehicle by receiving traffic congestion information distributed from, for example, a VICS (registered trademark) center. The traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b may recognize whether traffic congestion has occurred based on image data of the area ahead of the vehicle captured by the imaging device 11.

[0037] The weather information acquisition unit 26c is configured to acquire weather information about the surroundings of the vehicle. The weather information acquisition unit 26c can acquire information about bad weather with poor visibility, such as rain, snow, or fog, based on, for example, image data about the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the imaging device 11. The weather information acquisition unit 26c may acquire information about whether it is raining or snowing, for example, from the operating state of the windshield wipers (not shown).

[0038] The following describes in detail how the setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether the suggestion conditions for user setting suggestions are met and how it determines the suggestion contents.

[0039] (a) User setting information for past ACC functions When the vehicle is traveling on a route that has been traveled in the past using the ACC function, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines, as a user setting suggestion, user settings similar to the past user settings of the ACC function, i.e., a set vehicle speed and a set inter-vehicle distance, based on the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. This user setting suggestion is determined on the assumption that, when traveling on a route that has been traveled in the past using the ACC function, the driver expects to operate the ACC function in the same way as in the past experience.

[0040] When the vehicle has traveled using the ACC function a predetermined number of times or more on the same travel route, the setting suggestion unit 24 may determine, as suggested user settings, user settings similar to the past user settings of the ACC function, i.e., the set vehicle speed and set following distance, based on the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. Here, the predetermined number of times may be an appropriate number of times, such as 3 to 4 times. The setting suggestion unit 24 may calculate a mode from the distribution of the set vehicle speed when the ACC function was used multiple times in the past, and determine the calculated mode as the suggested user setting for the set vehicle speed. Similarly, the setting suggestion unit 24 may calculate a mode from the distribution of the set following distance when the ACC function was used multiple times in the past, and determine the calculated mode as the suggested user setting for the set following distance.

[0041] The setting suggestion unit 24 may also identify trends in user settings from past operation history of the ACC function and determine the content of user setting suggestions. For example, when it is possible to identify trends in user settings of the ACC function for the same driving route based on the driving route stored in the route storage unit 22 and the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit 23, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines user setting suggestions based on the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 in association with the same driving route.

[0042] Here, the tendency of the user settings is determined to be identifiable if similar user settings were selected multiple times in the past when the ACC function was used, but it is determined that the tendency of the user settings is not identifiable if the user settings selected multiple times in the past when the ACC function was used vary greatly. For example, for the set vehicle speed, the standard deviation is calculated from the distribution of set vehicle speeds when the ACC function was used in the past, and if the calculated standard deviation is smaller than a predetermined value and the variation in set vehicle speeds is small, it can be determined that the tendency of the user settings is identifiable. In this case, too, the setting suggestion unit 24 can determine the most frequent set vehicle speed and the most frequent set vehicle distance as the user setting suggestions.

[0043] If the number of times the ACC function has been activated on the same driving route is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and / or if the user setting trend on the same driving route can be identified, and if the user setting proposals are not accepted by the driver consecutively after the user setting proposals are presented as described above, the setting proposal unit 24 may reset the number of times the ACC function has been activated on the same driving route and the user setting trend.If the driver consecutively does not accept the user setting proposals based on the past user setting trend, it is considered that the driver's preferences regarding user settings have changed, and the ACC function operation history is reset so as not to present user setting proposals that are undesirable to the driver.

[0044] (b) Speed ​​limit information The setting suggestion unit 24 may determine the content of the user setting proposal taking into consideration information about the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. When the vehicle is traveling on a travel route stored in the route storage unit 22, the setting suggestion unit 24 can determine, as the content of the user setting proposal, the smaller of the set vehicle speed included in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 and the speed limit of the travel route. When the vehicle has traveled the same travel route multiple times using the ACC function, the setting suggestion unit 24 can determine, for example, the most frequent set vehicle speed in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 as the user setting proposal.

