Vehicle control system

Abstract

This vehicle control system provides the ability to acquire information about hazardous areas around the vehicle in a timely manner and optimize the operation of the driver assistance system to improve safety. [Solution] The vehicle control system includes a receiving unit 221 configured to receive information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of a first vehicle 1, an area setting unit 222 configured to set a dangerous area B on the road based on the information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 received by the receiving unit 221, and a condition changing unit 223 configured to change the operating conditions for operating the driver assistance system of a second vehicle 2, which is different from the first vehicle 1, in the dangerous area B set by the area setting unit 222 to a safer state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system configured to control a vehicle equipped with a driving assistance system. [Background Art]

[0002] As a driving assistance system for assisting a driver's driving operation, for example, a collision damage mitigation braking function that issues a warning to the driver or executes braking control of the vehicle according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and a forward obstacle is known. The risk of collision between a vehicle and a forward obstacle generally tends to increase due to road shapes, such as at intersections, corners, and on roads where vehicle speed tends to increase. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that stores information such as points where an alarm operation has been performed in the past for collision avoidance in a database of an information center. In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, information representing a degree of relevance regarding executing the same alarm operation as a past alarm operation for collision avoidance at the current position of the target vehicle is calculated, and the calculated information and alarm position information representing the point where the alarm operation was performed are provided to the target vehicle. The target vehicle uses the obtained information to display the corresponding position on a map screen with colors, symbols, etc. that can be recognized by the driver. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-329465 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Areas where the risk of collision between a vehicle and an obstacle ahead is high are not only affected by the road shape described above, but also by current road conditions such as traffic congestion and accidents. It is difficult to identify areas where the risk of collision is high due to current road conditions based on past warning operation information stored in the information center's database. Therefore, it is desirable to acquire information on dangerous areas around the vehicle in a timely manner and reflect it in the control of the driver assistance system to support the driver's driving operations.

[0005] This invention was made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to improve safety by acquiring information on dangerous areas around a vehicle in a timely manner and optimizing the operation of the driver assistance system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control system includes a receiving unit configured to receive information relating to the operation of a first vehicle's driver assistance system; an area setting unit configured to set a dangerous area on the road based on the information relating to the operation of the first vehicle's driver assistance system received by the receiving unit; and a condition changing unit configured to change the operating conditions for operating a second vehicle's driver assistance system, which is different from the first vehicle's, in the dangerous area set by the area setting unit, to a safer state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The vehicle control system according to the present invention can acquire information about hazardous areas around the vehicle in a timely manner and optimize the operation of the driver assistance system to improve safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle control system in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control system in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow on the information sending side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow on the information receiving side. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control system in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] -First Embodiment- Hereinafter, a vehicle control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle control system in this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic overall configuration of the vehicle control system. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle control system includes a first vehicle 1 and a second vehicle, with the first vehicle 1 being the vehicle located in front of the second vehicle 2. The first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 are each equipped with a driver assistance system (also called an Advanced Driver-Assistance System: ADAS). The first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 have basically the same configuration, but the block diagram in Figure 1 shows the components that are particularly necessary for this embodiment.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the first vehicle 1 is equipped with an ADAS sensor group 111, a positioning device 112, a driver monitor 113, a brake pedal sensor 114, an accelerator pedal sensor 115, a controller 120, a notification device 130, and a driving module 140, etc.

[0011] The ADAS sensor group 111 has multiple detection units for acquiring information necessary to operate the driver assistance system. The ADAS sensor group 111 includes, for example, an imaging unit configured to image the area around the first vehicle 1, an obstacle detection unit configured to detect obstacles present around the first vehicle 1, a wheel speed sensor, and a steering angle sensor. The imaging unit is configured as a digital camera having an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and is configured to output information about the area around the first vehicle 1 as still images and / or videos.

[0012] The obstacle detection unit is configured to detect obstacles present around the first vehicle 1 and measure the relative distance between the first vehicle 1 and the obstacles. The obstacle detection unit consists of, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, a sonar sensor, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), etc. Obstacles detected by the obstacle detection unit include, for example, a vehicle preceding the first vehicle 1 and lane markings (white lines) that define the lane in which the first vehicle 1 is traveling. The wheel speed sensor is configured to detect the rotational speed of each wheel (not shown) of the first vehicle 1. The steering angle sensor is configured to detect the steering angle. The information acquired by the ADAS sensor group 111 is input to the controller 120.

[0013] The positioning device 112 is configured to acquire position information of the first vehicle 1 based on information from, for example, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The driver monitor 113 is a system configured to monitor the status of the driver of the first vehicle 1 and includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera for driver monitoring located inside the cabin of the first vehicle 1. Based on image data including the face region input from the in-vehicle camera, the driver monitor 113 detects the face angle or gaze direction of the driver seated in the driver's seat of the first vehicle 1 as the driver's status. The vehicle position information acquired by the positioning device 112 and the driver status information acquired by the driver monitor 113 are input to the controller 120.

