Vehicle control system

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can appropriately switch between the execution and deactivation of lane keeping assist control. [Solution] The vehicle control device 10 is configured to perform vehicle speed control and lane keeping support control. When the vehicle 20 approaches a roundabout while vehicle speed control and lane keeping support control are being performed, the vehicle speed is adjusted by the vehicle speed control. If the vehicle speed is adjusted by the vehicle speed control, the driver assistance ECU 11 decides to stop the lane keeping support control while the vehicle 20 is traveling through the roundabout.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses vehicle speed control including a first control step of approaching the vehicle speed to a second vehicle speed when entering a circular intersection, and a second control step of approaching the first vehicle speed after entering. The second vehicle speed is lower than the first vehicle speed. According to the vehicle speed control according to Patent Document 1, since the vehicle speed is automatically adjusted (decelerated) when the host vehicle enters the circular intersection, the driver may not need to perform a braking operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, conventionally, lane keeping support control for driving the host vehicle along a target driving line set in the own lane in which the vehicle is traveling is known. Such lane keeping support control is canceled (ended) when an operation (manual operation) of the vehicle by the driver is performed during execution. Therefore, in a configuration in which the lane keeping support control and the vehicle speed control disclosed in Patent Document 1 are used in combination, if an operation of the vehicle by the driver (for example, a braking operation) is not performed when the vehicle enters the circular intersection, the lane keeping support control continues even after entering the circular intersection. Inside the circular intersection, smooth lane keeping support control may be difficult, and as a result, the passengers of the vehicle may feel不安 about the behavior of the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent the driver from feeling uneasy about the vehicle's behavior while driving through a roundabout by appropriately switching between the execution and stopping of lane keeping support control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention is: A vehicle control device capable of performing vehicle speed control to drive a vehicle at a predetermined speed and lane keeping support control to drive the vehicle along a target driving line set in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, The system includes a processing unit that determines to stop the lane keeping support control when the vehicle approaches a roundabout while the vehicle speed control and lane keeping support control are being performed, and the vehicle speed is adjusted by the vehicle speed control.

[0007] The vehicle control device according to the present invention stops lane keeping assist control when the vehicle decelerates due to vehicle speed control (i.e., without driver operation) as the vehicle approaches a roundabout. Therefore, since lane keeping assist control is not performed while the vehicle is traveling within the roundabout, the driver can avoid feeling uneasy about the vehicle's behavior while traveling through the roundabout.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device, The processing device stops the lane keeping assist control if, after deciding to stop the lane keeping assist control, the distance from the vehicle to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to the first distance.

[0009] According to this, the lane keeping assist control is stopped before the vehicle reaches a roundabout, allowing for a smooth transition from automatic steering by the lane keeping assist control to manual steering by the driver.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device, If the processing unit decides to stop the lane keeping assist control, it performs notification control to inform the occupants of the vehicle that it has decided to stop the lane keeping assist control.

[0011] According to this, the vehicle driver can recognize that the lane keeping assist control is being deactivated.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device, The processing device executes the notification control when it starts adjusting the vehicle speed by the vehicle speed control, or when the distance from the vehicle to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to the second distance which is greater than the first distance.

[0013] According to this, the vehicle driver can recognize in advance that the lane keeping assist control will stop before the lane keeping assist control actually stops. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle control system and a vehicle to which the vehicle control system is applied. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the first process performed by the driver assistance ECU. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the second process performed by the driver assistance ECU. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The vehicle control device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a device configured to perform driving assistance for a vehicle 20. Driving assistance includes vehicle speed control, lane keeping assist (LTA) control, and control to switch between their execution (ON) and stop (OFF). Vehicle speed control is a control that sets a target vehicle speed according to the driving environment of the vehicle 20 and adjusts the vehicle speed so that the actual vehicle speed becomes the target vehicle speed. Vehicle speed control includes vehicle speed maintenance control that maintains the vehicle speed at the target vehicle speed. In this embodiment, an example is shown where the vehicle speed control is ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), but it may also be CC (Cruise Control). Lane keeping assist control is a control that drives the vehicle 20 along a target driving line set in the lane in which the vehicle 20 is traveling. Conventional known controls can be applied to vehicle speed control and lane keeping assist control.