[0045] (c) Traffic congestion information The setting suggestion unit 24 may determine the content of the user setting suggestion, specifically, whether to present the user setting suggestion, taking into account information about traffic congestion on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. When traffic congestion occurs ahead of the vehicle, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for making the user setting suggestion are not met and does not present the user setting suggestion. This is because, when traffic congestion occurs, even if the ACC function is activated, it is considered that the set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance set when the ACC function was used in the past when there was no traffic congestion cannot be achieved. When traffic congestion does not occur ahead of the vehicle, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for making the user setting suggestion are met and presents the user setting suggestion. That is, the setting suggestion unit 24 is configured to determine whether the suggestion conditions for presenting the user setting suggestion are met depending on whether traffic congestion exists and to determine whether to present the user setting suggestion.

[0046] The setting suggestion unit 24 may determine whether a suggestion condition for making a user setting suggestion is met, taking into account the length of the traffic jam acquired by the traffic jam information acquisition unit 26b. For example, the setting suggestion unit 24 calculates an ACC activation section where the ACC function was previously activated on the driving route on which the vehicle is currently traveling. The ACC activation section is a range from a point where the ACC function was turned on to a point where it was turned off on a driving route on which the vehicle has previously traveled. The setting suggestion unit 24 further acquires, from the traffic jam information acquisition unit 26b, a section (length) of traffic jam occurring on the driving route on which the vehicle is currently traveling, regarding traffic jams ahead of the vehicle.

[0047] If the ratio of congested sections to ACC operating sections is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions are met, and presents the user setting suggestions. On the other hand, if the ratio of congested sections to ACC operating sections exceeds a predetermined ratio, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that a congestion state has occurred and the suggestion conditions for making user setting suggestions are not met, and does not present the user setting suggestions. If the ratio of congested sections among ACC operating sections that have been traveled in the past using the ACC function on the travel route on which the vehicle is traveling is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, the congested sections are relatively short compared to the ACC operating sections, and it is therefore considered that the vehicle speed and inter-vehicle distance proposed by the user setting suggestions can be achieved.

[0048] On the other hand, if the proportion of congested sections in the ACC operating section exceeds a predetermined proportion, the congested section is relatively long compared to the ACC operating section, and the vehicle will soon enter the congested section, making it highly likely that the vehicle speed and following distance suggested by the user setting will not be achieved. Therefore, the setting suggestion unit 24 is configured to determine whether to present user setting suggestions based on the proportion of congested sections in the ACC operating section. Here, the predetermined proportion can be, for example, approximately 30% to approximately 70%, and can be, for example, approximately 50%.

[0049] (d) Weather information The setting suggestion unit 24 may determine the content of the user setting suggestion, specifically, whether to present the user setting suggestion, taking into account information about the weather around the vehicle. If the weather information indicates bad weather, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for making the user setting suggestion are not met and does not present the user setting suggestion. In bad weather, drivers generally tend to select a "long" following distance. This may differ from the following distance set in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. Therefore, in order to avoid proposing a user setting that differs from the driver's preference, the setting suggestion unit 24 does not present the user setting suggestion in bad weather. If the weather information is not bad weather, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion conditions for making the user setting suggestion are met and presents the user setting suggestion. That is, the setting suggestion unit 24 is configured to determine whether to present the user setting suggestion depending on whether the weather is bad.

[0050] The setting suggestion unit 24 may determine the content of the user setting suggestion based only on (a) past user setting information of the ACC function, or may determine the content of the user setting suggestion by combining (a) past user setting information of the ACC function with at least one of (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information.

[0051] The timing determination unit 27 is configured to determine the presentation timing for presenting user setting suggestions by the setting suggestion unit 24, based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 26. The environmental information includes the following (A) to (D). (A) Vehicle location information (B) Speed ​​limit information (C) Traffic congestion information (D)Weather information

[0052] The timing determination unit 27 basically determines the presentation timing based on (A) vehicle position information. The timing determination unit 27 can further adjust the presentation timing based on any of (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information. The determination of the presentation timing by the timing determination unit 27 will be described in detail below.

