Vehicle control devices

Abstract

Even when the vehicle approaches an intersection and decelerates to avoid proximity to a moving object detected based on information acquired through vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, it is possible to perform deceleration control in a way that is less likely to cause inconvenience to the vehicle's occupants. [Solution] When approaching a target intersection, if a moving object is detected by either the sensor-side detection unit 1111 or the communication-side detection unit 1112, a first proximity determination unit 1141 determines whether there is a possibility of the vehicle approaching the moving object at the target intersection based on information about the moving object detected along with the moving object, and a deceleration control instruction unit 115 that performs deceleration control if it is determined that there is a possibility of proximity, and the deceleration control instruction unit 115 decelerates the vehicle by lowering the maximum deceleration of the pre-deceleration control that is performed when the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object, compared to avoidance deceleration control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for providing driving assistance when a vehicle enters an intersection are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for issuing an alarm when entering an intersection with poor visibility. In the technique of Patent Document 1, an alarm is issued when it is detected from the information acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication that there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Based on the technique of Patent Document 1, when it is detected from the information acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication that there is another vehicle approaching the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the approaching target vehicle) when entering an intersection, it is conceivable to perform braking control of the host vehicle. In this case, the braking control may be performed before the approaching target vehicle becomes visible to the occupants of the host vehicle. Even though the approaching target vehicle is not visible, if the braking control is performed with an excessive deceleration, it is difficult for the occupants of the host vehicle to accept the braking control. As a result, the occupants of the host vehicle may feel annoyed by the braking control.

[0005] One object of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device that enables deceleration control that is less likely to annoy the occupants of the host vehicle even when deceleration control is performed for proximity avoidance with a moving object detected based on information acquired by vehicle-to-roadside communication when the host vehicle approaches an intersection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above objectives are achieved by a combination of features described in the independent claims, and the subordinate claims provide further advantageous specific examples of the disclosure. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims indicate correspondences with specific means described in the embodiments described later as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle control device of this disclosure is a vehicle control device that can be used in a vehicle, comprising: a sensor-side detection unit (1111) that detects a moving object and information relating to the position and behavior of the moving object from the sensing results of an autonomous sensor (16) that senses the surrounding environment of the vehicle; a communication-side detection unit (1112) that detects a moving object and at least its position using information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication; and when the vehicle approaches an intersection ahead, if the moving object can be detected by either the sensor-side detection unit or the communication-side detection unit, the device determines the possibility that the vehicle will approach the moving object at the intersection based on the information relating to the moving object detected along with the moving object. The vehicle includes a first proximity determination unit (1141) that determines whether or not there is a possibility of proximity, and a deceleration control instruction unit (115) that, if the first proximity determination unit determines that there is a possibility of proximity, causes the vehicle to perform deceleration control to slow down. The communication-side detection unit is capable of detecting moving objects in a range that cannot be detected by the sensor-side detection unit by using information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication. The deceleration control instruction unit slows down the vehicle by lowering the maximum deceleration of the pre-deceleration control, which is performed when the sensor-side detection unit has not detected a moving object but the communication-side detection unit has detected a moving object, compared to the avoidance deceleration control, which is performed when the sensor-side detection unit has detected a moving object.

[0008] With the above configuration, if the sensor-side detection unit fails to detect a moving object but the communication-side detection unit does, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of proximity between the vehicle and the moving object at an intersection, the pre-deceleration control performed will have a lower maximum deceleration than the evasive deceleration control performed when the sensor-side detection unit detects a moving object. In situations where the sensor-side detection unit fails to detect a moving object but the communication-side detection unit does, it is highly likely that the moving object is not within the range of the vehicle's autonomous sensors and is not recognized by the vehicle's occupants. In such situations, performing evasive deceleration control with a lower maximum deceleration than the evasive deceleration control performed when the sensor-side detection unit detects a moving object makes it easier for the vehicle's occupants to accept the deceleration control compared to performing deceleration control with the same maximum deceleration as evasive deceleration control. As a result, even when performing deceleration control to avoid proximity with a moving object detected based on information acquired through vehicle-to-infrastructure communication as the vehicle approaches an intersection, it is possible to perform deceleration control that is less bothersome to the vehicle's occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic configuration for a vehicle system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a typical configuration of a mobile device. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a general configuration of a roadside unit. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle-side unit. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a general configuration of a driver assistance ECU. [Figure 6] This graph shows an example of the time-dependent change in deceleration between pre-deceleration control and evasive deceleration control. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates a scenario in which a vehicle in front of your vehicle has to brake suddenly due to a moving object suddenly appearing outside your line of sight. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the flow of proximity avoidance-related processing in the driver assistance ECU. [Figure 9] This graph shows an example of how the distance between the vehicle (HV) and a moving object changes over time, depending on the method of avoidance control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Multiple embodiments for disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, in some embodiments, parts having the same function as those shown in the drawings used in previous descriptions will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted. For parts denoted by the same reference numerals, refer to the descriptions in other embodiments.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) <Outline configuration of vehicle system 1> Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. As an example, the vehicle system 1 includes a vehicle-side unit 10, a mobile terminal 20, and a roadside unit 30, as shown in Figure 1.

[0012] The vehicle-side unit 10 is designed for use in vehicles. While the vehicle using the vehicle-side unit 10 is not necessarily limited to automobiles, the following explanation will use the automobile as an example. The following explanation will use the vehicle-side unit 10 in a hybrid vehicle (HV) as an example. Details of the vehicle-side unit 10 will be described later.

[0013] The mobile device 20 is a device carried by user Us. Examples of mobile devices 20 include multifunction mobile phones and tablet devices. In the following explanation, we will use the case where mobile device 20 is a multifunction mobile phone as an example. In the example in Figure 1, we will explain using the case where user Us is riding a bicycle MB and carrying mobile device 20. Details of mobile device 20 will be described later. Note that mobile device 20 may also be carried by user Us as a pedestrian or user Us on a motorcycle.

[0014] The roadside unit 30 is installed near the road. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the roadside unit 30 is installed near an intersection. The roadside unit 30 has a function of performing wireless communication with the vehicle-side unit 10 and the mobile terminal 20. Details of the roadside unit 30 will be described later.

[0015] <Schematic Configuration of Mobile Terminal 20> As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 20 includes a terminal-side communication unit 201, a locator 202, and a control device 203. The terminal-side communication unit 201 performs wireless communication with the vehicle-side unit 10 and the roadside unit 30.

[0016] The locator 202 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The gyro sensor is a sensor that detects the angular velocity of the mobile terminal 20. The acceleration sensor is a sensor that detects the acceleration acting on the mobile terminal 20. The locator 202 sequentially measures the position of the mobile terminal 20 (hereinafter referred to as the terminal position) by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement results of the inertial sensor. The terminal position may be in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates. In the present embodiment, the terminal position is the position of the bicycle MB.

[0017] The control device 203 is mainly composed of a computer including, for example, a processor, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these components. Note that in the control device 203, at least a part of the functions performed by the processor may be performed by a circuit. The circuit referred to here is a hardware circuit.

