Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To achieve more appropriate vehicle control during towing. [Solution] The vehicle control device comprises a recognition unit that recognizes the area around a drive vehicle having a coupling portion, and a control unit that performs driving assistance control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, wherein the control unit limits the amount of control of the driving assistance control when a driven vehicle is coupled to the coupling portion compared to when a driven vehicle is not coupled to the coupling portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that takes various situations into consideration have been active. Toward this realization, research and development focused on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to driving support technology. For example, it is detected whether a braking operation is performed by a brake pedal on a towing vehicle side that pulls a trailer, and when the braking operation is not performed, the acceleration of the towing vehicle detected by the acceleration sensor on the towing vehicle side and the acceleration of the trailer detected by the acceleration sensor on the trailer side are compared. When the latter acceleration is greater than the former acceleration, an electromagnetic brake mounted on the trailer is actuated to brake the trailer, and a method for preventing the snaking phenomenon of the trailer is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional technology, appropriate vehicle control may not be achieved depending on the situation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can achieve more appropriate vehicle control during towing. Subsequently, it contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The control device, control method, and program according to this invention employ the following configuration. (1) A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a recognition unit that recognizes the surroundings of a drive vehicle having a coupling portion, and a control unit that performs driving support control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, wherein the control unit limits the amount of control of the driving support control when a driven vehicle is coupled to the coupling portion compared to when a driven vehicle is not coupled to the coupling portion.

[0007] (2) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit limits the amount of control of the driving support control to suppress the snaking phenomenon, in which the reference direction of the driven vehicle curves relative to the reference direction of the drive vehicle, making it difficult to control the driven vehicle, when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion.

[0008] (3) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit is provided with an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle with respect to the reference direction of the driven vehicle, and the control unit increases the degree of limiting the control amount based on the angle.

[0009] (4) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit suppresses the acceleration of the drive vehicle and limits the amount of control of the driving support control when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion.

[0010] (5) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit limits the amount of control of the driving support control to suppress the range of change in the steering angle of the drive vehicle when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion.

[0011] (6) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit suppresses the change in the steering angle of the drive vehicle and limits the amount of control of the driving support control when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion.

[0012] (7) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit suppresses the acceleration request of the driver of the drive vehicle when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, or invalidates the acceleration request when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion.

[0013] (8) In the embodiment of (1) above, the control unit is provided with an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the reference direction of the drive vehicle with respect to the coupling portion, and the control unit limits the control amount of the driving support control when, within a predetermined time, the angle changes in a first direction, changes in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the degree of the change is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0014] (9) In any embodiment of (1) to (8) above, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle with respect to the reference direction of the driven vehicle, and the control unit releases the restriction on the control amount of the driving support control when the angle changes from a state in which the angle has changed by more than a threshold in a predetermined direction to a state in which the angle has changed to less than the threshold.

[0015] (10): A control method according to another aspect of the present invention involves a computer recognizing the surroundings of a drive vehicle having a coupling portion, performing driving assistance control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the results of the recognition, and limiting the amount of control of the driving assistance control when a driven vehicle is coupled to the coupling portion compared to when a driven vehicle is not coupled to the coupling portion.

[0016] (11): Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform the following: a process of recognizing the surroundings of a drive vehicle having a coupling portion; a process of performing driving assistance control that controls the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the results of the recognition; and a process of limiting the amount of control of the driving assistance control when a driven vehicle is coupled to the coupling portion compared to when a driven vehicle is not coupled to the coupling portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to embodiments (1)-(11), the vehicle control device can achieve more appropriate vehicle control during towing by limiting the amount of control of the driving assistance control when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling part compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling part.

[0018] According to the embodiment of (4), the vehicle control device suppresses acceleration when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion, thereby appropriately controlling acceleration and stabilizing the driving state of the vehicle or the driven vehicle.

[0019] According to the embodiment of (5) or (6), the vehicle control device can appropriately control steering and stabilize the driving state of the vehicle or the driven vehicle by suppressing the amount of steering control when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling part compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling part.

[0020] According to embodiment (7), the vehicle control device can appropriately control acceleration by suppressing acceleration even in response to driver operations, thereby stabilizing the driving state of the vehicle or the driven vehicle.