[0016] Figure 1 shows a vehicle control device 10. The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 20. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 10 includes a driver assistance ECU 11, a surrounding information monitor 12, a vehicle behavior measurement device 13, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 14, and a predetermined actuator 16. The vehicle 20 also includes a map database 17.

[0017] The driver assistance ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 11 is an example of the processing unit of the present invention. The driver assistance ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 11 is a device equipped with a computer comprising a CPU, ROM, RAM, and an I / F (interface). The ROM of the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11 has a computer program for performing driver assistance pre-stored in it. The driver assistance ECU 11 is connected to the peripheral information monitor 12, the vehicle behavior measurement device 13, the HMI 14, and the actuator 16 via the I / F. The CPU of the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11 reads the computer program stored in the ROM and executes the computer program using the RAM as a work area. This realizes the driver assistance described later. The driver assistance ECU 11 may be a single ECU or may be composed of multiple ECUs.

[0018] The surrounding information monitor 12 includes a surrounding monitoring sensor 121, an infrastructure information receiving device 122, and a map information receiving device 123. The surrounding monitoring sensor 121 is a sensor that detects the conditions around the vehicle 20 (e.g., obstacles, other vehicles, pedestrians, structures, road shape, etc.). The surrounding monitoring sensor 121 includes a front camera. The front camera is an imaging device that captures images of the external conditions in front of the vehicle 20. The front camera is installed, for example, behind the windshield of the vehicle 20 and captures images in front of the vehicle 20. The front camera transmits the captured images of the front of the vehicle 20 to the driver assistance ECU 11. The front camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. In addition, the surrounding monitoring sensor 121 may include sensors that detect objects present around the vehicle 20, such as a radar sensor and a LiDER (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging).

[0019] The infrastructure information receiving device 122 is a device that receives infrastructure information from infrastructure facilities installed on roads or the like via the cloud. The infrastructure information includes map information, traffic jam information, information on traffic regulations, and weather information.

[0020] The map information receiving device 123 receives (acquires) map information from the map database 17.

[0021] The vehicle behavior measurement device 13 is a device that detects the driving state of the vehicle 20. The vehicle behavior measurement device 13 includes a vehicle speed sensor 131, a vehicle body acceleration sensor 132, and a yaw rate measurement sensor 133. The vehicle speed sensor 131 is a detector that detects the speed of the vehicle 20. As the vehicle speed sensor 131, for example, a wheel speed sensor provided for a wheel of the vehicle 20 or a drive shaft that rotates integrally with the wheel and detects the rotational speed of the wheel is used. The vehicle speed sensor 131 transmits the detected vehicle speed information (wheel speed information) to the driving support ECU 11. The vehicle body acceleration sensor 132 is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 20. The vehicle body acceleration sensor 132 includes, for example, a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle 20 and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle 20. Then, the vehicle body acceleration sensor 132 transmits the acceleration information of the vehicle 20 to the driving support ECU 11. The yaw rate measurement sensor 133 is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle 20. As the yaw rate measurement sensor 133, for example, a gyro sensor can be used. The yaw rate measurement sensor 133 transmits the detected yaw rate information of the vehicle 20 to the driving support ECU 11. The driving support ECU 11 continuously acquires the measurement results from the vehicle behavior measurement device 13 and uses the acquired measurement results for vehicle speed control and lane keeping support control (driving support).

[0022] The HMI 14 includes a display device 141, a voice generator 142, a CC switch 143, and an LTA switch 144. The display device 141 and the voice generator 142 are notification devices that inform the occupants of the vehicle 20 (including the driver) of various information. The display device 141 is a device configured to display various images (still images and moving images). The images that the display device 141 can display may include an icon indicating that lane keeping assist control is being performed and an icon indicating that vehicle speed control is being performed. The voice generator 142 is a device configured to emit sound. The CC switch 143 is an operating member for the driver of the vehicle 20 to set the vehicle speed control to be performed (ON) and stopped (OFF). The LTA switch 144 is an operating member for the driver of the vehicle 20 to set the lane keeping assist control to be performed (ON) and stopped (OFF). The driver assistance ECU 11 starts vehicle speed control when it detects an ON operation on the CC switch 143, and stops vehicle speed control when it detects an OFF operation on the CC switch 143 or when predetermined stopping conditions are met. In addition, the driver assistance ECU 11 starts lane keeping assist control when it detects an ON operation on the LTA switch 144, and stops lane keeping assist control when it detects an OFF operation on the LTA switch 144 or when predetermined stopping conditions are met.