[0014] The brake pedal sensor 114 is located on the brake pedal (not shown) and is configured to detect the amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal by the driver. The accelerator pedal sensor 115 is located on the accelerator pedal (not shown) and is configured to detect the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal by the driver. The brake pedal pressure detected by the brake pedal sensor 114 and the accelerator pedal pressure detected by the accelerator pedal sensor 115 are input to the controller 120.

[0015] The controller 120 is composed of a computer including, for example, a ROM that stores programs and data, a CPU that performs arithmetic processing, a RAM that stores dynamic data and arithmetic processing results, and an input / output interface. The controller 120 performs functions such as the ADAS control unit 121, the operation determination unit 122, and the transmission unit 123. In Figure 1, the controller 120 is shown to include the ADAS control unit 121, the operation determination unit 122, and the transmission unit 123, but the ADAS control unit 121, the operation determination unit 122, and the transmission unit 123 may be implemented as an integrated unit of the controller 120, or they may be implemented as separate controllers. The control of the controller 120 will be described later.

[0016] The notification device 130 is configured to provide notifications to the driver in response to commands from the controller 120. The notification device 130 has, for example, a display, indicator lights, speakers, etc., located on the instrument panel at the front of the first vehicle 1, and provides information to the driver through sight and / or hearing. The notification device 130 may also be configured to provide notifications through touch, for example.

[0017] The traveling module 140 is a module for executing braking / driving force control and / or steering control of the first vehicle 1, and includes a traveling actuator of the first vehicle 1 and a controller that controls the traveling actuator, etc. The traveling module 140 includes a braking device 141, a driving device 142, and a steering device 143. The traveling module 140 controls the operation of the braking device 141, the driving device 142, and / or the steering device 143 to execute the driving assistance function described later based on a control command from the controller 120.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the second vehicle 2 includes an ADAS sensor group 211, a positioning device 212, an operation input device 213, a controller 220, a notification device 230, a traveling module 240, and the like.

[0019] The ADAS sensor group 211 and the positioning device 212 each have the same functions as the ADAS sensor group 111 and the positioning device 112 of the first vehicle 1 described above.

[0020] The operation input device 213 is configured to accept various operation inputs to the controller 220 from a user, for example, the driver of the second vehicle 2. The operation input device 213 has, for example, a switch operated by the driver to select operating conditions for the driving assistance function. The operation input device 213 is configured as, for example, a steering switch installed on a steering wheel (not shown). The operation input device 213 may also be configured as a touch panel integrated with a display of a navigation system (not shown), for example.

[0021] The controller 220 is configured, for example, from a computer including a ROM that stores programs, data, and the like, a CPU that performs arithmetic processing, a RAM that stores dynamic data and arithmetic processing results, and an input / output interface. The controller 220 executes functions such as a reception unit 221, an area setting unit 222, a condition changing unit 223, and an ADAS control unit 224. Note that although FIG. 1 shows that the controller 220 includes the reception unit 221, the area setting unit 222, the condition changing unit 223, and the ADAS control unit 224, the reception unit 221, the area setting unit 222, the condition changing unit 223, and the ADAS control unit 224 may be integrally mounted as the controller 220, or may be each mounted as separate controllers. Control by the controller 220 will be described later.

[0022] The notification device 230 has the same functions as the notification device 130 described above. The traveling module 240 includes a braking device 241, a driving device 242, and a steering device 243, and has the same functions as the traveling module 140 described above.

[0023] The vehicle control system according to the present embodiment transmits and receives information between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2, for example, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication A, and is configured to optimize the operation of the driving assistance system mounted on the second vehicle 2 based on information received from the first vehicle 1 at the second vehicle 2. Driving assistance functions that can be executed by the driving assistance system include, for example, a collision damage mitigation braking function, a lane departure prevention (LDP: Lane Departure Prevention) function, a lane keeping (LKA: Lane Keeping Assist) function, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) function, a traction control function, a stability control function, and a brake assist function.

[0024] For example, collision mitigation braking functions are configured to activate warnings and / or automatic braking depending on the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle. The likelihood of a collision between a vehicle and an obstacle generally changes depending on the relative positions of the vehicle and the obstacle, but there are points on the road where the risk of collision between a vehicle and an obstacle is likely to be higher. For example, intersections, corners, and roads where vehicle speeds tend to increase tend to have a higher collision risk due to the road shape. Also, in areas where traffic congestion or accidents occur, the risk of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle tends to be higher because drivers may not notice the congestion or may be distracted by the accident. In other words, areas where traffic congestion or accidents occur can be said to be areas where the risk of collision is likely to be higher due to the current road environment.