[0021] According to embodiment (8), the vehicle control device can appropriately perform driving assistance control according to the degree of change in the angle of the driven vehicle within a predetermined time.

[0022] According to the aspect of (9), the vehicle control device can realize more appropriate driving support control by releasing the limitation of the control amount of the driving support control at the timing when the running state of the follower vehicle is stable.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a configuration diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram for explaining the detection of the angle. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the control results of the control of the comparative example and the control of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process executed by the driving support device 100. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the normal mode and the towing mode. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the process of keeping the change in the steering angle within a predetermined width. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the process of limiting the control amount. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the mode information.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control system according to the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled or other vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell. Although the present embodiment is described as being applied to a vehicle, it may be applied to other moving bodies instead of the vehicle.

[0025] Vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a rear camera 42, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, an operator 80, a driver assistance device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, a steering device 220, and a coupling unit 230. These devices and equipment are connected to each other by multiplex communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. The configuration shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configurations may be added. The driver assistance device 100 is an example of a "control device".

[0026] Camera 10 is a digital camera that utilizes a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). Camera 10 is mounted at any location on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle M) on which the vehicle system 1 is installed. When imaging the area in front, camera 10 is mounted on the top of the front windshield, behind the rearview mirror, etc. Camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the area around vehicle M. Camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0027] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by objects (reflected waves) to determine at least the position (distance and bearing) of the object. The radar device 12 can be mounted at any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may also detect the position and velocity of the object using the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0028] LIDAR14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to light) around vehicle M and measures the scattered light. Based on the time from emission to reception, LIDAR14 detects the distance to the target. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. LIDAR14 can be attached to any location on vehicle M.

[0029] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc., of an object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the driver assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 directly to the driver assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0030] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of vehicle M, or with various server devices via a wireless base station, for example, by using a cellular network, Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth®, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc.

[0031] The HMI30 presents various information to the occupants of vehicle M and accepts input operations from the occupants. The HMI30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc. The HMI30 is equipped with a display device. The display device is a display device, also known as a multi-information display, that displays various information in vehicle M, such as a speedometer showing the vehicle's speed or a tachometer showing the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine in vehicle M, and is located in the center of the instrument panel of vehicle M.

[0032] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting angular velocity around the vertical axis, and an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the vehicle M.

[0033] The rear camera 42 is a camera that captures images of the area behind the vehicle M. The driver assistance device 100 uses the image from the rear camera 42 to perform automatic stopping control. Automatic stopping control is a control that causes the vehicle M to automatically stop in a predetermined position in the parking area. The rear camera 42 captures images of, for example, the coupling section 230 or the area around the coupling section 230 including the coupling section 230.

[0034] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the output of the vehicle sensors 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, speakers, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or completely shared with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as the route on the map) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52, by referring to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which the road shape is represented by links indicating roads and nodes connected by those links. The first map information 54 may also include information such as road curvature and POI (Point of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be implemented, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet held by an occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current location and destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0035] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the map route provided by the navigation device 50 into multiple blocks (for example, every 100m with respect to the vehicle's direction of travel) and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes decisions such as which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. If there is a branching point on the map route, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branching point. For example, if the vehicle M reaches a predetermined distance before a branching road it is traveling on, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the lane connecting to the branching road as the recommended lane. The recommended lane determination unit 61 and the second map information 62 may be functional units or information included in other devices such as the driver assistance device 100. The driver assistance system 100 recommends to the driver that vehicle M move to a recommended lane, or automatically moves vehicle M.

[0036] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes or information on lane boundaries. The second map information 62 may also include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices.

[0037] The control element 80 includes, for example, a steering wheel, as well as an accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, and other control elements. The control element 80 is equipped with a sensor that detects the amount of operation or whether or not an operation is performed, and the detection result is output to the driver assistance device 100, or to some or all of the driving force output device 200, brake device 210, and steering device 220. The steering wheel does not necessarily have to be annular in shape, and may take the form of an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a joystick, buttons, etc.