[0053] (A) Vehicle location information The timing determination unit 27 basically determines the presentation timing when the vehicle is currently traveling on a route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on, based on information from the route storage unit 22 and the ACC history storage unit 23. The timing determination unit 27 can determine any timing while traveling on a route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on as the presentation timing. In other words, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing when the current position of the vehicle is at any point on a route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on.

[0054] The timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing at any time while traveling along the travel route or at any point on the travel route when the current position of the vehicle is within a predetermined range including the activation start position where the ACC function was turned on on the travel route. The predetermined range including the activation start position is a range defined between a position a predetermined distance ahead of the activation start position and a position a predetermined distance behind the activation start position. This presentation timing is determined on the assumption that the driver expects the ACC function to be activated near the activation start position where the ACC function was previously turned on.

[0055] The timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing, particularly when the current vehicle position is located in a position before the operation start position within a predetermined range including the operation start position (a position closer to the current vehicle position than the operation start position, i.e., a position forward of the current vehicle position and rearward of the operation start position in the vehicle longitudinal direction). This presentation timing is determined taking into consideration the time lag between presenting the user setting proposal and determining the user setting proposal as the user setting and activating the ACC function. By presenting the user setting proposal at a position before the past operation start position, it is expected that the ACC function will be activated near the past operation start position.

[0056] If the operation start position is on an expressway (including a national expressway and a motorway), the timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing when the vehicle's current position is at an interchange connecting to the expressway. An expressway interchange generally consists of a main lane, a speed change lane, and an access road, and is a facility for entering and exiting the expressway from a general road. If the expressway is a toll road, a toll booth is attached to the interchange. The timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing, for example, when the vehicle's current position is in an acceleration lane for merging into the main lane of the expressway. The timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing when the vehicle's current position is at a position (on an acceleration lane or an access road) a predetermined distance before the main lane of the expressway. Alternatively, the timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing when the vehicle passes through a toll booth at the entrance to the expressway.

[0057] (B) Speed ​​limit information The timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing, for example, any timing while traveling along the travel route described in (A) above, based on the information on the speed limit of the travel route acquired from the speed limit acquisition unit 26a. When the vehicle is traveling along a travel route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing when the speed limit of the travel route is acquired from the speed limit acquisition unit 26a. Furthermore, the timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing again when the speed limit changes while the vehicle is traveling along the travel route. In other words, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing to be the timing when the speed limit specified for the travel route along which the vehicle is traveling is acquired and the timing when the speed limit changes.

[0058] In this way, the timing determination unit 27 can determine, based on the vehicle's position information, the timing at which the speed limit is acquired and the timing at which the speed limit is changed while the vehicle is currently traveling on a route that the vehicle has previously traveled with the ACC function turned on, as the presentation timing. That is, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing by combining (A) the vehicle's position information and (B) the speed limit information.

[0059] (C) Traffic congestion information The timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing, for example, any timing while traveling along the travel route described in (A) above, based on traffic congestion information acquired from the traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b. When a traffic jam occurs ahead of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling along a travel route that the vehicle has previously traveled with the ACC function turned on, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing, but can determine the presentation timing once the traffic congestion is resolved. That is, when a traffic jam occurs ahead of the vehicle, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing so as not to present the user setting suggestion, but determines the presentation timing once the current position of the vehicle passes the end point of the traffic congestion. When a traffic jam occurs, it is considered that the set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance desired by the driver cannot be achieved even if the ACC function is activated. Therefore, the timing determination unit 27 determines the timing when the traffic congestion is resolved as the presentation timing.

[0060] In this way, the timing determination unit 27 can determine, based on the vehicle position information, the timing at which the traffic congestion is resolved as the presentation timing when the vehicle is currently traveling on a route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on. That is, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing by combining (A) the vehicle position information and (C) the traffic congestion information.