[0018] The control device 203 causes the terminal-side communication unit 201 to transmit information including the terminal position measured by the locator 202 (hereinafter referred to as terminal-side information). The control device 203 may also cause the terminal-side communication unit 201 to transmit the angular velocity, acceleration, etc. detected by the inertial sensor included in the terminal-side information. In this embodiment, this angular velocity and acceleration correspond to the angular velocity and acceleration of the bicycle MB. The control device 203 may also include the type of the moving body used for the movement of the mobile terminal 20 in the terminal-side information. In the example of this embodiment, the type of the moving body used for the movement of the mobile terminal 20 is a bicycle. When the user Us of the mobile terminal 20 is walking, the type of the moving body used for the movement of the mobile terminal 20 is a pedestrian. The control device 203 may set the type of the moving body used for the movement of the mobile terminal 20 by a selection input via the input unit from the user. The control device 203 may also include the reliability of the position of the moving body in the terminal-side information. The reliability of the position of the moving body may be, for example, the reliability of the terminal position measured by the locator 202. The reliability of the terminal position may be determined by the locator 202 or the control device 203 based on, for example, the reception intensity of the positioning signal, the number and arrangement of the positioning satellites in the acquisition state, and the presence or absence of multipath. The transmission of the terminal-side information from the terminal-side communication unit 201 may be performed, for example, by a broadcast method. The terminal-side information transmitted from the terminal-side communication unit 201 is received by the vehicle-side unit 10 and the roadside unit 30 within the communication range.

[0019] <Schematic configuration of the roadside unit 30> As shown in FIG. 3, the roadside unit 30 includes a roadside communication unit 301, a peripheral monitoring sensor 302, and a control device 303. The roadside communication unit 301 performs wireless communication with the vehicle-side unit 10 and the mobile terminal 20. The roadside communication unit 301 performs vehicle-roadside communication with the vehicle-side unit 10.

[0020] The surrounding monitoring sensor 302 monitors the environment surrounding the roadside unit 30. The surrounding monitoring sensor 302 monitors the intersection where the roadside unit 30 is installed. The surrounding monitoring sensor 302 detects moving objects within its sensing range. Examples of moving objects include pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles. The surrounding monitoring sensor 302 may be, for example, a surrounding monitoring camera that images a predetermined range, or a probe sensor that transmits probe waves to a predetermined range. Examples of probe sensors include millimeter-wave radar, sonar, and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The surrounding monitoring camera sequentially outputs the captured images as sensing information to the control device 303. The probe sensor sequentially outputs the scanning result based on the received signal obtained when it receives reflected waves reflected by a moving object as sensing information to the control device 303.

[0021] The control device 303 identifies the position of a moving object present at the intersection from the sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302. The control device 303 can identify the position of the moving object as latitude and longitude coordinates based on the latitude and longitude coordinates of the installation location of the roadside unit 30. The control device 303 may also identify the type of moving object present at the intersection from the sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302. For example, by performing image recognition on the captured image, it is possible to distinguish at least pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles and identify the type. The control device 303 may also identify information regarding the behavior of the moving object present at the intersection from the sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302. Information regarding the behavior of the moving object may include speed, acceleration, angular velocity, etc. The control device 303 can, for example, identify the speed, acceleration, angular velocity, etc. of the moving object from the changes in the position of the moving object that is identified sequentially.

[0022] The control device 303 transmits information including the position of a moving object identified from sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302 (hereinafter referred to as roadside detection information) via roadside communication from the roadside communication unit 301. The control device 303 may also transmit information regarding the type and behavior of the moving object identified from sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302 in addition to the roadside detection information. The control device 303 may transmit roadside detection information at regular intervals. The control device 303 may also transmit time-series data of information regarding the position, type, and behavior of moving objects identified within a period at regular intervals. The control device 303 may also include the reliability of the information regarding the moving object in the roadside detection information. The reliability of the position of the moving object can be, for example, the reliability of the position of the moving object identified from sensing information obtained by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302. The reliability of the position of this moving object is determined by the control device 303 based on the reliability of the sensing by the surrounding monitoring sensor 302, for example, the weather, the presence or absence of backlighting, and the brightness of the outside world.

[0023] When the control device 303 receives terminal-side information transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 at the roadside communication unit 301, it causes the roadside communication unit 301 to transmit this terminal-side information. The control device 303 simply needs to transmit this terminal-side information via roadside communication from the roadside communication unit 301. In other words, the roadside unit 30 relays and transmits the terminal-side information transmitted from the mobile terminal 20.

[0024] <Outline configuration of vehicle-side unit 10> As shown in Figure 4, the vehicle-side unit 10 includes a driver assistance ECU 11, a communication module 12, a locator 13, a map database (hereinafter referred to as map DB) 14, a vehicle status sensor 15, a surrounding monitoring sensor 16, and a vehicle control ECU 17. For example, the driver assistance ECU 11, communication module 12, locator 13, map DB 14, vehicle status sensor 15, surrounding monitoring sensor 16, and vehicle control ECU 17 may be configured to be connected to an in-vehicle LAN (see LAN in Figure 4).

[0025] The communication module 12 performs vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with the roadside unit 30. The communication module 12 performs vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with the roadside unit 30 when the roadside unit 30 is within the communication range of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication of the HV. The communication module 12 performs wireless communication with the mobile terminal 20. The communication module 12 performs wireless communication with the roadside unit 30 when the mobile terminal 20 is within the communication range of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication of the HV. The communication module 12 transmits and receives information with other vehicles via wireless communication. In other words, it may perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication may be performed, for example, with other vehicles equipped with the vehicle-side unit 10. The communication module 12 should perform vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with other vehicles when the other vehicles are within the communication range of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication of the HV. The communication module 12 may transmit and receive information with a center outside the HV via wireless communication. In other words, it may perform wide-area communication.

[0026] Locator 13 is equipped with a GNSS receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from multiple positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an accelerometer. The gyro sensor is a sensor that detects the angular velocity of the HV vehicle. The accelerometer is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the HV vehicle. Locator 13 sequentially determines the vehicle position of the HV vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle position") by combining the positioning signals received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement results of the inertial sensor. The vehicle position may be expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude coordinates. In addition, the vehicle position may also be determined using the distance traveled, which is obtained from the signal sequentially output from the vehicle speed sensor mounted on the HV vehicle.

[0027] Map DB14 is a non-volatile memory that stores, for example, high-precision map data. This high-precision map data is more accurate than the map data used for route guidance in the navigation function. The high-precision map data includes, for example, three-dimensional road shape information, lane count information, information indicating the permitted direction of travel for each lane, and the position coordinates of stop lines. Map DB14 may also store map data used for route guidance. The map data may also include speed limits for each link. Alternatively, map data distributed from an external server may be received via wide-area communication through the communication module 12 and stored in Map DB14. In this case, Map DB14 may be a volatile memory, and the communication module 12 may sequentially acquire map data for the area corresponding to the vehicle's position.