[0038] The driver assistance device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, an angle detection unit 120, and a driver assistance unit 130. The recognition unit 110, the angle detection unit (acquisition unit) 120, and the driver assistance unit 130 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or SOC (System On Chip), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium) such as the HDD or flash memory of the driver assistance device 100, or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driver assistance device 100 when the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) is mounted on the drive device.

[0039] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and state of objects around the vehicle M, such as their speed and acceleration, based on information input from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive axis) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or it may be represented by a region. The "state" of an object may include the object's acceleration, jerk, or "action state" (for example, whether or not it is changing lanes or attempting to change lanes).

[0040] The recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road markings (for example, an arrangement of solid and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of road markings around the vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may also recognize the driving lane by recognizing not only road markings, but also road boundaries (road boundaries) including road markings, shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by INS may also be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road events.

[0041] When recognizing a driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and orientation of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the vehicle M's reference point from the center of the lane, and the angle it makes with a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the direction of travel, as the relative position and orientation of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the vehicle M's reference point relative to any side edge of the driving lane (road marking or road boundary), etc., as the relative position of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane.

[0042] The angle detection unit 120 detects the angle of the driven vehicle relative to the vehicle M (or coupling part 230), and the angle of the vehicle M or driven vehicle relative to the coupling part 230. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the angle detection. As shown in the figure, a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling part 230 of the vehicle M. The state of the driven vehicle m changes according to the driving state of the vehicle M. The angle detection unit 120 detects the angle θ of the reference direction S2 of the support part of the driven vehicle m relative to the reference direction S1 of the support part of the vehicle M. This angle θ is larger the more the direction of travel of the driven vehicle m is deviated from the direction of travel of the vehicle M (the more curved it is). The angle detection unit 120 determines the angle θ by analyzing the image captured by the rear camera 42. Note that marks indicating the reference direction S1 or the reference direction S2 may be attached to the vehicle M, the coupling part 230, or the driven vehicle m. As described above, the angle detection unit 120 can detect the angle θ.

[0043] Although the above explanation assumes that the angle θ is detected by image analysis, alternatively (in addition to this), the angle detection unit 120 may detect the angle θ by referring to the detection results of an angle sensor provided in or near the connecting unit 230.

[0044] The driver assistance unit 130 performs driver assistance control. For example, the driver assistance unit 130 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without relying on the driver's operation to automatically control the speed of the vehicle M. The driver assistance unit 130 performs so-called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). The driver assistance unit 130 controls the vehicle M so that it travels at a set speed, or makes the vehicle M travel following the vehicle in front at a predetermined distance from the vehicle in front.

[0045] The driver assistance unit 130 controls the steering device 220 to prevent the vehicle M from deviating from the driving lane. For example, the driver assistance unit 130 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M travels in the center or near the center of the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "lane keeping control". The control unit 150 performs hands-on lane keeping control and hands-off lane keeping control.

[0046] Hands-on lane keeping control is a control system that is performed when the driver is holding the steering wheel (when the steering grip sensor, not shown, detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). The conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control can be performed are less stringent than the conditions under which hands-off lane keeping control can be performed.

[0047] Hands-off lane keeping control is a control system that is performed when the driver is not holding the steering wheel (when the steering grip sensor, not shown, does not detect that the driver is holding the steering wheel). Hands-off lane keeping control can be performed, for example, when the following conditions are met: the speed of vehicle M is above a predetermined speed, vehicle M is traveling on a predetermined road (for example, a road or type of road that has been set in advance as being capable of performing hands-off lane keeping control), and the driver is monitoring the road ahead. Hands-off lane keeping control is performed when the driver is monitoring the road ahead, and is not performed or is stopped when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead.

[0048] The conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control and hands-off lane keeping control can be performed, as described above, are examples, and other conditions (for example, that vehicle M is following the vehicle in front) may be included, or some conditions may be omitted. The conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control can be performed are less stringent than the conditions under which hands-off lane keeping control can be performed (and the conditions under which hands-off lane keeping control can be performed are stricter than the conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control can be performed). The driver assistance device 100 recognizes whether the driver is monitoring the road ahead based on images captured by a camera (not shown) that captures images of the driver.