[0061] (D)Weather information The timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing, for example, any timing while traveling along the travel route described in (A) above, based on weather information around the vehicle acquired from the weather information acquisition unit 26c. When the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 26c indicates bad weather, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing, and can determine the presentation timing when the weather improves. That is, when the weather is bad with poor visibility, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing so as not to present the user setting suggestions, and determines the presentation timing when the weather improves and visibility improves. When the weather is bad with poor visibility, it is considered that the driver will desire a set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance that are different from those in good weather with good visibility, so the timing determination unit 27 determines the timing when the weather improves as the presentation timing.

[0062] In this way, based on the vehicle's location information, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the timing when the weather improves as the presentation timing when the vehicle is currently traveling on a route that has been traveled with the ACC function turned on. That is, the timing determination unit 27 can determine the presentation timing by combining (A) the vehicle's location information and (D) the weather information.

[0063] The timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing based only on (A) vehicle position information, or may determine the presentation timing by combining (A) vehicle position information with at least one of (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information. Furthermore, if it is determined that the presentation timing should not be determined based on at least one of (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information, the timing determination unit 27 may not determine the presentation timing. For example, if the state transitions from one in which the presentation timing has not been determined based on (C) traffic congestion information and (D) weather information to one in which the traffic congestion has cleared but the bad weather continues, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing, and as a result, the user setting suggestion is not presented.

[0064] The ACC setting determination unit 25 is configured to determine user settings for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 when the vehicle is traveling along a travel route stored in the route storage unit 22. Specifically, when the user setting proposal by the setting proposal unit 24 is accepted by the user, i.e., the driver, the ACC setting determination unit 25 determines the user setting proposal by the setting proposal unit 24 as the user setting. As a result, the ACC function is executed in accordance with the determined user setting.

[0065] When a signal indicating that the approval switch has been operated is transmitted from the operation input device 14 while the user setting proposal is displayed on the display device 30, the ACC setting determination unit 25 determines that the user setting proposal has been approved by the driver. On the other hand, if a signal indicating that the approval switch has been operated is not transmitted from the operation input device 14 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the user setting proposal was displayed, or if a signal indicating disapproval is transmitted, such as when the ACC switch is turned off, the ACC setting determination unit 25 does not determine the user setting proposal proposed by the setting proposal unit 24 as the user setting. In other words, the system does not determine the user setting.

[0066] The flow of the user setting determination process for the ACC function in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows an example of the user setting determination process, which is periodically executed by the control device 20. The process in Fig. 2 starts when, for example, the ACC switch of the operation input device 14 is operated to turn on the ACC function. This process is repeatedly executed until the user setting is determined by the system or the driver and the ACC function starts to be executed.

[0067] In step S101, the setting proposal unit 24 acquires environmental information about the surroundings of the vehicle from the environmental information acquisition unit 26. Specifically, the environmental information acquired includes current vehicle position information input from the positioning device 15, the speed limit specified for the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling acquired by the speed limit acquisition unit 26a, information about traffic congestion occurring ahead of the vehicle acquired by the traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b, and weather information about the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 26c.

[0068] In step S102, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether the driving route the vehicle is currently traveling is a driving route that the vehicle has traveled in the past, based on the current vehicle position information and the driving route stored in the route storage unit 22. If the vehicle is traveling on a driving route that the vehicle has traveled in the past, the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the vehicle is traveling on a driving route that the vehicle has not traveled in the past, the process determines that the suggestion condition for presenting a user setting suggestion is not met, and the process ends without presenting a user setting suggestion.

[0069] In step S103, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether or not an operation history of the ACC function is stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 in relation to the route the vehicle is currently traveling. If an operation history of the ACC function is stored, the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if an operation history of the ACC function is not stored, the process determines that the suggestion condition for presenting a user setting suggestion is not met, and ends this process without presenting a user setting suggestion.