[0028] The vehicle condition sensor 15 is a group of sensors for detecting various states related to the behavior of the hybrid vehicle (HV). Examples of the vehicle condition sensor 15 include a vehicle speed sensor, steering sensor, accelerator sensor, and brake sensor. The vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the HV. The steering sensor detects the steering angle of the HV. The accelerator sensor detects the displacement of the accelerator pedal. This displacement can also be described as the amount of operation or the amount of depression. The accelerator sensor can also be described as an accelerator position sensor or accelerator stroke sensor. The brake sensor detects the displacement of the brake pedal. This displacement can also be described as the amount of operation or the amount of depression. The brake sensor can also be described as a brake position sensor or brake stroke sensor. The vehicle condition sensor 15 outputs the detected sensing information to the in-vehicle LAN. The sensing information detected by the vehicle condition sensor 15 may also be output to the in-vehicle LAN via an ECU installed in the HV.

[0029] The communication module 12 may transmit information including the vehicle's position determined by the locator 13 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle-side information) via wireless communication. The communication module 12 may transmit the vehicle-side information to other vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or to the roadside unit 30 via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Here, "other vehicles" refers to automobiles other than the vehicle HV. The same applies hereafter. Vehicle-side information transmitted to the roadside unit 30 via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication should be relayed by the roadside unit 30 and transmitted to other vehicles within the roadside unit 30's vehicle-to-infrastructure communication range. The communication module 12 may also transmit the vehicle-side information including the vehicle HV's classification as a mobile entity. The vehicle HV's classification as a mobile entity is an automobile. The vehicle HV's classification as a mobile entity should be stored in the vehicle HV's non-volatile memory beforehand so that the communication module 12 can acquire it. The communication module 12 may transmit vehicle-side information that includes behavioral information such as the vehicle speed of the HV detected by the vehicle condition sensor 15, the amount of accelerator pedal operation, the amount of brake pedal operation, and the acceleration and angular velocity of the HV detected by the inertial sensor of the locator 13. The communication module 12 may also include the reliability of the vehicle's position in the vehicle-side information. The reliability of the vehicle's position can be determined by the locator 13 or the driver assistance ECU 11 based on, for example, the reception strength of the positioning signal, the number and arrangement of positioning satellites in the acquired state, and the presence or absence of multipath.

[0030] The surrounding monitoring sensor 16 monitors the environment around the vehicle HV. For example, the surrounding monitoring sensor 16 detects obstacles around the vehicle. Examples of obstacles include moving objects such as pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and other vehicles. Examples of obstacles include stationary objects such as fallen objects and installed objects on the road. In addition, the surrounding monitoring sensor 16 detects road markings such as lane markings around the vehicle. The surrounding monitoring sensor 16 is, for example, a surrounding monitoring camera that images a predetermined range around the vehicle HV, and a search wave sensor that transmits search waves to a predetermined range around the vehicle HV. Examples of search wave sensors include millimeter-wave radar, sonar, and LIDAR. The predetermined range should include at least the area in front of the vehicle HV. The surrounding monitoring camera sequentially outputs the captured images as sensing results to the driver assistance ECU 11. The search wave sensor sequentially outputs the scanning results based on the received signal obtained when it receives reflected waves reflected by obstacles to the driver assistance ECU 11 as sensing results. The surrounding monitoring sensor 16 corresponds to an autonomous sensor.

[0031] The vehicle control ECU 17 is an electronic control unit that controls the vehicle's movement. Movement control includes acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control. The vehicle control ECU 17 includes components such as a steering ECU for steering control, a power unit control ECU for acceleration / deceleration control, and a brake ECU. The vehicle control ECU 17 controls movement by outputting control signals to various movement control devices installed in the vehicle. Examples of movement control devices include electronic throttles, brake actuators, and EPS (Electric Power Steering) motors.

[0032] The driver assistance ECU 11 is primarily composed of a computer, for example, a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these components. The driver assistance ECU 11 performs processing related to assisting in avoiding close proximity between the vehicle (HV) and moving objects (hereinafter referred to as proximity avoidance support processing). In addition, at least some of the functions performed by the processor in the driver assistance ECU 11 may be performed by circuits. The circuits referred to here are hardware circuits. This driver assistance ECU 11 corresponds to the vehicle control device. The configuration of the driver assistance ECU 11 will be described in detail below.

[0033] <Outline configuration of the driver assistance ECU11> Next, the schematic configuration of the driver assistance ECU 11 will be explained using Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the driver assistance ECU 11 includes a driving environment recognition unit 111, a speed limit determination unit 112, a vehicle position prediction unit 113, a proximity determination unit 114, a deceleration control instruction unit 115, and an operation support unit 116 as functional blocks. Note that some or all of the functions performed by the driver assistance ECU 11 may be configured hardware-wise using one or more circuits. Alternatively, some or all of the functional blocks provided by the driver assistance ECU 11 may be realized by a combination of software execution by a processor and hardware circuits.

[0034] The driving environment recognition unit 111 includes a sensor-side detection unit 1111 and a communication-side detection unit 1112 as sub-functional blocks. The sensor-side detection unit 1111 detects information about a moving object and its position and behavior from the sensing results of the surrounding monitoring sensor 16. Information about the behavior of the moving object can be detected based on the sequentially detected changes in the position of the moving object. As mentioned above, information about the behavior of the moving object may include, for example, vehicle speed, acceleration, angular velocity, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, etc. It is preferable for the sensor-side detection unit 1111 to also detect the type of moving object from the sensing results of the surrounding monitoring sensor 16. For example, by performing image recognition on the image captured by the surrounding monitoring camera, it is possible to distinguish at least pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles and detect their types. The sensor-side detection unit 1111 should detect a moving object of the type automobile located immediately in front of the vehicle as the immediate forward vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as the forward vehicle).

[0035] The communication-side detection unit 1112 uses information acquired from outside the vehicle HV via wireless communication to detect a moving object and at least its position. Preferably, the communication-side detection unit 1112 also detects information regarding the behavior of the moving object. Preferably, the communication-side detection unit 1112 also detects the type of the moving object. The communication-side detection unit 1112 can detect the moving object, the position of the moving object, information regarding the behavior of the moving object, and the type of the moving object from the information contained in the information acquired from outside the vehicle HV via wireless communication. In the following, the explanation will continue with an example where the information acquired from outside the vehicle HV via wireless communication includes the position of the moving object, information regarding its behavior, and the type of the moving object.