[0023] The position detection device 124 detects the position of the vehicle 20. For example, a GNSS device is used as the position detection device 124. The GNSS device is configured to measure the position of the vehicle 20 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 20) by receiving signals from positioning satellites. The position detection device 124 transmits the measured position information of the vehicle 20 to the driver assistance ECU 11.

[0024] The accelerator pedal sensor 151 can detect the amount of movement of the accelerator pedal. The brake pedal sensor 152 can detect the amount of movement of the brake pedal. The steering sensor 153 detects the steering torque generated as a result of steering by the driver via the steering wheel. The driver assistance ECU 11 can acquire the detection results from these sensors.

[0025] The map database 17 is a database in which map information is stored. The map database 17 is formed, for example, in a storage device such as the HDD of a navigation system installed in the vehicle 20. However, the map database 17 may also be formed on a data server outside the vehicle 20. In this case, a configuration can be applied in which the infrastructure information receiving device 122 receives the map database 17 via the cloud. The map information includes location information of roads and intersections. The map information may include at least one of the following: information on road type (road classification), information on road width, and information on lane width. Road types are defined, for example, by law, and lane widths corresponding to the type may be predetermined. That is, even if lane width information is not included in the map information, the lane width can be determined from the road type. In addition, the map information may include curvature information of roundabouts.

[0026] The actuator 16 is a device used to control the vehicle 20. The actuator 16 includes a drive actuator, a steering actuator, and a brake actuator. The drive actuator controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) in response to a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11, thereby controlling the driving force of the vehicle 20. If the vehicle 20 is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11 is input to the motor, which is a power source, to control its driving force. If the vehicle 20 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11 is input to the motor, which is a power source, to control its driving force. In these cases, the motor, which is a power source, constitutes the actuator 16.

[0027] The steering actuator controls the direction of travel of the vehicle 20 by adjusting the steering angle of the vehicle's steering wheels in response to a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11. The steering actuator is, for example, a motor for rotating the steering shaft of the vehicle 20. In this case, the motor is driven in response to a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11, thereby adjusting the steering angle of the vehicle's steering wheels and controlling the direction of travel of the vehicle 20. The brake actuator controls the brake system in response to a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11, and controls the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle 20. As the brake system, for example, a hydraulic brake system can be used. The brake actuator is, for example, a hydraulic circuit provided in a hydraulic brake system. In this case, the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic circuit is adjusted in response to a control signal from the driver assistance ECU 11, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle 20.

[0028] Next, the driver assistance functions performed by the vehicle control device 10 will be described. When the driver assistance ECU 11 detects an ON operation of the CC switch 143, it performs (starts) vehicle speed control. While performing vehicle speed control, the driver assistance ECU 11 controls the vehicle 20 (actuator 16) so that the vehicle speed approaches the target vehicle speed (typically so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed). In addition, when the driver assistance ECU 11 detects an ON operation of the LTA switch 144, it performs (starts) lane keeping assistance control. While performing lane keeping assistance control, the driver assistance ECU 11 sets a target driving line in the lane in which the vehicle 20 is traveling, and controls the actuator 16 so that the vehicle 20 travels along the target driving line.

[0029] The driver assistance ECU 11 stops vehicle speed control when it detects an OFF operation on the CC switch 143 or when predetermined stopping conditions are met. Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 11 stops lane keeping assist control when it detects an OFF operation on the LTA switch 144 or when predetermined stopping conditions are met. These predetermined stopping conditions include the driver operating the brake pedal (an operation that reduces vehicle speed).

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the driver assistance ECU 11 when vehicle 20 approaches a roundabout while vehicle speed control and lane keeping assist control are being performed, and the subsequent operation of the driver assistance ECU 11. Here, as shown in Figure 2, an example is shown in which vehicle 20 approaches the roundabout from the left side of the figure, travels counterclockwise within the roundabout, and then exits the roundabout to the right side.