[0025] Similarly, LDP, LKA, traction control, stability control, and brake assist functions also have areas where they frequently activate due to road shape or current road conditions. Thus, there are areas on the road where the risk related to driving operations is high due to road shape or road conditions, and where driver assistance systems frequently activate—in other words, hazardous areas.

[0026] In this embodiment, the vehicle control system is configured to provide timely information to the second vehicle 2, which is located around the first vehicle 1, when the driver assistance system is activated in the first vehicle 1, so that the second vehicle 2 can provide appropriate driver assistance when it travels through the point where the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 was activated. The vehicle control system is configured, for example, to set dangerous areas on the road based on information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1, and to change the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 in the set dangerous areas to a safer side. By communicating information between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 in a timely manner, it is possible to set dangerous areas not only due to the road shape but also due to the current road environment, making it possible to optimize the operation of the driver assistance system. The control performed by the vehicle control system in this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0027] First, let's explain the processing in the first vehicle 1. As mentioned above, the driver assistance system can perform multiple driver assistance functions. Here, we will explain as an example the case in which the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 performs at least a collision damage mitigation braking function as a driver assistance function. The first vehicle 1 is configured to provide the second vehicle 2 with information necessary to determine whether or not to set the point where the collision damage mitigation braking function was activated as a dangerous area when the collision damage mitigation braking function is activated.

[0028] The ADAS control unit 121 of the controller 120 is configured to determine the possibility of a collision between the first vehicle 1 and an obstacle based on obstacle information and vehicle speed information input from the ADAS sensor group 111. Based on the relative distance between the first vehicle 1 and the obstacle, and the vehicle speed of the first vehicle 1, the ADAS control unit 121 calculates, for example, the collision prediction time TTC (Time-To-Collision), which is the time required for the first vehicle 1 to approach and make contact with the obstacle, as a collision possibility.

[0029] The ADAS control unit 121, for example, determines that there is a risk of collision between the first vehicle 1 and an obstacle when the collision prediction time TTC is less than or equal to a preset first threshold Th1, and executes warning control by generating a warning via the notification device 130 to prompt the driver to apply the brakes. The ADAS control unit 121, for example, determines that there is a high probability of collision between the first vehicle 1 and an obstacle when the collision prediction time TTC is less than or equal to a preset second threshold Th2, and executes automatic brake control by generating braking force via the braking device 141. The second threshold Th2 is smaller than the first threshold Th1.

[0030] The operation determination unit 122 of the controller 120 is configured to determine the operation status of the driver assistance function performed by the ADAS control unit 121. The operation determination unit 122 determines the operation status of the driver assistance function in order to evaluate whether the point at which the driver assistance function was activated in the first vehicle 1 corresponds to a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2 as well.

[0031] For example, the operation determination unit 122 determines whether automatic braking control has been executed as an indication of the operation status of the collision damage mitigation braking function, rather than warning control. Automatic braking control is executed when there is a high probability of collision, and is performed in situations where the first vehicle 1 would collide with an obstacle if the driver does not apply the brakes themselves. Therefore, the point where automatic braking control is executed is evaluated as a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2 as well.

[0032] Furthermore, the operation determination unit 122 determines the operation status, which indicates the circumstances under which the warning control of the collision damage mitigation braking function was activated, when the warning control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed. As described above, the warning control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed to alert the driver and encourage the driver to apply the brakes when there is a risk of collision between the first vehicle 1 and an obstacle, even though the probability of collision is not high. Therefore, even if the warning control is executed, it is possible that the situation will not reach a dangerous point where the first vehicle 1 and the obstacle come into contact. In such a case, the point where the warning control was executed is not evaluated as a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2.

[0033] The operation determination unit 122 determines whether the operation status of the alarm control falls under any of the following cases (A) to (C). (A) Cases where, after the alarm control is activated, the preceding vehicle turns right or left and is no longer in the way. (B) Case in which the first vehicle 1 did not decelerate in response to the activation of the alarm control. (C) Case where the driver of Vehicle 1 was distracted when the alarm control system was activated.

[0034] (A) Cases where, after the alarm control is activated, the preceding vehicle turns right or left and is no longer in the way. The collision mitigation braking function's warning may activate even if the first vehicle 1 temporarily approaches the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle turns right or left. Once the preceding vehicle turns right or left and is no longer in front of the first vehicle 1, the risk of collision between the first vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle is eliminated, and a dangerous situation where the first vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle come into contact is avoided. Therefore, the activation determination unit 122 determines whether the preceding vehicle turned right or left after the warning. If the preceding vehicle turned right or left after the warning, the point where the warning was activated is evaluated as not being a dangerous area. In other words, if the preceding vehicle did not turn right or left after the warning, the point where the warning was activated is evaluated as being a dangerous area. The activation determination unit 122 determines whether the preceding vehicle turned right or left based, for example, on image data of the area in front of the first vehicle 1 input from the ADAS sensor group 111.