[0036] If the communication-side detection unit 1112 can obtain terminal-side information from the mobile terminal 20 via wireless communication, it may use that terminal-side information. If the communication-side detection unit 1112 can obtain terminal-side information from the mobile terminal 20 via the roadside unit 30, it may use that terminal-side information. From the terminal-side information, the mobile object used to move the mobile terminal 20, information regarding the position and behavior of that mobile object, and the type of mobile object are detected. In the example of this embodiment, a bicycle MB, information regarding the position and behavior of the bicycle MB, and the type of mobile object "bicycle" are detected. If the communication-side detection unit 1112 can obtain roadside detection information from the roadside unit 30 via wireless communication, it may use that roadside detection information. From the roadside detection information, the mobile object detected by the roadside unit 30, information regarding the position and behavior of that mobile object, and the type of mobile object are detected. If the communication-side detection unit 1112 can obtain vehicle-side information from other vehicles via wireless communication, it may use that vehicle-side information. The communication-side detection unit 1112 may use vehicle-side information from other vehicles if it can obtain vehicle-side information from other vehicles via the roadside unit 30. From the vehicle-side information, the other vehicle that transmitted the vehicle-side information, information regarding the location and behavior of the other vehicle, and the type of moving object, "automobile," are detected.

[0037] Information acquired from outside the HV via wireless communication, such as terminal-side information, roadside detection information, and vehicle-side information of other vehicles, shall include information about moving objects outside the sensing range of the surrounding monitoring sensor 16. The communication-side detection unit 1112 can also detect moving objects in ranges that cannot be detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111 by using information acquired from outside the HV via wireless communication. For example, a moving object hidden behind an obstacle may also be detectable by the communication-side detection unit 1112.

[0038] The driving environment recognition unit 111 recognizes the driving environment of the HV vehicle from the vehicle's position, map data, and sensing information acquired from the surrounding monitoring sensors 16. The vehicle's position can be obtained from the locator 13. Map data can be obtained from the map DB 14. If the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect a moving object, the driving environment recognition unit 111 also uses the detection result from the sensor-side detection unit 1111 to recognize the driving environment. If the communication-side detection unit 1112 can detect a moving object, the driving environment recognition unit 111 also uses the detection result from the communication-side detection unit 1112 to recognize the driving environment. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit 111 uses this information to recognize the position, shape, and movement state of objects around the HV vehicle and generates a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment. The driving environment recognition unit 111 may also recognize the position and shape of the lane markings around the vehicle to generate the virtual space. The driving environment recognition unit 111 only needs to recognize the vehicle's position on the map from the vehicle's own position and map data.

[0039] The speed limit determination unit 112 determines the speed limit in the area in which the HV vehicle is traveling. The speed limit determination unit 112 only needs to determine the speed limit in the section in which the HV vehicle is traveling. The speed limit determination unit 112 can determine the speed limit in the section in which the HV vehicle is traveling from the vehicle's position determined by the locator 13 and the map data obtained from the map DB 14.

[0040] The vehicle position prediction unit 113 predicts the future position of the HV. The vehicle position prediction unit 113 can predict the future position of the HV at each elapsed time interval from the vehicle speed and steering angle of the HV detected by the vehicle condition sensor 15.

[0041] The proximity determination unit 114 includes a first proximity determination unit 1141 and a second proximity determination unit 1142 as sub-function blocks. The proximity determination unit 114 determines whether or not the vehicle HV is approaching an intersection ahead. The proximity determination unit 114 can determine whether or not the vehicle HV is approaching an intersection ahead based on the vehicle's position determined by the locator 13 and the map data obtained from the map DB 14. The intersection ahead of the vehicle HV (hereinafter referred to as the target intersection) is the intersection immediately ahead of the vehicle HV's path. The proximity determination unit 114 can determine whether or not the vehicle is approaching the target intersection by checking whether or not the distance from the vehicle's position to the stop line of the target intersection is less than a threshold. The stop line here is the stop line on the side of the vehicle HV's access road to the target intersection. The threshold can be set to an arbitrary value.

[0042] The first proximity determination unit 1141 performs the following processing when it detects a moving object using either the sensor-side detection unit 1111 or the communication-side detection unit 1112 when approaching a target intersection. Based on the information about the moving object detected along with the moving object, the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines whether there is a possibility (hereinafter referred to as proximity possibility) of the vehicle HV approaching the moving object at the target intersection. The information about the moving object here may include, for example, information that at least includes the position of the moving object. The information about the moving object here may also include information about the behavior of the moving object. The first proximity determination unit 1141 determines whether there is a possibility of proximity based on the position of the moving object detected along with the moving object. For example, if the moving object is located within the intersection and the position of the vehicle and the position of the moving object, as measured by the locator 13, are less than a first predetermined value, it can be determined that there is a possibility of proximity. On the other hand, if this condition is not met, it can be determined that there is no possibility of proximity. The first predetermined value can be any value that can be set arbitrarily. The first proximity determination unit 1141 can determine whether or not a moving object is located within an intersection based on the position of the moving object and the map data.

[0043] If the first proximity determination unit 1141 can detect information about the moving object, including not only the position of the moving object but also information about the behavior of the moving object, using either the sensor-side detection unit 1111 or the communication-side detection unit 1112, it is preferable to proceed as follows. The first proximity determination unit 1141 should determine whether or not there is a possibility of proximity based on the information about the position and behavior of the moving object detected together with the moving object. For example, the first proximity determination unit 1141 predicts the future position of the moving object over time based on the information about the position and behavior of the moving object. The first proximity determination unit 1141 then compares the predicted future position of the moving object over time with the future position of the self-vehicle HV over time predicted by the self-vehicle position prediction unit 113. If there is a timing when both positions are less than a second predetermined value, it should be determined that there is a possibility of proximity. On the other hand, if there is no timing when both positions are less than a second predetermined value, it should be determined that there is no possibility of proximity. The second predetermined value is an arbitrarily set value and should be smaller than the first predetermined value. In addition, if the moving object is located within an intersection, and the position of the vehicle and the moving object as measured by the locator 13 are less than a first specified value, and if it is estimated from the behavioral information that the object is not decelerating, then it may be determined that there is a possibility of proximity. Whether or not there is a decelerating tendency can be estimated by the first proximity determination unit 1141 from acceleration, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, etc.

[0044] When approaching a target intersection, if the communication-side detection unit 1112 detects a moving object, the first proximity determination unit 1141 should proceed as follows: Based on the information regarding the position and behavior of the moving object detected along with the moving object, the first proximity determination unit 1141 should determine whether or not there is a possibility of proximity. This makes it possible to predict the future position of the moving object by using information regarding its behavior and to determine the possibility of proximity with greater accuracy. Furthermore, since the information regarding the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 is used, it becomes possible to determine the possibility of proximity with greater accuracy by using information such as the amount of accelerator pedal operation and brake pedal operation, which cannot be detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111.

[0045] The first proximity determination unit 1141 continuously makes a provisional determination as to whether or not there is a possibility of proximity, and if the provisional determination that there is a possibility of proximity continues for a predetermined period, it should determine that there is a possibility of proximity. This is to reduce the likelihood of misdetermination. This predetermined period will be referred to as the observation period below. If the first proximity determination unit 1141 has not detected a moving object with the sensor-side detection unit 1111, but has detected the moving object with the communication-side detection unit 1112, and has determined that there is a possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112, it should proceed as follows: When the first proximity determination unit 1141 subsequently determines the possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111, it should shorten the observation period compared to when the communication-side detection unit 1112 has not detected the moving object. According to this, when a moving object with a possibility of proximity is known from information obtained by wireless communication, the observation period for determining the possibility of proximity based on information obtained by the autonomous sensor can be shortened. Therefore, when it is already known that there is a possibility of proximity and the impact of misjudgment is low, the observation period can be shortened, and the avoidance deceleration control described later can be started more quickly.