[0070] In step S104, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions are met based on the speed limit, traffic congestion information, and weather information acquired in step S101. If it is determined that the suggestion conditions based on the speed limit, traffic congestion information, and weather information are met, the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if it is determined that the suggestion conditions for presenting user setting suggestions are not met based on at least one of the speed limit, traffic congestion information, and weather information, the process ends without presenting user setting suggestions.

[0071] In step S105, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines the content of the user setting suggestion as described above based on the operation history of the ACC function related to the route on which the vehicle is currently traveling, information on the speed limit, and the like.

[0072] In step S106, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines whether the presentation timing determined by the timing determination unit 27 has arrived. If the current time coincides with the presentation timing, the process proceeds to step S107, where the setting suggestion unit 24 displays the user setting proposal determined in step S105 on the display device 30 and presents it to the driver. On the other hand, if the current time does not coincide with the presentation timing, the user setting proposal is not presented, and the process returns to step S101.

[0073] In step S108, the ACC setting determination unit 25 determines whether the user setting proposal presented in step S107 has been approved by the driver. When a signal indicating that the approval switch has been operated is transmitted from the operation input device 14, the ACC setting determination unit 25 determines that the user setting proposal has been approved, and proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, if a signal indicating that the approval switch has been operated is not transmitted, or if a signal indicating disapproval is transmitted, the system does not determine the user setting, and this process ends.

[0074] In step S109, the ACC setting determination unit 25 determines the user setting proposal presented in step S107 as the user setting. As a result, the ACC control unit 21 executes the ACC function according to the determined user setting. The determined user setting can be displayed on the display device 30, for example.

[0075] In step S110, it is determined whether or not there has been a change in the vehicle's surrounding environment while the ACC function is being executed. If the surrounding environment has changed, the process returns to step S101. For example, if the speed limit of the route the vehicle is traveling on has changed, the process returns to step S101, and a new user setting proposal corresponding to the changed speed limit is presented. If there has been no change in the surrounding environment, the process ends.

[0076] The vehicle control device 20 according to the present embodiment described above can achieve the following effects.

[0077] (1) The vehicle control device 20 includes an ACC control unit 21 configured to execute an ACC function that, in accordance with user settings including a set vehicle speed and a set following distance that can be set by the user, maintains a set vehicle speed and travels at a constant speed when there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and maintains a set following distance and travels to follow the preceding vehicle when there is a preceding vehicle; a route storage unit 22 configured to store a travel route traveled by the vehicle; and an ACC history storage unit 2 configured to store an operation history of the ACC function, including user setting information including the set vehicle speed and set following distance when the ACC function was activated, in association with the travel route. The vehicle navigation system includes an environmental information acquisition unit 26 configured to acquire environmental information about the vehicle's surroundings, a setting proposal unit 24 configured to propose user settings for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit 23, an ACC setting determination unit 25 configured to determine the user settings proposed by the setting proposal unit 24 as user settings when the user approves the user settings proposed by the setting proposal unit 24, and a timing determination unit 27 configured to determine a presentation timing for the setting proposal unit 24 to present the user settings proposal based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 26. The setting proposal unit 24 presents the user setting proposal at the presentation timing determined by the timing determination unit 27. When the vehicle is traveling on a route where the driver has previously traveled using the ACC function, it is likely that the driver will want to use the ACC function as in the past. Therefore, by presenting user setting proposals for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function, it is possible to determine appropriate user settings that suit the driver's preferences. Furthermore, by presenting user setting suggestions at a timing based on environmental information around the vehicle, it is possible to propose user settings suitable for each individual user at an appropriate timing while reducing the complicated operations required of the driver to determine user settings.

[0078] (2) When the vehicle is traveling along a travel route stored in the route storage unit 22, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines the content of the user setting suggestion based on the user setting information associated with the travel route and stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. As a result, when the vehicle is traveling along a travel route that has been traveled in the past using the ACC function, it is possible to suggest setting content similar to the past user settings.