[0031] The driver assistance ECU 11 continuously performs a process to search for roundabouts located in front of the vehicle 20. In other words, the driver assistance ECU 11 continuously determines whether or not a roundabout exists in front of the vehicle 20. For example, the driver assistance ECU 11 searches for roundabouts in front of the vehicle 20 based on images of the area in front of the vehicle 20 acquired from a front camera. More specifically, the driver assistance ECU 11 searches for roundabouts by pattern matching, for example, using image patterns associated with roundabouts. Alternatively, the driver assistance ECU 11 may search for roundabouts in front of the vehicle 20 based on the vehicle 20's position information measured by the GNSS receiver and map information from the map database 17. The vehicle 20's position information is not limited to the measurement results from the GNSS receiver, but may also be obtained by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) or dead reckoning.

[0032] Time t1 is the point in time when the driver assistance ECU 11 detects a roundabout ahead of the vehicle 20. When the driver assistance ECU 11 detects a roundabout ahead of the vehicle 20, it decelerates the vehicle 20 as part of the vehicle speed control so that the vehicle speed approaches the first target vehicle speed (typically so that the vehicle speed matches the first target vehicle speed). "When a roundabout is detected ahead of the vehicle 20" can also be expressed as "when the vehicle 20 is approaching a roundabout" or "when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will soon be driving through a roundabout." The first target vehicle speed is the appropriate vehicle speed for the vehicle 20 to enter the roundabout. The specific value of the first target vehicle speed is not limited. The first target vehicle speed is also stored (registered) in advance in the ROM of the driver assistance ECU 11's computer. Time t2 indicates the point in time when the vehicle 20 begins to decelerate. When the driver assistance ECU 11 detects a roundabout ahead of the vehicle 20 and decelerates the vehicle 20 through vehicle speed control, it decides to "stop lane keeping assist control while the vehicle 20 is driving through the roundabout."

[0033] Furthermore, if the driver assistance ECU 11 detects a roundabout ahead of the vehicle 20, it calculates the distance from the vehicle 20 to the detected roundabout. Then, after deciding to stop the lane keeping assist control, the driver assistance ECU 11 stops the lane keeping assist control at the point t4 when the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout becomes a first distance D1. The first distance D1 is pre-stored in the ROM of the driver assistance ECU 11's computer. The specific value of this first distance D1 is not limited (however, it is a distance greater than 0), and it is a value that can be set as appropriate.

[0034] Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 11 performs notification control at time t2 when it begins to decelerate the vehicle 20 by vehicle speed control, or at a time near that time (for example, immediately after time t2). Alternatively, the driver assistance ECU 11 performs notification control at time t3 when the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to the second distance D2, which is greater than the first distance D1. Notification control is a control that informs (or warns) the driver that it has decided to stop the lane keeping support control, that manual steering by the driver will be required after the lane keeping support control is stopped, and that vehicle speed control will continue. For example, the driver assistance ECU 11 displays messages (text) or icons on the display device 141 indicating that "lane keeping support control will be stopped," "manual steering by the driver will be required," and "vehicle speed control will continue." Also, as described above, the images that the display device 141 can display may include icons indicating that lane keeping support control is in operation and icons indicating that vehicle speed control is in operation. In this case, the driver assistance ECU 11 stops displaying the icon indicating that lane keeping assist control is being performed and continues displaying the icon indicating that vehicle speed control is being performed. The driver assistance ECU 11 may also change the display mode of the icon indicating that lane keeping assist control is being performed. For example, the driver assistance ECU 11 may make the icon blink. The driver assistance ECU 11 also causes the voice generator 142 to speak the aforementioned message. The driver assistance ECU 11 may also perform both the display of the message by the display device 141 and the speaking of the message by the voice generator 142. This allows the driver to recognize that lane keeping assist control will stop, that they need to steer the vehicle 20 into the roundabout themselves, and that they need to steer the vehicle 20 while it is moving through the roundabout. The driver can also recognize that vehicle speed control will continue even if lane keeping assist control stops. In other words, the driver can recognize that while vehicle 20 is entering and traveling through the roundabout, it is necessary to steer the vehicle but not to adjust the vehicle speed (by operating the accelerator or brake pedal).