[0046] When approaching a target intersection, if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect a vehicle ahead of the HV vehicle, and the communication-side detection unit 1112 can detect a different moving object (hereinafter referred to as a non-forward moving object), the second proximity determination unit 1142 preferably performs the following: The second proximity determination unit 1142 determines whether the vehicle ahead may approach the non-forward moving object at the target intersection. This determination can be made based on information regarding the position and behavior of the vehicle ahead detected together with the vehicle ahead by the sensor-side detection unit 1111, and information regarding the non-forward moving object detected together with the non-forward moving object by the communication-side detection unit 1112. Whether the vehicle ahead may approach the non-forward moving object at the target intersection can be determined in the same manner as the proximity possibility described above, except that the objects are different.

[0047] The deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs deceleration control to slow down the vehicle when the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines that there is a possibility of proximity. The deceleration control instruction unit 115 can perform deceleration control to slow down the vehicle via the vehicle control ECU 17. The deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs evasive deceleration control as deceleration control when the sensor-side detection unit 1111 detects a moving object AND the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines that there is a possibility of proximity. Evasive deceleration control is a deceleration control that corresponds to so-called AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking).

[0048] The deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs pre-deceleration control as deceleration control when the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object, but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object, and the first proximity determination unit 1141 has determined that there is a possibility of proximity. Pre-deceleration control is a weaker deceleration control than avoidance deceleration control. The deceleration control instruction unit 115 decelerates the vehicle HV by setting the maximum deceleration of the pre-deceleration control lower than that of the avoidance deceleration control.

[0049] In situations where the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object, but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected one, it is highly likely that the moving object is not within the range of the vehicle's surrounding monitoring sensor 16, and therefore not recognized by the vehicle's occupants. In contrast, with the above configuration, in such situations, by performing avoidance deceleration control with a lower maximum deceleration than the avoidance deceleration control performed when the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has detected a moving object, the vehicle's occupants are more likely to accept the deceleration control compared to performing deceleration control with the same maximum deceleration as the avoidance deceleration control. As a result, even when performing deceleration control to avoid proximity to a moving object detected based on information acquired through vehicle-to-infrastructure communication when the vehicle's HV approaches an intersection, it is possible to perform deceleration control that is less likely to cause inconvenience to the vehicle's occupants.

[0050] Here, using Figure 1, we will explain a situation in which a moving object cannot be recognized by the occupants of the hybrid vehicle (HV). In Figure 1, Sh represents an obstacle at an intersection. As shown in Figure 1, the obstacle Sh may block the view of the bicycle MB from the HV. In such cases, the sensor-side detection unit 1111 cannot detect the bicycle MB, and the occupants of the HV cannot recognize the bicycle MB either. Even in such cases, with wireless communication, the communication-side detection unit 1112 may be able to detect the bicycle MB from information obtained directly from the bicycle MB's mobile terminal 20, or indirectly via the roadside unit 30.

[0051] Furthermore, Figure 6 will be used to explain the relationship between deceleration and start timing for pre-deceleration control and evasive deceleration control. Figure 6 is a graph showing an example of the time change in deceleration for pre-deceleration control and evasive deceleration control. In Figure 6, the vertical axis represents deceleration, and the horizontal axis represents time. The dashed line in Figure 6 shows the time change in deceleration for pre-deceleration control. The solid line in Figure 6 shows the time change in deceleration for evasive deceleration control. As mentioned above, the communication-side detection unit 1112 is also capable of detecting moving objects in a range that cannot be detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, when pre-deceleration control is performed, pre-deceleration control starts before evasive deceleration control starts. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the upper limit of the deceleration degree for pre-deceleration control is set to be lower than the upper limit of the deceleration degree for evasive deceleration control. Note that there may be cases where the communication-side detection unit 1112 cannot detect a moving object, but the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect that moving object. In this case, if the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines that there is a possibility of proximity, avoidance deceleration control should be disclosed without prior deceleration control.

[0052] When the deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs pre-deceleration control, it is preferable to decelerate the vehicle HV to the regulated speed specified by the regulated speed specification unit 112. If the deceleration is to the regulated speed, even if the moving object targeted by the deceleration control is not recognized by the occupants of the vehicle HV, the occupants are more likely to accept the deceleration control. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to make the pre-deceleration control less bothersome for the occupants of the vehicle HV.

[0053] When the deceleration control instruction unit 115 determines that there is a possibility of proximity based on either the proximity determination based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 or the proximity determination based on the position and behavior of the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111, it is preferable to do the following: The deceleration control instruction unit 115 preferably increases the maximum deceleration in the avoidance deceleration control and shortens the period from the start of deceleration to the maximum deceleration in the avoidance deceleration control compared to when the communication-side detection unit 1112 has not detected a moving object. When it is determined that there is a possibility of proximity based on either the detection result from the autonomous sensor or the information obtained by communication, there is a very high probability that this determination is correct. Therefore, it is possible to enable strong deceleration only when the determination result of the possibility of proximity is more likely. As a result, it is possible to make proximity avoidance more reliable while making it less bothersome for the occupants of the HV vehicle.

[0054] The deceleration control instruction unit 115 preferably initiates pre-deceleration control after determining that there is a possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112, as follows. The possibility of proximity is determined by the first proximity determination unit 1141, as described above. The deceleration control instruction unit 115 preferably initiates the control at a later timing depending on whether the type of moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 is classified as a lighter weight type. For example, the timing for automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians may be set later than the previous type. Note that some of these four types may be configured to have the same timing.

[0055] Lighter objects are easier to stop and change direction suddenly. Therefore, even if a lighter object is temporarily judged to be potentially close, it may not actually get close to the hybrid vehicle due to a sudden stop or change of direction. In contrast, with the above configuration, the timing of initiating pre-deceleration control is delayed as the weight of the object decreases, making unnecessary deceleration less likely. As a result, it becomes possible to prevent unnecessary deceleration from causing inconvenience to the occupants of the hybrid vehicle.

[0056] The deceleration control instruction unit 115 may initiate pre-deceleration control after determining that there is a possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112, as follows: When the reliability of the position of the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 is less than a specified value, it is preferable for the deceleration control instruction unit 115 to initiate pre-deceleration control at a later timing than when the reliability of the position of the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 is equal to or greater than a specified value. The specified value can be any value that can be set arbitrarily.