[0035] (B) Case in which the first vehicle 1 did not decelerate in response to the activation of the alarm control. The collision mitigation braking function's warning serves to alert the driver that there is a risk of collision between the first vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead. When the warning is activated, it is expected that the driver will take action to apply the brakes. Therefore, the activation determination unit 122 determines whether or not the driver applied the brakes after the warning was activated. If the driver did not apply the brakes even after the warning was activated, it is considered that the driver recognized the relative position to the vehicle ahead but deliberately chose not to apply the brakes, and the warning was unnecessary. If the driver did not apply the brakes after the warning was activated, the point where the warning was activated is evaluated as not being a dangerous area. In other words, if the driver applied the brakes after the warning was activated, the point where the warning was activated is evaluated as being a dangerous area. The activation determination unit 122 determines whether or not the brakes were applied based, for example, on the amount of brake pedal depression input from the brake pedal sensor 114.

[0036] (C) Case where the driver of Vehicle 1 was distracted when the alarm control system was activated. If the driver of vehicle 1 was distracted, causing vehicle 1 to approach the vehicle in front and triggering the alarm, this alarm control was performed due to the driver's inattention. Therefore, the activation determination unit 122 determines whether or not the driver of vehicle 1 was distracted when the alarm was activated. An alarm activated due to the driver's inattention is considered to be due to the driver's personal inattention, and the point where the alarm was activated is not considered a dangerous area. In other words, if the driver was not distracted, the point where the alarm was activated is considered a dangerous area.

[0037] The operation determination unit 122 determines, for example, whether the driver was distracted when the alarm was activated, based on the driver's face angle and / or gaze direction of the driver of the first vehicle 1, which is input from the driver monitor 113. For example, the operation determination unit 122 determines that the driver was distracted if it detects that the driver's face angle is facing in a direction different from the front of the first vehicle 1 and that the driver is not looking at the front of the vehicle.

[0038] The transmitter 123 of the controller 120 is configured to transmit information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 to the second vehicle 2. The transmitter 123 transmits information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system to the second vehicle 2 via an in-vehicle communication device (not shown), for example using vehicle-to-vehicle communication A. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication A is a function for sending and receiving information between multiple vehicles. The information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 includes the result of the operation status determination of the driver assistance system by the operation determination unit 122, and the position information of the first vehicle 1 when the driver assistance system was activated. In Figure 1, the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 are shown to be traveling in close proximity, but the distance between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 could be several hundred meters, for example, if vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible.

[0039] As described above, the first vehicle 1 is configured to perform a collision damage mitigation braking function as a driver assistance function of the driver assistance system. In this case, information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 includes the determination result of the operation status of the collision damage mitigation braking system determined by the operation determination unit 122, and the position information of the first vehicle 1 when the collision damage mitigation braking system is activated, which is acquired by the positioning device 112.

[0040] When the automatic brake control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed, the transmitting unit 123 transmits the position information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the automatic brake control was executed and information indicating that the automatic brake control was executed to the second vehicle 2. On the other hand, when the warning control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed, the transmitting unit 123 transmits the position information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the warning control was executed and information indicating that the warning control was executed to the second vehicle 2 only if the operation determination unit 122 evaluates that the location where the warning was activated corresponds to a dangerous area. If the operation determination unit 122 evaluates that the alarm operation status corresponds to at least one of the above cases (A) to (C) and the location where the alarm was activated does not correspond to a dangerous area, the transmitting unit 123 does not transmit information to the second vehicle 2.

[0041] Next, the processing in the second vehicle 2 will be described. The second vehicle 2 is configured to receive information necessary from the first vehicle 1 to determine whether or not to set the point where the collision damage mitigation braking function was activated as a dangerous area, and to optimize the operation of the driver assistance system in the second vehicle 2.

[0042] The controller 220 of the second vehicle 2 is configured to perform multiple driver assistance functions, including at least a collision mitigation braking function. In addition to the collision mitigation braking function, the second vehicle 2 can perform at least one of the above-mentioned LDP function, LKA function, ACC function, traction control function, stability control function, and brake assist function. The LDP function, LKA function, ACC function, traction control function, stability control function, and brake assist function are known driver assistance functions and will be briefly described below.

[0043] The LDP function is configured to prevent the second vehicle 2 from deviating from its lane. Based on information input from the ADAS sensor group 211, the ADAS control unit 224 of the controller 220 determines that there is a high probability that the second vehicle 2 will deviate from its lane and sends a control command to the driving module 240 to return the second vehicle 2 to the inside of the lane. The system may also be configured to issue a warning via the notification device 230 when it is determined that there is a high probability that the second vehicle 2 will deviate from its lane.