[0035] In addition, the vehicle 20 or the vehicle control device 10 may be equipped with a device that can transmit tactile information to the driver. Such a device could be a vibration device that vibrates the steering wheel. In this case, the driver assistance ECU 11 operates this device as a notification control. As a result, the driver assistance ECU 11 can tactilely notify the driver that "lane keeping support control will be stopped," "manual steering operation by the driver will be required," and "vehicle speed control will continue."

[0036] Furthermore, if a roundabout is detected in front of the vehicle 20 while the driver assistance ECU 11 is performing speed control and lane keeping assist control, it may subsequently detect an operation by the driver to control the vehicle speed (typically, operation of the brake pedal). In this case, the driver assistance ECU 11 stops speed control and lane keeping assist control at the moment it detects the driver's operation to control the vehicle speed. The driver assistance ECU 11 then adjusts the vehicle speed to approach (typically match) the speed corresponding to the driver's operation. In this case, since lane keeping assist control has been stopped, the driver assistance ECU 11 does not decide to "stop lane keeping assist control while the vehicle 20 is traveling through a roundabout."

[0037] Time t5 is when vehicle 20 reaches the roundabout. If vehicle 20 enters the roundabout after reaching it, the driver assistance ECU 11 adjusts the vehicle speed to approach the second target speed as part of the vehicle speed control. The second target speed is a speed suitable for driving through a roundabout. Therefore, vehicle 20 drives through the roundabout at a speed close to the second target speed.

[0038] Time t6 is the point in time when vehicle 20 leaves the roundabout. When the driver assistance ECU 11 detects an ON operation of the LTA switch 144 after vehicle 20 has left the roundabout (at a time after time t6), it restarts the lane keeping assist control. However, as shown in Figure 2, the driver assistance ECU 11 may automatically restart the lane keeping assist control even if the driver does not operate the LTA switch 144 ON at time t6 when vehicle 20 leaves the roundabout.

[0039] According to the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment, if the vehicle 20 is decelerated by vehicle speed control without driver intervention when approaching a roundabout, the driver assistance ECU 11 decides not to perform lane keeping support control within the roundabout. This reduces the driver's anxiety. In other words, the accuracy of lane recognition by the surrounding monitoring sensor 121 may decrease (or lane recognition may not be possible) due to the circular shape of the road within the roundabout and the lanes being obscured by other vehicles 20 within the roundabout. In addition, lane information for the vehicle 20's driving lane may not be read from the map information. In such cases, if lane keeping support control is continued while driving within the roundabout, the lane keeping support control of the vehicle 20 may become unstable, which may cause anxiety to the driver. In contrast, according to this embodiment, as described above, lane keeping support control is stopped when the vehicle is decelerated by vehicle speed control.

[0040] Furthermore, after the driver assistance ECU 11 decides not to perform lane keeping assist control, if the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to the first distance D1, it will stop the lane keeping assist control. As a result, the lane keeping assist control is stopped before the vehicle 20 reaches (or enters) the roundabout, allowing for a smooth transition from automatic steering by the lane keeping assist control to manual steering by the driver.

[0041] Furthermore, if the driver assistance ECU 11 decides to stop the lane keeping assist control, it performs notification control to inform the vehicle occupants that it has decided to stop the lane keeping assist control. This allows the vehicle driver to recognize that the lane keeping assist control has been stopped.

[0042] Furthermore, since the notification control is executed before vehicle 20 reaches (or enters) the roundabout (before time t5), the driver can recognize in advance that "lane keeping assist control will stop and manual steering will be required." Therefore, the transition from automatic steering by lane keeping assist control to manual steering by the driver can be made smoothly.

[0043] Furthermore, the notification control system informs the driver that "vehicle speed control will continue," allowing the driver to understand that "there is no need to adjust the vehicle speed by only performing steering operations."

[0044] Next, we will explain an example of the process performed by the driver assistance ECU 11. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the first process performed by the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11. The computer program for performing the first process shown in this flowchart is pre-stored in the ROM of the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11. The CPU of the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11 reads this computer program, loads it into RAM, and executes it. The CPU of the computer of the driver assistance ECU 11 continuously performs this process at predetermined short intervals. This realizes the driver assistance described above.