[0057] The position of the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112 is obtained by positioning using positioning signals received by the GNSS receiver, or by sensing with the surrounding monitoring sensor 302 of the roadside unit 30. However, the accuracy of determining the position of a moving object by these means may deteriorate depending on the environment. Therefore, if a potential proximity is determined using a low-accuracy position, there is a risk that pre-deceleration control will be performed at an inappropriate timing. In contrast, with the above configuration, the timing of starting pre-deceleration control can be delayed when the reliability of the moving object's position is low. Therefore, the communication-side detection unit 1112 can detect a new, more reliable position of the moving object and wait for a more accurate determination of the possibility of proximity.

[0058] The deceleration control instruction unit 115 should also perform deceleration control to slow down the HV vehicle if the second proximity determination unit 1142 determines that the vehicle ahead may be approaching a non-moving object at the target intersection. Furthermore, if the second proximity determination unit 1142 determines that the vehicle ahead may be approaching a non-moving object at the target intersection, the deceleration control instruction unit 115 should perform deceleration control that slows down the HV vehicle with a lower maximum deceleration rate compared to evasive deceleration control. This makes it possible for the vehicle ahead of the HV vehicle to decelerate in advance in preparation for the possibility of the vehicle braking suddenly due to a moving object suddenly appearing from outside the HV vehicle's line of sight. In addition, since the HV vehicle is slowed down with a lower maximum deceleration rate compared to evasive deceleration control, even if the occupants of the HV vehicle are not aware of the non-moving object, they are more likely to understand and accept the deceleration control.

[0059] Here, using Figure 7, we will explain a situation in which the vehicle in front of the HV (hybrid vehicle) brakes suddenly due to a moving object suddenly appearing from outside the HV's line of sight. In Figure 7, FV represents the vehicle in front. As shown in Figure 7, there are cases where the bicycle MB is blocked from view by an obstruction Sh from the side of the vehicle in front FV. In such cases, the vehicle in front FV may not be able to detect the bicycle MB until it is quite close, and the vehicle in front FV is likely to brake suddenly only after it has come quite close to the bicycle MB.

[0060] The operation support unit 116 performs processing to assist in avoiding proximity of moving objects in response to the operation of the accelerator pedal or brake pedal of the vehicle's hybrid vehicle. The operation support unit 116 includes an accelerator deceleration amount control unit 1161, a brake deceleration amount control unit 1162, and an accelerator suppression unit 1163 as functional blocks.

[0061] The accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 controls the amount of deceleration of the HV vehicle when the accelerator pedal of the HV vehicle is turned off. If the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object, but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected the moving object, and the first proximity determination unit 1141 has determined that there is a possibility of proximity, and the accelerator is turned off before the pre-deceleration control is started, the accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 should do the following: The accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 should increase the amount of deceleration of the HV vehicle when the accelerator is turned off compared to when the accelerator is turned off in the case where neither the sensor-side detection unit 1111 nor the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object. The accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 can determine that the accelerator has been turned off from the detection result of the accelerator sensor among the vehicle state sensors 15. For example, the accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 can increase the amount of deceleration of the HV vehicle when the accelerator is released by changing the map for adjusting the amount of deceleration due to engine braking, for example, when the accelerator is released.

[0062] With the above configuration, when pre-deceleration control is performed, increasing the amount of deceleration when the occupant releases the accelerator makes it possible to further increase the amount of deceleration of the HV vehicle when pre-deceleration control is performed. Therefore, if the occupant intends to decelerate and does not feel bothered by a large deceleration, it becomes possible to increase the amount of deceleration and make close avoidance easier.

[0063] The brake deceleration control unit 1162 controls the amount of deceleration of the HV in response to the operation of the brake pedal of the HV. If the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object, but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object, and the first proximity determination unit 1141 has determined that there is a possibility of proximity, the brake deceleration control unit 1162 should do the following: The brake deceleration control unit 1162 should increase the amount of deceleration of the HV in response to the brake pedal operation compared to the amount of deceleration of the HV in response to the brake pedal operation when neither the sensor-side detection unit 1111 nor the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object. For example, the brake deceleration control unit 1162 can increase the amount of deceleration of the HV in response to the brake pedal operation by pressurizing the hydraulic pressure generated by the brake pedal operation. Alternatively, the brake deceleration control unit 1162 may increase the amount of deceleration of the HV in response to the brake pedal operation by changing the map for adjusting the amount of deceleration in response to the amount of brake pedal operation.

[0064] With the above configuration, when pre-deceleration control is performed, the amount of deceleration caused by the occupant's brake pedal operation can be increased, thereby making it possible to further increase the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle when pre-deceleration control is performed. Therefore, in situations where close-range avoidance is likely to be necessary, it becomes possible to quickly brake the hybrid vehicle in response to the occupant's brake pedal operation.

[0065] The accelerator suppression unit 1163 suppresses the amount of acceleration when the accelerator pedal of the HV vehicle is operated. The accelerator suppression unit 1163 should do the following if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 has not detected a moving object, but the communication-side detection unit 1112 has detected a moving object, and the first proximity determination unit 1141 has determined that there is a possibility of proximity. The accelerator suppression unit 1163 should suppress the amount of acceleration when the accelerator pedal of the HV vehicle is operated. As an example, the accelerator suppression unit 1163 can suppress the amount of acceleration of the HV vehicle in response to accelerator pedal operation by changing the map for adjusting the amount of acceleration in response to the amount of accelerator pedal operation.

[0066] With the above configuration, when pre-deceleration control is performed, the amount of acceleration caused by the occupant's operation of the accelerator pedal is suppressed, thereby suppressing the acceleration of the HV vehicle when pre-deceleration control is performed. Therefore, in situations where close-range avoidance is likely to be necessary, the acceleration in response to the occupant's operation of the accelerator pedal is suppressed, making it easier to avoid close proximity between the HV vehicle and moving objects at intersections.

[0067] <Near-miss avoidance related processing in the driver assistance ECU 11> Here, using the flowchart in Figure 8, we will explain an example of the flow of proximity avoidance-related processing in the driver assistance ECU 11. The flowchart in Figure 8 should be configured to start when the proximity determination unit 114 determines that it is approaching the target intersection.

[0068] First, in step S1, if the communication-side detection unit 1112 can detect a moving object, that is, if the moving object can be detected via communication (YES in S1), the process moves to step S2. On the other hand, if the communication-side detection unit 1112 cannot detect a moving object (NO in step S1), the process moves to step S13. In step S2, the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines the possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected along with the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112. The possibility of proximity is the probability that the HV vehicle will approach the moving object at the target intersection. If it is determined that there is a possibility of proximity (YES in S2), the process moves to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no possibility of proximity (NO in S2), the process moves to step S16.

[0069] In step S3, if the accelerator is released (YES in S3), the process moves to step S4. On the other hand, if the accelerator is not released (NO in S3), the process moves to step S5. In step S4, the accelerator deceleration control unit 1161 increases the amount of deceleration of the vehicle HV associated with the accelerator release compared to when the accelerator is released without detecting a moving object in either the sensor-side detection unit 1111 or the communication-side detection unit 1112.