[0044] The LKA function is configured to perform steering control so that the second vehicle 2 can travel in the center of the lane. The ADAS control unit 224 detects the lane markings and the position of the vehicle in the lane in which the second vehicle 2 is traveling, based on information input from, for example, the ADAS sensor group 211. Based on the position and speed of the second vehicle 2, the ADAS control unit 224 calculates a target steering angle for the second vehicle 2 to travel near the center of the lane, and transmits a control command to the driving module 240 to achieve the target steering angle.

[0045] The ACC function is configured to maintain a constant speed according to the set speed (target speed) if there is no preceding vehicle in the lane in which the second vehicle 2 is traveling, and to maintain a set distance and follow a preceding vehicle if there is a preceding vehicle traveling at a speed below the set speed. Based on the information input from the ADAS sensor group 211, the ADAS control unit 224 transmits a control command to the driving module 240 to perform constant speed driving or follow driving according to the set speed and set distance input from the operation input device 213.

[0046] The traction control function is configured to adjust the braking force, driving force, etc. of the second vehicle 2 in order to prevent wheelspin (slip) when the second vehicle 2 is starting and accelerating. The ADAS control unit 224 calculates the amount of slip of the wheel experiencing slip based on the rotational speed of each wheel input from the ADAS sensor group 211, and when the amount of slip exceeds a preset starting threshold, it suppresses over-rotation of the wheel by reducing the torque of the drive unit 242 and / or activating the brake unit 241.

[0047] The stability control function is configured to suppress skidding of the wheels. The ADAS control unit 224 suppresses skidding of the second vehicle 2 by, for example, controlling the braking device 241 to apply the brakes to the inner rear wheel in the case of understeer where the front wheels skid, and by applying the brakes to the outer front wheel in the case of oversteer where the rear wheels skid.

[0048] The brake assist function is configured to assist the driver's braking operation. The ADAS control unit 224 increases the brake fluid pressure from the driver's braking force when the rate of increase in brake pedal pressure is above a predetermined value and the amount of brake pedal depression is above a predetermined amount.

[0049] The receiving unit 221 of the controller 220 is configured to receive information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system transmitted from the first vehicle 1. The receiving unit 221 receives information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 via an in-vehicle communication device (not shown), for example using vehicle-to-vehicle communication A.

[0050] The area setting unit 222 of the controller 220 is configured to set dangerous areas on the road based on information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1, which is received by the receiving unit 221. The information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 includes the determination result of the operation status when the driver assistance system is activated, and the position information of the first vehicle 1 when the driver assistance system is activated. Based on the determination result of the operation status of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1, the area setting unit 222 decides whether or not to set the area corresponding to the position information as a dangerous area.

[0051] As described above, the transmitter 123 of the first vehicle 1 transmits information regarding the activation of the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 when the point at which the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 is activated is evaluated to be a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2 as well. In other words, the receiver 221 of the second vehicle 2 receives information regarding the activation of the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 when the point at which the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 is activated is evaluated to be a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2 as well.

[0052] Therefore, based on the determination result of the operation determination unit 122 of the first vehicle, if the receiving unit 221 receives information regarding the operation of the collision damage mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1, the area setting unit 222 sets the area corresponding to the location information included in that information as a dangerous area. For example, as shown in Figure 2, if the collision damage mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 is activated in area B on the road, and area B is evaluated as a dangerous area based on the operation status of the collision damage mitigation braking function, the area setting unit 222 of the second vehicle 2 sets area B in the direction of travel of the second vehicle 2 as a dangerous area.

[0053] The condition change unit 223 of the controller 220 is configured to change the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 in the dangerous area B set by the area setting unit 222 to the safe side. Here, safe operation means operation that improves the safety of the driver assistance system, and includes, for example, activating the driver assistance function to support the driver's driving operations at an earlier timing than usual, and making the changes in the vehicle's behavior due to the driver assistance function more gradual than usual (for example, reducing acceleration and deceleration). If the driver assistance function includes an ACC function, widening the distance between vehicles in the ACC function also corresponds to safe operation.

[0054] The condition change unit 223, for example, suggests to the driver of the second vehicle 2 that the operating conditions of the driver assistance system in hazardous area B be changed to a safer state, and changes the operating conditions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 according to the setting operation of the driver of the second vehicle 2. In this case, the condition change unit 223 informs the driver via the notification device 230 that hazardous area B is present in the direction of travel of the second vehicle 2, and suggests to the driver that the operating conditions of the driver assistance system be changed to a safer state in preparation for driving through hazardous area B. The driver of the second vehicle 2 operates the operation input device 213 in response to the suggestion displayed on the notification device 230, for example, to advance the activation timing of the collision damage mitigation braking function.