[0079] (3) The ACC history storage unit 23 further stores, as the operation history of the ACC function, operation information indicating whether the ACC function was turned on or off when the vehicle traveled along a travel route. The environmental information acquisition unit 26 acquires vehicle position information as environmental information. The timing determination unit 27 determines the presentation timing when the vehicle is traveling along a travel route where the vehicle has previously traveled with the ACC function turned on. A travel route where the vehicle has previously traveled using the ACC function is considered to be a travel route where the driver would like to use the ACC function, so by presenting user setting suggestions when the vehicle is traveling along this travel route, the user setting suggestions can be presented at a timing appropriate for the driver.

[0080] (4) The ACC function operation history stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 includes the activation start position where the ACC function was turned on along the driving route. The environmental information acquisition unit 26 acquires vehicle position information as environmental information. The timing determination unit 27 determines the presentation timing when the vehicle's current position is within a predetermined range including the activation start position along the driving route. For a driving route where the vehicle has previously used the ACC function, by presenting user setting suggestions within a predetermined range including the activation start position where the ACC function was previously turned on, user setting suggestions can be presented near the position where the driver previously started operating the ACC function. User setting suggestions can be presented at an appropriate timing according to the driver's experience, and the driver can be encouraged to use the ACC function without feeling uncomfortable.

[0081] (5) The timing determination unit 27 determines the presentation timing when the current position of the vehicle is located within a predetermined range on the travel route and closer to the activation start position. Since there is a time lag between presenting the user setting proposal and determining the user setting and starting the activation of the ACC function, by presenting the user setting proposal at a position closer to the past activation start position, the ACC function can be activated near the past activation start position.

[0082] (6) When the activation start position is on a highway, the timing determination unit 27 determines the presentation timing when the vehicle's current position is at an interchange connecting to the highway. By presenting the user setting proposal at the interchange, taking into account the time lag between presenting the user setting proposal and determining the user setting and starting the activation of the ACC function, it is possible to start the activation of the ACC function as soon as the vehicle enters the main lane of the highway.

[0083] (7) The environmental information acquisition unit 26 includes a traffic congestion information acquisition unit 26b that acquires information about traffic congestion occurring ahead of the vehicle. The timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing when traffic congestion occurs ahead of the vehicle, but determines the presentation timing when the traffic congestion clears. When traffic congestion occurs ahead of the vehicle, even if a set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance are proposed based on past user setting information when there is no traffic congestion, these set vehicle speeds and set inter-vehicle distances are likely to be impossible to achieve. Therefore, by not determining the presentation timing and not presenting user setting suggestions when there is traffic congestion, it is possible to avoid proposing user settings that may not be possible to achieve. On the other hand, by determining the presentation timing and presenting user setting suggestions when traffic congestion clears, it is possible to reduce the complicated operations required of the driver to determine user settings.

[0084] (8) The environmental information acquisition unit 26 includes a speed limit acquisition unit 26a that acquires the speed limit specified for the roads on the travel route. When the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the setting proposal unit 24 determines the smaller of the set vehicle speed included in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 and the speed limit of the travel route as the content of the user setting proposal. When the speed limit acquisition unit 26a acquires the speed limit of the travel route, the timing determination unit 27 determines the presentation timing, and if the speed limit changes while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the timing determination unit 27 re-determines the presentation timing. The smaller of the set vehicle speed included in the past user setting information and the speed limit of the travel route is determined as the content of the user setting proposal, and the user setting proposal is presented at the timing when the speed limit was acquired and the timing when the speed limit changed, so that a set vehicle speed that complies with the speed limit of the travel route can be proposed at an appropriate timing.

[0085] (9) If the speed limit increases while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines the increased speed limit as the content of the user setting suggestion. If the speed limit decreases while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines the decreased speed limit as the content of the user setting suggestion if the set vehicle speed stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 is higher than the decreased speed limit, and does not present a user setting suggestion if the set vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the decreased speed limit. This makes it possible to suggest a set vehicle speed that complies with the speed limit when the speed limit on the travel route changes, depending on whether the speed limit has increased or decreased.