[0049] The driving force output device 200 outputs driving force (torque) to the drive wheels for the vehicle M to move. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU that controls them. The ECU controls the above configuration according to information input from the driver assistance device 100 or from the operator 80.

[0050] The braking system 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the driver assistance device 100 or from the control element 80, so that brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0051] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steering wheels according to information input from the driver assistance device 100 or from the control element 80.

[0052] The coupling section 230 is a coupling section that connects to a driven vehicle m that is towed by a vehicle M. When the driven vehicle m is coupled at the coupling section 230, the vehicle M can tow the driven vehicle m. For example, the vehicle M and the driven vehicle m are coupled when the support section of the vehicle M is connected to the coupling section 230, and the coupling section 230 is connected to the support section of the driven vehicle m.

[0053] [overview] The driver assistance device 100 limits the control amount of the driver assistance control when the driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230. This allows the driver assistance device 100 to achieve more appropriate control of the vehicle M during towing. The control amount of the driver assistance control refers to the control amount used to change speed, acceleration, and steering. Limiting the control amount means suppressing changes in speed, acceleration, or steering.

[0054] The driver assistance device 100 limits the amount of control of the driver assistance control so as to suppress the snaking phenomenon, in which the reference direction of the driven vehicle m curves relative to the reference direction of the vehicle M (driving vehicle), making it difficult to control the driven vehicle m, when the driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230. The reference direction is any direction, such as the direction of travel or the direction of the support part of the coupling section.

[0055] The driver assistance device 100 increases the degree of limiting the control amount of the driver assistance control based on the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle m relative to the reference direction of the vehicle M detected by the angle detection unit 120. For example, the larger the angle, the greater the degree of control.

[0056] For example, the driver assistance device 100 may reduce the speed (velocity, acceleration) of vehicle M if the angle between the reference direction of the driven vehicle m and the reference direction of vehicle M remains above a threshold for a predetermined period of time, thereby suppressing steering changes exceeding a predetermined degree. For example, the speed of vehicle M may be automatically suppressed, and further, steering changes may be automatically suppressed to stabilize the state of vehicle M and driven vehicle m.

[0057] Figure 3 shows an example of the control results between the control of the comparative example and the control of this embodiment. In the scene T1 of Figure 3, it is assumed that the comparative example vehicle X is towing a driven vehicle m and performing driver assistance control (control of speed, acceleration, or steering). In this case, it is assumed that vehicle X is performing driver assistance control in the same way as when it is not towing a driven vehicle m (the control amount is not limited). At this time, the driven vehicle m may sway due to the driver assistance control of vehicle M, and the control of vehicle X or driven vehicle m may become ineffective.

[0058] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in scene T# in Figure 3, the control amount of the driver assistance control is limited or suppressed, thereby suppressing the behavior of vehicle M that causes the driven vehicle m to sway. As a result, the driven vehicle m travels in the same direction as vehicle M. As described above, the driver assistance device 100 can control vehicle M more appropriately so that the driving of the driven vehicle m is stable.

[0059] In the above process, the driver assistance device 100 may release the limit on the control amount of the driver assistance control if the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle m with respect to the reference direction of the vehicle M falls within a predetermined angle range due to the suppression of the control amount. The driver assistance device 100 may also release the limit on the control amount of the driver assistance control if the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle m with respect to the reference direction of the vehicle M changes from a state in which the angle has changed by more than a threshold in a predetermined direction to a state where the angle has changed to less than a threshold (when it approaches the angle of the reference direction, such as the direction of travel of the vehicle M). For example, the limit on acceleration may be released. This allows the driver assistance device 100 to control the vehicle M while suppressing the snaking phenomenon without excessively suppressing the control amount.

[0060] [flowchart] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the driver assistance device 100. First, the driver assistance device 100 determines whether or not the driver assistance control is in the ON state (step S100). For example, the driver assistance control is turned ON when the driver operates a predetermined button.

[0061] When the driver assistance control is turned on, the driver assistance device 100 determines whether or not vehicle M is towing the driven vehicle m (S102). The driver assistance device 100 may determine whether or not vehicle M is towing the driven vehicle m when information indicating towing is input by the driver (when an operation indicating towing is performed), or vehicle M may determine whether or not vehicle M is towing the driven vehicle m based on the output of the drive source and the driving state of vehicle M, such as the speed and acceleration of vehicle M.