[0055] Alternatively, the condition change unit 223 may automatically change the operating conditions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 in the dangerous area B to a safer state. In this case, when the dangerous area B is set by the area setting unit 222, the condition change unit 223 automatically changes the settings of the collision damage mitigation braking function, for example, to make the activation timing of the collision damage mitigation braking function earlier.

[0056] For example, by increasing the first threshold Th1 of the collision prediction time TTC described above, the start timing of the warning control can be brought forward, and by increasing the second threshold Th2 of the collision prediction time TTC, the start timing of the automatic brake control can be brought forward. The condition change unit 223 prepares, for example, multiple correction values ​​that are larger than the normal first threshold Th1 or the normal second threshold Th2, and selects the modified first threshold Th1 or second threshold Th2 from among the multiple correction values. Alternatively, the driver may set any value as the modified first threshold Th1 or second threshold Th2 by operating the operation input device 213. The modified operating conditions are displayed, for example, on the display of the notification device 230.

[0057] The condition change unit 223 may change the operating conditions of two or more of the multiple driver assistance functions included in the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2. For example, if the area setting unit 222 sets a dangerous area based on information regarding the operation of the collision damage mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1, the condition change unit 223 may change the operating conditions of the LDP function in addition to the operating conditions of the collision damage mitigation braking function. If the area setting unit 222 sets a dangerous area based on information regarding the operation of the collision damage mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1, the condition change unit 223 may change the operating conditions of all driver assistance functions, including the collision damage mitigation braking function.

[0058] When the operating conditions of the driver assistance system are changed by the condition change unit 223, the ADAS control unit 224 executes each driver assistance function of the driver assistance system according to the changed operating conditions. This makes it possible to operate the driver assistance functions more safely when the second vehicle 2 is traveling through the dangerous area B.

[0059] The control of the vehicle control system in this embodiment will be described below using the flowcharts in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows an example of processing performed in the first vehicle 1, which is the information transmitting side, and Figure 4 shows an example of processing performed in the second vehicle 2, which is the information receiving side. These processes are performed periodically by the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 and the controller 220 of the second vehicle 2.

[0060] First, the processes performed in the first vehicle 1 will be explained by referring to the flowchart in Figure 3. In step S101, the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 acquires vehicle speed information from the ADAS sensor group 111. In step S102, the controller 120 acquires the current position information of the first vehicle 1 from the ADAS sensor group 111. In step S103, the controller 120 acquires information about obstacles present around the first vehicle 1 from the ADAS sensor group 111.

[0061] In step S104, the ADAS control unit 121 of the controller 120 calculates the predicted collision time TTC between the first vehicle 1 and the obstacle based on the information acquired in steps S101 to S103, and determines whether the TTC is less than or equal to the second threshold Th2. If the TTC is less than or equal to the second threshold Th2, the process proceeds to step S105, where the ADAS control unit 121 executes automatic brake control of the collision damage mitigation brake function. In this case, the operation determination unit 122 evaluates that the point where the automatic brake control was activated corresponds to dangerous area B.

[0062] Subsequently, in step S106, the transmission unit 123 transmits operation information of the automatic brake control, including the position information of the first vehicle 1 when the automatic brake control was executed, to the second vehicle 2. This completes the process.

[0063] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that TTC is greater than the second threshold Th2, the process proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the ADAS control unit 121 determines whether TTC is less than or equal to the first threshold Th1. If TTC is less than or equal to the first threshold Th1, the process proceeds to step S108, where the ADAS control unit 121 executes warning control for the collision damage mitigation braking function. If TTC is greater than the first threshold Th1, this process is terminated.

[0064] In steps S109 to S111, the operation determination unit 122 determines the operation status of the alarm control performed in step S108. First, in step S109, the operation determination unit 122 determines whether the operation status corresponds to the above-described case (A) (after the alarm control is activated, the preceding vehicle turns right or left and is no longer in front of the vehicle). Based on the information input from the ADAS sensor group 111, the operation determination unit 122 determines whether the preceding vehicle that is the target of the alarm control has turned right or left after the alarm has been activated. If it is determined that the preceding vehicle has turned right or left and is no longer in front of the first vehicle 1, the unit evaluates that the point where the alarm was activated does not correspond to dangerous area B and terminates this process.

[0065] If it is determined in step S109 that the preceding vehicle has not turned right or left, then in step S110 the operation determination unit 122 determines whether the operating situation corresponds to the above-described case (B) (the first vehicle 1 did not decelerate in response to the activation of the warning control). Based on the amount of brake pedal depression input from the brake pedal sensor 114, the operation determination unit 122 determines whether the driver of the first vehicle 1 performed a brake operation. If it is determined that the driver did not perform a brake operation, the point where the warning was activated is evaluated as not corresponding to dangerous area B, and this process is terminated.