[0086] (10) The environmental information acquisition unit 26 has a weather information acquisition unit 26c that acquires weather information about the surroundings of the vehicle. When the weather information indicates bad weather, the timing determination unit 27 does not determine the presentation timing, and determines the presentation timing when the weather improves. In bad weather with poor visibility, drivers generally tend to select "long" as the set following distance, which may differ from the set following distance selected in weather with good visibility. Therefore, by not determining the presentation timing and not presenting user-set suggestions in bad weather, it is possible to avoid making suggestions that differ from the driver's preferences.

[0087] -Variations- (1) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, when it is determined that the proposal conditions are met (step S104), the content of the user setting proposal is determined (step S105), and when the presentation timing arrives (step S106), the user setting proposal is presented (step S107). However, the flow of the user setting determination process is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2, and various modifications are possible. For example, the content of the user setting proposal may be determined after the presentation timing arrives, or the content of the user setting proposal may be determined before determining whether the proposal conditions are met.

[0088] (2) As described in the above embodiment, the proposal conditions for presenting user setting proposals and the timing conditions for determining the presentation timing for presenting user setting proposals overlap to some extent. Therefore, the timing determination unit 27 may determine the presentation timing as the timing when the proposal conditions for presenting user setting proposals are satisfied. In this case, the setting proposal unit 24 may be configured to perform the function of the timing determination unit 27.

[0089] (3) In the above-described embodiment, in order to determine the presentation timing in timing determination unit 27, (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information are acquired in addition to (A) vehicle location information. However, this is not limited to this, and the presentation timing may be determined using only (A) vehicle location information without acquiring (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information. Alternatively, at least one of (B) speed limit information, (C) traffic congestion information, and (D) weather information may be acquired.

[0090] (4) In the above-described embodiment, when a vehicle is traveling on a route that has been traveled multiple times in the past using the ACC function, the calculated most frequent value is determined as the suggested user setting for the set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance. However, this is not limited to this, and the set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance from the previous time the vehicle was traveled using the ACC function may be determined as the suggested user setting. Alternatively, the most frequent value may be used for one of the set vehicle speed and set inter-vehicle distance, and the previous value (most recent value) may be used for the other.

[0091] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the setting suggestion unit 24 acquires (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information to determine the content of the user setting suggestion. However, this is not limited to this, and the content of the user setting suggestion may be determined using (a) past user setting information of the ACC function without acquiring (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information. Alternatively, the setting suggestion unit 24 may acquire at least one of (b) speed limit information, (c) traffic congestion information, and (d) weather information.

[0092] (6) When the weather information indicates bad weather, the setting suggestion unit 24 may be configured to determine whether to present a user setting suggestion based on the set following distance included in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. Specifically, in the case of bad weather, if the set following distance included in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the setting suggestion unit 24 determines that the suggestion condition for presenting a user setting suggestion is met, and presents a user setting suggestion based on the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit 23. On the other hand, if the set following distance included in the user setting information is less than the predetermined distance, the suggestion condition for presenting a user setting suggestion is not met, and the user setting suggestion based on the user setting information is not presented. Here, the predetermined distance is a distance corresponding to "long" when three levels of set following distance, long, medium, and short, are provided.

[0093] For example, if the set following distance included in the user setting information is "long," there is a high possibility that "long" will be selected as the set following distance even in bad weather, so the setting suggestion unit 24 presents the set following distance ("long") based on the user setting information as a user setting suggestion. If the set following distance included in the user setting information is "medium" or "short," this differs from the general tendency of drivers in bad weather ("long"), so the setting suggestion unit 24 does not present a user setting suggestion.

[0094] (7) In the above-described embodiment, the user setting determination process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 2 has been described as starting when the ACC switch of the operation input device 14 is operated to turn on the ACC function. However, this is not limited to this, and the user setting determination process shown in Fig. 2 may be configured to be executed regardless of whether the ACC function is turned on by operation of the operation input device 14. In this case, the control device 20 repeatedly executes the user setting determination process shown in Fig. 2 while the vehicle is traveling without executing the ACC function.