[0062] If vehicle M is not towing the driven vehicle m, the process in step S104 is skipped, and the driver assistance device 100 performs driver assistance control based on the normal mode of driver assistance control (step S106).

[0063] When vehicle M is towing a driven vehicle m, the driver assistance device 100 changes the driver assistance control mode from normal mode to towing mode (step S104) and performs driver assistance control based on the towing mode (step S106). The towing mode is a mode in which changes in speed, acceleration, steering, or all of these are suppressed compared to the normal mode.

[0064] For example, when snaking is occurring or about to occur, strong steering control intervention may cause or induce a stronger snaking phenomenon. As described above, the driver assistance device 100 suppresses the amount of control of the driver assistance control before the snaking phenomenon occurs, and performs driver assistance control by suppressing the amount of control so that the snaking phenomenon does not occur in the traction mode. As a result, the driving of the vehicle M and the driven vehicle m is stabilized.

[0065] [Towing Mode] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the normal mode and the towing mode. The normal mode and the towing mode differ in the control amounts of one or both of the follow model and the steering assist model. The control amount in towing mode is suppressed compared to the control amount in normal mode. The follow model is a model that includes acceleration, etc., used when performing ACC to bring the vehicle M closer to the target speed. The steering assist model is a model that includes the tendency of steering changes, etc., used when performing lane keeping control to bring the vehicle M closer to the center of the lane.

[0066] [Suppression of acceleration] For example, the acceleration of the towing mode follow model ACC2 is suppressed compared to the acceleration of the normal mode follow model ACC1. Specifically, the acceleration of vehicle M when it reaches the target speed in the towing mode follow model ACC2 is suppressed compared to the acceleration of vehicle M when it reaches the target speed in the normal mode follow model ACC1. In other words, the time it takes for vehicle M to reach the target speed in the towing mode follow model ACC2 is longer than the time it takes for vehicle M to reach the target speed in the normal mode follow model ACC1. In this way, the driver assistance device 100 suppresses the acceleration of vehicle M when the driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling part 230 compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling part 230, thereby limiting the amount of control for the driver assistance control. This makes it possible to stabilize the driving of vehicle M or the driven vehicle m.

[0067] The driver assistance device 100 may suppress the acceleration requests of the vehicle M driver when a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230. An acceleration request is, for example, an acceleration operation by the driver operating the access pedal. For example, when a driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230, the driver assistance device 100 accelerates the vehicle M at a first acceleration when a first acceleration request is made. For example, when a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, the driver assistance device 100 accelerates the vehicle M at a second acceleration when a first acceleration request is made. The second acceleration is an acceleration below a preset threshold and is smaller than the first acceleration. This process may be performed while ACC is running, or it may be performed when ACC is not running.

[0068] The driver assistance device 100 may disable the acceleration request of the vehicle M driver when a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230. For example, when ACC is running, vehicle M drives based on the towing mode follow model ACC2.

[0069] As described above, the driving support device 100 can suppress the snaking phenomenon and prevent the driven vehicle m from behaving unstably by suppressing the acceleration or changes in acceleration of the vehicle M when the vehicle M is towing the driven vehicle m.

[0070] [Suppression of steering (1)] For example, the steering control amount of steering assist model RD1 in towing mode is more suppressed than the steering control amount of steering assist model RD2 in normal mode. Specifically, the degree of change in the steering angle of vehicle M in steering assist model RD1 in towing mode is more suppressed than the degree of change in the steering angle of vehicle M in steering assist model RD2 in normal mode.

[0071] The driving support device 100, for example, when a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, limits the amount of steering support control to suppress the range of change in the steering angle of the vehicle M compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230.