[0066] If it is determined in step S110 that the driver has performed a brake operation, in step S111 the operation determination unit 122 determines whether the operation situation falls under the above-described case (C) (the driver of the first vehicle 1 was distracted when the alarm control was activated). The operation determination unit 122 determines whether the driver was distracted based on the face angle and / or gaze direction of the driver of the first vehicle 1 input from the driver monitor 113. If it is determined that the driver was distracted, the unit evaluates that the point where the alarm was activated does not correspond to dangerous area B and terminates this process.

[0067] If it is determined in step S111 that the driver was not distracted, the activation determination unit 122 evaluates that the location where the alarm was activated corresponds to dangerous area B, and the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the transmission unit 123 transmits the alarm control operation information, including the location information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the alarm control was executed, to the second vehicle 2 using vehicle-to-vehicle communication A. This completes the process.

[0068] Thus, if the collision mitigation braking function's automatic braking control is executed in the first vehicle 1, the point where the automatic braking control was executed is evaluated as corresponding to dangerous area B, and the operation information of the automatic braking control is transmitted to the second vehicle 2. On the other hand, if the collision mitigation braking function's warning control is executed in the first vehicle 1, the operation status of the warning control is determined (examined), and only if the point where the warning control was executed is evaluated as corresponding to dangerous area B for other vehicles is the operation information of the warning control transmitted to the second vehicle 2.

[0069] Next, the processes performed in the second vehicle 2 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. In step S201, the receiving unit 221 of the controller 220 of the second vehicle 2 receives the operation information of the driver assistance function transmitted from the first vehicle 1 using vehicle-to-vehicle communication A. The second vehicle 2 can receive the operation information of the driver assistance function from the first vehicle 1 in near real time using vehicle-to-vehicle communication A.

[0070] In step S202, the area setting unit 222 determines whether the operation information of the driver assistance function of the first vehicle 1 received in step S201 includes operation information for automatic brake control. If it is determined that operation information for automatic brake control is included, the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the area setting unit 222 sets the area corresponding to the position information of the first vehicle 1 when automatic brake control is performed on the first vehicle 1 as the dangerous area B.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S202 that the operation information for automatic brake control is not included, the process proceeds to step S203. In step S203, the area setting unit 222 determines whether or not the operation information for warning control is included in the operation information for the driving assistance function of the first vehicle 1. If it is determined that the operation information for warning control is included, the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the area setting unit 222 sets the area corresponding to the position information of the first vehicle 1 when warning control is executed as dangerous area B. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that the operation information for warning control is not included, this process ends.

[0072] In step S205, the condition change unit 223, based on the information of the hazardous area B set in step S204, informs the driver via the notification device 230 that the hazardous area B exists in the direction of travel of the second vehicle 2, and suggests to the driver that the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system in the hazardous area B be changed to a safer state. When the driver operates the operation input device 213, the condition change unit 223 changes the operating conditions of the driver assistance function according to the input of the operation input device 213. The changed operating conditions are displayed, for example, on the display of the notification device 230. This completes the process.

[0073] The vehicle control system according to this embodiment, as described above, can achieve the following effects.

[0074] (1) The vehicle control system includes a receiving unit 221 configured to receive information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1, an area setting unit 222 configured to set a dangerous area on the road based on the information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 received by the receiving unit 221, and a condition changing unit 223 configured to change the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system of a second vehicle 2, which is different from the first vehicle 1, in the dangerous area B set by the area setting unit 222 to the safe side.

[0075] By receiving information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system from the first vehicle 1, the second vehicle 2 can acquire information about the surrounding hazardous areas in a timely manner and set hazardous area B. Furthermore, by changing the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system in the second vehicle 2 to a safer state, the driver assistance system can be operated more safely when the second vehicle 2 is traveling through hazardous area B. Since hazardous area B is set based on the operation information of the driver assistance system that was actually activated in the first vehicle 1, concerns about unnecessary activation of the driver assistance system in the second vehicle 2 can be suppressed.

[0076] (2) When a hazardous area B is set by the area setting unit 222, the condition change unit 223 notifies the driver of the second vehicle 2 that a hazardous area B exists in the direction of travel of the second vehicle 2, proposes to the driver of the second vehicle 2 that the operating conditions of the driver assistance system in the hazardous area B be changed to the safe side, and changes the operating conditions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 according to the setting operation of the driver of the second vehicle 2. By providing the driver of the second vehicle 2 with information on the existence of a hazardous area B and a proposal to change the operating conditions, the driver of the second vehicle 2 can recognize the existence of a hazardous area B and then choose to change the operating conditions. The condition change unit 223 may also propose changing the operating conditions to the safe side without notifying the driver of the existence of a hazardous area B.