[0070] In step S5, if it is time to start pre-deceleration control (YES in S5), the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if it is not time to start pre-deceleration control (NO in step S5), the process returns to S3 and is repeated. The timing for starting pre-deceleration control is represented as the pre-deceleration control timing in Figure 8. The timing for starting pre-deceleration control can be determined by the deceleration control instruction unit 115 as described above.

[0071] In step S6, the deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs pre-deceleration control. In step S7, the first proximity determination unit 1141 sets the observation period used to determine proximity possibility based on information about the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111 to be shorter than the default.

[0072] In step S8, if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect a moving object, that is, if the sensor can detect a moving object (YES in S8), the process proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 cannot detect a moving object (NO in step S8), the process proceeds to step S9. Note that the moving object in question here is the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112.

[0073] In step S9, the accelerator deceleration control unit 1161, the brake deceleration control unit 1162, and the accelerator suppression unit 1163 perform processing to assist in avoiding proximity to a moving object, and then proceed to step S10. In step S10, if it is the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (YES in S10), the proximity avoidance-related processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (NO in S10), the process returns to S8 and is repeated. The end of the proximity avoidance-related processing may be when the vehicle HV has passed the target intersection, etc.

[0074] In step S11, the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines the possibility of proximity based on information about the moving object detected together with the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111. If it determines that proximity is possible (YES in S11), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it determines that proximity is not possible (NO in S11), the process proceeds to S10.

[0075] In step S12, the deceleration control instruction unit 115 increases the braking capability. Specifically, it increases the maximum deceleration in the evasive deceleration control compared to when the communication-side detection unit 1112 has not detected a moving object, and shortens the period from the start of deceleration to the maximum deceleration in the evasive deceleration control. In step S13, the deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs evasive deceleration control. In step S14, if it is the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (YES in S14), the proximity avoidance-related processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (NO in S14), the process returns to S1 and is repeated.

[0076] In step S15, if the answer in S1 is NO, the process proceeds to step S17 if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect a moving object, that is, if the sensor can detect a moving object (YES in S15). On the other hand, if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 cannot detect a moving object (NO in step S15), the process proceeds to step S16. Note that the moving object in question here is the one detected by the communication-side detection unit 1112. In step S16, if it is the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (YES in S16), the proximity avoidance-related processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not the end of the proximity avoidance-related processing (NO in S16), the process returns to S1 and is repeated.

[0077] In step S17, the first proximity determination unit 1141 determines the possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected along with the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit 1111. If it determines that proximity is possible (YES in S17), the process proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if it determines that proximity is not possible (NO in S17), the process returns to S1 and is repeated. In step S18, the deceleration control instruction unit 115 performs evasive deceleration control, and the process proceeds to S16.

[0078] Note that the proximity avoidance related processing described in Figure 8 may be configured to be performed when the sensor-side detection unit 1111 does not detect a vehicle in front of the HV when approaching the target intersection. On the other hand, if the sensor-side detection unit 1111 detects a vehicle in front of the HV when approaching the target intersection, the following should be done. The second proximity determination unit 1142, upon detecting a non-forward moving object, determines whether or not the vehicle in front may approach that non-forward moving object at the target intersection. If the second proximity determination unit 1142 determines that the vehicle in front may approach a non-forward moving object at the target intersection, it should perform deceleration control that reduces the maximum deceleration compared to avoidance deceleration control, thereby slowing down the HV.

[0079] <Summary of Embodiment 1> As described above, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, even when deceleration control is performed to avoid proximity to a moving object detected based on information acquired through vehicle-to-infrastructure communication when the HV vehicle approaches an intersection, it is possible to perform deceleration control that is less likely to cause inconvenience to the occupants of the HV vehicle.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, by performing pre-deceleration control prior to avoidance deceleration control, proximity avoidance between the vehicle HV and the moving object at the target intersection becomes more reliable. This effect will be explained using the graph in Figure 9. Figure 9 is a graph showing an example of the change in distance until the vehicle HV and the moving object come into close proximity, depending on how avoidance control is performed. The solid line in Figure 9 shows an example where no deceleration control is performed. The dotted line in Figure 9 shows an example where only avoidance deceleration control is performed among pre-deceleration control and avoidance deceleration control. The dashed line in Figure 9 shows an example where both pre-deceleration control and avoidance deceleration control are performed. When both pre-deceleration control and avoidance deceleration control are performed, pre-deceleration control is performed prior to avoidance deceleration control, as shown in Figure 6. The vertical axis in Figure 9 shows the distance until the vehicle HV and the moving object come into close proximity, and the horizontal axis shows time.

[0081] As shown in Figure 9, if deceleration control is not performed, the vehicle HV approaches the moving object at the 4-second mark on the graph. In the example in Figure 9, it is assumed that the sensor-side detection unit 1111 can detect the moving object at the 2.9-second mark on the graph. In other words, it is assumed that there is a 1.1-second window between the detection of the moving object by the sensor-side detection unit 1111 and the time when the vehicle HV approaches the moving object if deceleration control is not performed. In this case, as shown in Figure 9, with only the avoidance deceleration control among the pre-deceleration control and avoidance deceleration control, there is not enough time to decelerate sufficiently, and the vehicle HV approaches the moving object. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, by performing pre-deceleration control prior to avoidance deceleration control, it is possible to avoid the vehicle HV approaching the moving object. Thus, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, even in situations where proximity between the vehicle HV and the moving object cannot be avoided with only the avoidance deceleration control among the pre-deceleration control and avoidance deceleration control, it is possible to avoid this proximity.

[0082] In this embodiment, information regarding a mobile object such as a bicycle or motorcycle is transmitted by a mobile terminal 20 carried by a user Us riding the bicycle or motorcycle. However, this is not necessarily the only configuration. For example, information regarding a mobile object such as a bicycle or motorcycle may be transmitted from a terminal that is detachably attached to or mounted on the bicycle or motorcycle. In this case, the same information as the terminal-side information described above should be transmitted.

[0083] (Embodiment 2) In the embodiments described above, the driver assistance ECU 11 was shown to correspond to the vehicle control device, but this is not necessarily the only configuration. For example, an ECU other than the driver assistance ECU 11 may be configured to correspond to the vehicle control device. Alternatively, the functions corresponding to the vehicle control device may be distributed among multiple ECUs.

[0084] In this disclosure or claims, the term "processor" refers to one or more hardware processors configured to execute processing defined by computer program code (i.e., one or more instructions of a computer program) contained in a computer program by reading the code each time. In other words, a "processor" is a hardware device that executes one or more programmed processes. Therefore, computer program code can also be considered software that can define the processing of the processor according to its content. For example, a "processor" may be a general-purpose or specific-purpose processor, and may be, but is not limited to, a CPU, microprocessor, GPU, and DFP (Data Flow Processor).

[0085] In this disclosure or claims, the term “memory” means one or more hardware memories that are non-transitional tangible recording media configured to record computer program code and / or data in a manner accessible from a processor. “Memory” can be implemented by memory technologies such as SRAM, SDRAM, non-volatile / flash type memory, or other types of memory. The computer program code that constitutes the program is recorded in memory and executed by a processor, thereby enabling the processor to perform the various functions described above.