[0072] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the process of keeping the change in steering angle within a predetermined range. The reference direction MV is, for example, the direction of travel of vehicle M, and the reference direction mV is, for example, the reference direction (direction of travel or opposite direction of travel) of the driven vehicle m. In the steering support model RD1 in normal mode, a steering angle in which the reference direction MV of vehicle M changes within the range of angle θ2 is permitted. In the steering support model RD2 in towing mode, a steering angle in which the reference direction MV of vehicle M changes within the range of angle θ2 is not permitted. For example, in the steering support model RD2 in towing mode, a steering angle in which the reference direction MV of vehicle M changes within the range of angle θ1 is permitted. That is, in the steering support model RD2 in towing mode, the amount of steering support control is limited so that the change in the steering angle of vehicle M stays within a predetermined range (the change in the direction of travel of vehicle M is within the range of angle θ2).

[0073] If the reference direction MV changes by an angle θ2 within a predetermined time, the reference direction mV will change up to an angle θ2#, which may cause the driven vehicle m to become unstable. In contrast, if the reference direction MV is limited to a change of an angle θ1, the reference direction mV will change up to an angle θ1#, but further changes will be suppressed, the driven vehicle m will become stable, and the snaking phenomenon will be suppressed.

[0074] [Suppression of steering (2)] The driver assistance device 100 may, when a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling section 230, suppress changes in the steering angle of the vehicle M and limit the amount of control for driver assistance control compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling section 230. The driver assistance device 100 may, for example, limit the amount of control for driver assistance control by coordinating with the steering ECU to transmit a reaction force to the steering wheel to suppress changes in the steering angle. This allows the driver assistance device 100 to suppress the steering angle of the vehicle M even when the driver attempts to change the steering wheel beyond a predetermined degree. For example, changes in the steering angle (such as changes in angle or the amount of change per unit time) are suppressed by a reaction force that suppresses the rotation of the steering wheel. In this process as well, the degree of suppression is such that the snaking phenomenon is suppressed, for example, by suppressing the reference direction MV of the vehicle M so that it does not exceed the range of angle θ. This allows the driver assistance device 100 to stabilize the driving of the driven vehicle m and suppress the snaking phenomenon.

[0075] [Suppression of steering (3)] The driver assistance device 100 may limit the control amount of the driver assistance control if, within a predetermined time, the angle of the vehicle M with respect to the coupling portion 230 with respect to the reference direction changes in a first direction, then changes in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the degree of the change is greater than or equal to a threshold. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the process of limiting the control amount. Assume that within a predetermined time, the reference direction MV rotates by an angle θ3 in the first direction D1, and then the reference direction MV rotates by an angle θ4 in the second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. In this case, if the sum of the angles θ3 and θ4 (degree of change), or angle θ4 (degree of change), is greater than or equal to a threshold, the control amount of the driver assistance control is limited. For example, the control amount of acceleration or steering is limited. This allows the driver assistance device 100 to stabilize the driving of the driven vehicle m and suppress the snaking phenomenon.

[0076] In each of the above processes, the angle of the vehicle M relative to the reference direction MV with respect to the coupling portion 230 may be used as the angle to be determined, or the angle of the vehicle M's reference direction MV with respect to the reference direction mV of the driven vehicle m may be used. Alternatively, the relationship between the direction relative to the driven vehicle m or the support portion of the driven vehicle m and the reference direction of the vehicle M or the support portion or coupling portion of the vehicle M may be used. As described above, it is sufficient to use a direction that changes according to the behavior of the vehicle M and a direction that changes according to the behavior of the driven vehicle m.

[0077] [Considering specifications] The driver assistance device 100 may change the limit amount of the driver assistance control based on the specifications of the driven vehicle m. Specifications include, for example, the weight, length, width, wheelbase, distance between tires in the width direction of the driven vehicle m, and the distance from the coupling section 230 to the reference position when the driven vehicle m is coupled to the coupling section 230. The reference position includes, for example, the position of the front wheels or the position of the front end of the driven vehicle m.

[0078] For example, the memory unit of the driver assistance device 100 stores information about the specifications of the driven vehicle m registered by the driver or the like. Furthermore, the memory unit also stores mode information, which is an association between the specification type and the traction mode corresponding to the specification information.

[0079] Figure 8 shows an example of mode information. For example, the driver assistance device 100 identifies a specification type from among several specification types that matches the specification information, and then identifies a towing mode corresponding to the identified specification type. Specifically, for example, a range of weight, a range of length, a range of wheelbase, etc., is defined for each specification type, and a specification type that matches the specification information of the driven vehicle m is identified, and then a towing mode corresponding to the specification type is identified.