[0095] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 20 Control device 21 ACC control unit 22 Route Storage 23 ACC history storage unit 24 Setting Proposal Section 25 ACC setting determination section 26 environmental information acquisition unit, 26a speed limit acquisition unit, 26b traffic congestion information acquisition unit, 26c weather information acquisition unit 27 Timing determination unit

Claims

1. an ACC control unit configured to execute an ACC function in accordance with user settings including a set vehicle speed and a set inter-vehicle distance that can be set by a user, whereby if there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle travels at a constant speed while maintaining the set vehicle speed, and if there is a preceding vehicle, the vehicle travels at a constant speed while maintaining the set inter-vehicle distance, a route storage unit configured to store a travel route traveled by the vehicle; an ACC history storage unit configured to store an operation history of the ACC function, the operation history including user setting information including the set vehicle speed and the set inter-vehicle distance when the ACC function was activated, in association with the travel route; an environmental information acquisition unit configured to acquire environmental information around the vehicle; a setting suggestion unit configured to suggest user settings for the ACC function based on the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit; and an ACC setting determination unit configured to determine, when the user setting proposal by the setting proposal unit is approved by the user, the user setting proposal by the setting proposal unit as the user setting; a timing determination unit configured to determine a presentation timing for presenting the user setting proposal by the setting proposal unit based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit; Equipped with The setting suggestion unit presents the user setting suggestion at the presentation timing determined by the timing determination unit.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle is traveling along the travel route stored in the route storage unit, the setting suggestion unit determines content of the user setting suggestion based on the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit in association with the travel route.

3. the ACC history storage unit further stores, as the operation history of the ACC function, operation information indicating whether the operation of the ACC function was turned on / off when the vehicle traveled the travel route; the environmental information acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle as the environmental information; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the timing determination unit determines the presentation timing when the vehicle is traveling on the travel route on which the vehicle has previously traveled with the ACC function turned on.

4. the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit includes an operation start position on the travel route at which the operation of the ACC function was turned on, the environmental information acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle as the environmental information; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the timing determination unit determines the presentation timing when the current position of the vehicle is within a predetermined range including the operation start position on the travel route.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein the timing determination unit determines the presentation timing when the current position of the vehicle is located in a position earlier than the operation start position within the predetermined range on the travel route.

6. the operation history of the ACC function stored in the ACC history storage unit includes an operation start position on the travel route at which the operation of the ACC function was turned on, the environmental information acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle as the environmental information; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the operation start position is on a highway, the timing determination unit determines the presentation timing when the current position of the vehicle is at an interchange connecting to the highway.

7. the environmental information acquisition unit includes a traffic congestion information acquisition unit that acquires information about traffic congestion occurring ahead of the vehicle, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the timing determination unit does not determine the presentation timing when a traffic jam occurs ahead of the vehicle, and determines the presentation timing when the traffic jam clears.

8. the environmental information acquisition unit includes a speed limit acquisition unit that acquires a speed limit designated for a road on the travel route; When the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the setting suggestion unit determines, as the content of the user setting suggestion, a set vehicle speed included in the user setting information stored in the ACC history storage unit or the speed limit of the travel route, whichever is smaller; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the timing determination unit determines the presentation timing when the speed limit for the driving route is acquired by the speed limit acquisition unit, and determines the presentation timing again when the speed limit changes while the vehicle is traveling on the driving route.

9. The setting proposal unit If the speed limit increases while the vehicle is traveling along the travel route, determining the increased speed limit as the content of the user-defined proposal; 9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein, when the speed limit is reduced while the vehicle is traveling along the travel route, if the set vehicle speed stored in the ACC history storage unit is greater than the reduced speed limit, the reduced speed limit is determined as the content of the user-set suggestion, and if the set vehicle speed is equal to or less than the reduced speed limit, the user-set suggestion is not presented.

10. the environmental information acquisition unit includes a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information around the vehicle, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the timing determination unit does not determine the presentation timing when the weather information indicates bad weather, and determines the presentation timing when the weather improves.

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