[0045] In step S101, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether vehicle speed control is currently being performed. If vehicle speed control is being performed, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S102. If vehicle speed control is not being performed, the driver assistance ECU 11 terminates this series of processes.

[0046] In step S102, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether lane keeping assist control is currently being performed. If lane keeping assist control is being performed, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S103. If lane keeping assist control is not being performed, the driver assistance ECU 11 terminates this series of processes.

[0047] In step S103, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether or not a roundabout exists in front of the vehicle 20. In other words, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether or not the vehicle 20 is approaching a roundabout. If the driver assistance ECU 11 detects a roundabout in front of the vehicle 20, in other words, if it determines that the vehicle 20 is approaching a roundabout, it proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if the driver assistance ECU 11 determines that the vehicle 20 is not approaching a roundabout, it terminates this series of processes.

[0048] In step S104, the driver assistance ECU 11 decelerates the vehicle 20 as part of the vehicle speed control so that the vehicle speed approaches the first target vehicle speed (typically so that the vehicle speed matches the first target vehicle speed). Then, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S105.

[0049] In step S105, the driver assistance ECU 11 decides to "stop lane keeping assist control." Thus, the driver assistance ECU 11 decides to "stop lane keeping assist control" when it has decelerated the vehicle 20 as part of the vehicle speed control. Then, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S106.

[0050] In step S106, the driver assistance ECU 11 performs notification control. Then, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S107.

[0051] In step S107, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is less than or equal to the first distance D1. If the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is greater than the first distance D1, the driver assistance ECU 11 returns to step S106. In this case, the notification control continues. On the other hand, if the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is less than or equal to the first distance D1, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S108.

[0052] In step S106, the driver assistance ECU 11 stops the lane keeping assist control. The driver assistance ECU 11 then terminates this series of processes. The driver assistance ECU 11 may also stop the notification control at the same time as stopping the lane keeping assist control.

[0053] Next, we will explain the second process. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the second process. The second process differs from the first process in that the notification control is executed at a different point in time.

[0054] Each of steps S201 to S205 is the same as each of steps S101 to S105 of the first process.

[0055] In step S206, the driver assistance ECU 11 determines whether the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is less than or equal to the second distance D2. Note that this second distance D2 is greater than the first distance D1. If the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is less than or equal to the second distance D2, the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S207. If the distance from the vehicle 20 to the roundabout is greater than the second distance D2, the driver assistance ECU 11 repeats step S206.

[0056] In step S207, the driver assistance ECU 11 performs notification control. Then the driver assistance ECU 11 proceeds to step S208.

[0057] Steps S208 and S209 are the same as steps S107 and S108 of the first process, respectively.

[0058] The first or second process described above realizes the driver assistance control according to this embodiment.

[0059] Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 11 may stop lane keeping assistance control in step S107 or step S209, and then restart lane keeping assistance control if the vehicle 20 subsequently exits the roundabout.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without contradicting the gist or idea of ​​the invention as can be inferred from the claims and specification as a whole. Such modifications are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10...Vehicle control device, 11...Driver assistance ECU, 14...HMI, 20...Vehicle, 141...Display device, 142...Vehicle generator

Claims

1. A vehicle control device capable of performing vehicle speed control to drive a vehicle at a predetermined speed and lane keeping support control to drive the vehicle along a target driving line set in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, The system includes a processing unit that determines to stop the lane keeping assist control when the vehicle approaches a roundabout while the vehicle speed control and lane keeping assist control are being performed, and the vehicle speed is adjusted by the vehicle speed control. Vehicle control device.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The processing unit, after deciding to stop the lane keeping assist control, stops the lane keeping assist control if the distance from the vehicle to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to a first distance. Vehicle control device.

3. A vehicle control device according to claim 2, If the processing device decides to stop the lane keeping assist control, it performs notification control to inform the occupants of the vehicle that it has decided to stop the lane keeping assist control. Vehicle control device.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, The processing device executes the notification control when it starts adjusting the vehicle speed by the vehicle speed control, or when the distance from the vehicle to the roundabout becomes less than or equal to the second distance which is greater than the first distance. Vehicle control device.

Images