[0080] The traction mode associated with the specification type has a control amount or a degree of limiting the control amount set to stabilize the driving of the driven vehicle m of the specification type. For example, the degree of limiting the control amount in the first traction mode is greater than the degree of limiting the control amount in the second traction mode. A greater degree of limiting means, for example, that acceleration is more suppressed or that the amount of change in steering is more suppressed.

[0081] As described above, the driving support device 100 can achieve appropriate control according to the specifications of the driven vehicle m.

[0082] Furthermore, the threshold values ​​for angles in each of the above processes, as well as the criteria for determination such as the time used for the determination (e.g., a predetermined time), may be set based on the speed of the vehicle M or the driven vehicle m.

[0083] According to the embodiments described above, the driver assistance device 100 performs driver assistance control that controls the speed or steering of the drive vehicle (vehicle M) based on the results of recognizing the surroundings of the drive vehicle (vehicle M) having the coupling portion 230. When a driven vehicle m is connected to the coupling portion 230, the amount of control of the driver assistance control is limited compared to when the driven vehicle m is not connected to the coupling portion 230, thereby enabling more appropriate vehicle control during towing.

[0084] The embodiments described above can be expressed as follows. A memory device that stores the program, Equipped with a hardware processor, The hardware processor executes the program stored in the memory device, Recognizing the area around a drive vehicle having a coupling section, Based on the recognition results, the system performs driver assistance control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle. When a driven vehicle is connected to the aforementioned coupling portion, the amount of control of the driving assistance control is limited compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the aforementioned coupling portion. A control device configured in such a way.

[0085] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1. Vehicle System 10 Cameras 80 Operators 100 Driving support devices 110 Recognition part 120 Angle detection unit 130 Driver Support Department

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes the surroundings of a drive vehicle having a coupling section, The system includes a control unit that performs driving assistance control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, The control unit, when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, limits the amount of control of the driving assistance control compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. Vehicle control system.

2. The control unit limits the control amount of the driving assistance control to suppress the snaking phenomenon, in which the reference direction of the driven vehicle curves relative to the reference direction of the drive vehicle, making it difficult to control the driven vehicle, when the driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, compared to when the driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle with respect to the reference direction of the driven vehicle, The control unit increases the degree of restriction of the controlled amount based on the angle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit, when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, suppresses the acceleration of the drive vehicle and limits the control amount of the driving assistance control compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit, when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, limits the amount of control of the driving assistance control to suppress the range of change in the steering angle of the drive vehicle compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit, when a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, suppresses the change in the steering angle of the drive vehicle and limits the amount of control of the driving assistance control compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

7. The control unit, When a driven vehicle is connected to the aforementioned coupling, compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the aforementioned coupling, the acceleration request of the driver of the drive vehicle is suppressed, or When a driven vehicle is connected to the aforementioned coupling, the acceleration request is invalidated. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

8. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the drive vehicle in the reference direction relative to the coupling portion, The control unit limits the control amount of the driving assistance control if, within a predetermined time, the angle changes in a first direction, then changes in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the degree of the change is greater than or equal to a threshold. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

9. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the angle of the reference direction of the driven vehicle with respect to the reference direction of the driven vehicle, The control unit releases the restriction on the control amount of the driving assistance control when the angle changes from a state in which it has changed by more than a threshold in a predetermined direction to a state in which it has changed below the threshold. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Computers Recognizing the area around a drive vehicle having a coupling section, Based on the recognition results, the system performs driver assistance control to control the speed or steering of the drive vehicle. When a driven vehicle is connected to the aforementioned coupling portion, the amount of control of the driving assistance control is limited compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the aforementioned coupling portion. Vehicle control method.

11. On the computer, A process for recognizing the surroundings of a drive vehicle having a coupling section, A process to perform driver assistance control that controls the speed or steering of the drive vehicle based on the recognition result, When a driven vehicle is connected to the coupling portion, a process is performed to limit the amount of control of the driving assistance control compared to when a driven vehicle is not connected to the coupling portion. A program to execute.

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