[0086] In this disclosure or claims, the term “circuit” refers to one or more logic circuits as hardware, configured to perform specific processing defined based on a pre-designed circuit configuration. In other words (and, in contrast to “processor”), “circuit” in this disclosure or claims refers to a hardware device that performs specific processing based on a circuit configuration, rather than processing defined by software such as the computer program code described above. For example, “circuit” may include custom ICs such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) designed with Hardware Description Language (HDL). That is, “circuit” in this disclosure or claims includes all hardware circuits except for the processor described above, which performs processing by reading computer program code. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Vehicle system, 10 Vehicle-side unit, 11 Driver support ECU (vehicle control unit), 16 Surround monitoring sensor (autonomous sensor), 112 Speed ​​limit determination unit, 115 Deceleration control instruction unit, 1111 Sensor-side detection unit, 1112 Communication-side detection unit, 1141 First proximity determination unit, 1142 Second proximity determination unit, 1161 Accelerator deceleration amount control unit, 1162 Brake deceleration amount control unit, 1163 Accelerator suppression unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that can be used in a vehicle, A sensor-side detection unit (1111) detects a moving object and information regarding the position and behavior of that moving object from the sensing results of an autonomous sensor (16) that senses the surrounding environment of the vehicle, A communication-side detection unit (1112) detects the moving object and at least its position using information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication, When the vehicle approaches an intersection in front of it, if the moving object can be detected by either the sensor-side detection unit or the communication-side detection unit, a first proximity determination unit (1141) determines whether there is a possibility of proximity at the intersection, based on information about the moving object detected along with the moving object, The system includes a deceleration control instruction unit (115) that, when the first proximity determination unit determines that there is a possibility of proximity, causes the vehicle to perform deceleration control to slow down, The communication-side detection unit is capable of detecting the moving object in a range that cannot be detected by the sensor-side detection unit by using information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication. The deceleration control instruction unit is a vehicle control device that decelerates the vehicle by lowering the maximum deceleration of the pre-deceleration control, which is performed when the moving object is not detected by the sensor-side detection unit but is detected by the communication-side detection unit, compared to the avoidance deceleration control, which is performed when the moving object is detected by the sensor-side detection unit.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle is equipped with a speed limiting unit (112) that identifies the speed limit in the area in which the vehicle travels, The deceleration control instruction unit is a vehicle control device that, when performing the pre-deceleration control, decelerates the vehicle to the regulated speed specified by the regulated speed specification unit.

3. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The communication-side detection unit detects the moving object and information regarding the position and behavior of the moving object using information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication. The first proximity determination unit is a vehicle control device that, when the vehicle approaches an intersection in front of it, determines whether or not there is a possibility of proximity based on information regarding the position and behavior of the moving object detected together with the moving object, if the communication-side detection unit can detect the moving object.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle is equipped with an accelerator deceleration control unit (1161) that controls the amount of deceleration of the vehicle when the accelerator pedal is turned off. The accelerator deceleration control unit is a vehicle control device that, when the sensor-side detection unit has not detected the moving object but the communication-side detection unit has detected the moving object, and the first proximity determination unit has determined that there is a possibility of proximity, and the accelerator is turned off before the pre-deceleration control is started, increases the amount of deceleration of the vehicle associated with the accelerator being turned off compared to when the accelerator is turned off when neither the sensor-side detection unit nor the communication-side detection unit has detected the moving object.

5. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle is equipped with a brake deceleration control unit (1162) that controls the amount of deceleration of the vehicle in response to the operation of the brake pedal of the vehicle, The brake deceleration control unit is a vehicle control device that, when the sensor-side detection unit has not detected the moving object but the communication-side detection unit has detected the moving object, and the first proximity determination unit has determined that there is a possibility of proximity, increases the amount of deceleration of the vehicle in response to the operation of the brake pedal compared to the amount of deceleration of the vehicle in response to the operation of the brake pedal when the moving object is not detected by either the sensor-side detection unit or the communication-side detection unit.

6. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle is equipped with an accelerator suppression unit (1163) that suppresses the amount of acceleration when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is operated, The accelerator suppression unit is a vehicle control device that suppresses the amount of acceleration when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is operated, when the sensor-side detection unit has not detected the moving object but the communication-side detection unit has detected the moving object and the first proximity determination unit has determined that there is a possibility of proximity.

7. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The first proximity determination unit continuously makes a provisional determination as to whether or not proximity is possible, and if the provisional determination that proximity is possible continues for a specified period of time, it determines that proximity is possible. The first proximity determination unit determines the proximity possibility when the sensor-side detection unit has not detected the moving object but the communication-side detection unit has detected the moving object, and the communication-side detection unit has determined that there is a possibility of proximity based on the information about the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit, by shortening the prescribed period compared to when the communication-side detection unit has not detected the moving object.

8. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The deceleration control instruction unit, when it determines that there is a possibility of proximity based on either the proximity possibility determination based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit or the proximity possibility determination based on the position and behavior of the moving object detected by the sensor-side detection unit, increases the maximum deceleration in the avoidance deceleration control and shortens the period from the start of deceleration in the avoidance deceleration control to the maximum deceleration, compared to when the moving object is not detected by the communication-side detection unit.

9. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The communication-side detection unit also distinguishes and detects the type of the mobile object from the type of the mobile object information included in the information acquired from outside the vehicle via wireless communication. The deceleration control instruction unit determines, based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit, that there is a possibility of proximity, and then initiates the pre-deceleration control at a later timing, depending on whether the type of moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit is classified as a lighter weight type.

10. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The communication-side detection unit also detects the reliability of the position of the moving object from the reliability of the position of the moving object included in the information about the moving object, obtained from outside the vehicle via wireless communication. The deceleration control instruction unit determines, based on the information about the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit, that there is a possibility of proximity, and then initiates the pre-deceleration control at a later timing than when the reliability of the position of the moving object detected by the communication-side detection unit is less than a specified value.

11. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, When the vehicle approaches an intersection in front of it, if the sensor-side detection unit can detect the vehicle immediately in front of the vehicle, and the communication-side detection unit can detect a non-forward moving object which is a different moving object from the vehicle in front, the system includes a second proximity determination unit (1142) that determines whether the vehicle in front may approach the non-forward moving object at the intersection, based on information regarding the position and behavior of the vehicle in front detected together with the vehicle in front by the sensor-side detection unit, and information regarding the non-forward moving object detected together with the non-forward moving object by the communication-side detection unit. The deceleration control instruction unit also causes the vehicle to perform deceleration control when the second proximity determination unit determines that the vehicle ahead may come into close proximity to a non-forward moving object at the intersection. The deceleration control instruction unit is a vehicle control device that, when the second proximity determination unit determines that the vehicle ahead may approach a non-forward moving object at the intersection, performs deceleration control that reduces the maximum deceleration compared to the avoidance deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle.

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