[0077] (3) When a dangerous area B is set by the area setting unit 222, the condition change unit 223 may automatically change the operating conditions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 in the dangerous area B to the safe side. This makes it possible to improve the safety of the driver assistance system without causing inconvenience to the driver of the second vehicle 2 when a dangerous area B exists in the direction of travel of the second vehicle 2.

[0078] (4) The vehicle control system further includes an operation determination unit 122 that determines the operation status when the driver assistance system is activated in the first vehicle 1. Based on the determination result by the operation determination unit 122, the area setting unit 222 sets the point where the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 was activated as a dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2. The driver assistance system may be activated frequently at a certain point when the risk related to driving operations increases due to the road shape or road environment. The driver assistance system may also be activated due to driver inattention, regardless of the road shape or road environment. For example, a point where the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 was activated due to driver inattention is not considered to be a dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2. Therefore, by determining the operation status when the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 is activated using the operation determination unit 122, and deciding whether or not to set the point where the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 was activated as a dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2 based on the determination result, an area where the risk is universally high for other vehicles can be accurately set as a dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2. By accurately setting the hazardous area B, the operating conditions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 are not unnecessarily changed to the safe side. Furthermore, if the operation determination unit 122 is provided in the first vehicle 1 and the area setting unit 222 is provided in the second vehicle 2, the second vehicle 2 only needs to receive the minimum information necessary for setting the hazardous area B from the first vehicle 1 and does not need to determine the operating status of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1, thus reducing the data processing load on the second vehicle 2.

[0079] (5) The driver assistance system includes several different functions to assist the driver's driving operations. The receiving unit 221 receives information regarding the operation of a first function among several functions of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1. The condition change unit 223 changes the operating conditions for operating at least the first function among several functions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 to a safer side. For example, when the receiving unit 221 receives information regarding the operation of the collision damage mitigation braking function, the condition change unit 223 changes the operating conditions for the collision damage mitigation braking function. This allows the information that the collision damage mitigation braking function has been activated in the first vehicle 1 to be reflected in the operation of the collision damage mitigation braking function in the second vehicle 2. In addition to the operating conditions for the collision damage mitigation braking function, the condition change unit 223 may also change the operating conditions for other functions, such as the LKA function.

[0080] (6) The condition change unit 223 may change the operating conditions for activating all functions of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2, including the first function, to a safer state. This improves the overall safety of the driver assistance system of the second vehicle 2 when the driver assistance system of the first vehicle 1 is activated and the second vehicle 2 travels through a point designated as a dangerous area B.

[0081] (7) The vehicle control system further includes an operation determination unit 122 configured to determine the operation status when the driver assistance system is activated in the first vehicle 1. The driver assistance system is configured to perform a collision damage mitigation braking function that activates a warning and automatic braking according to the possibility of a collision between the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and an obstacle. The operation determination unit 122 determines the operation status of the warning of the collision damage mitigation braking function, (A) After the alarm is activated for the vehicle ahead of the first vehicle 1, the vehicle ahead turns right or left and is no longer present. (B) Cases in which the first vehicle 1 did not decelerate in response to the activation of the alarm, (C) In the case where the driver of vehicle 1 was distracted when the alarm was activated, The system determines whether one of the following applies. If the activation determination unit 122 determines that the alarm activation status falls under any of cases (A) to (C), the area setting unit 222 does not set the point where the alarm was activated in the first vehicle 1 as the dangerous area B of the second vehicle 2.

[0082] Cases (A) to (C) described above are cases where the point at which the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 is activated is not evaluated as corresponding to dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2. For example, a point at which the collision mitigation braking function's warning is temporarily activated due to the movement of a preceding vehicle, or due to driver inattention, is not universally evaluated as corresponding to dangerous area B for other vehicles. Therefore, if it is determined that the operation status of the collision mitigation braking function of the first vehicle 1 falls under any of cases (A) to (C), the point at which the collision mitigation braking function was activated is not set as dangerous area B, thereby allowing for accurate setting of dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2. Furthermore, the operating conditions for the collision mitigation braking function in the second vehicle 2 are not unnecessarily changed.

[0083] -Second Embodiment- The following describes a vehicle control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration of the vehicle control system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, the collision damage mitigation braking function is configured to perform two-stage automatic braking control in addition to warning control. The automatic braking control includes, for example, a first braking control that generates a braking force equivalent to the maximum deceleration when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle is unavoidable, and a second braking control that generates a braking force equivalent to a deceleration less than the maximum deceleration when it is determined that there is a high probability of a collision.

[0085] The first brake control is executed when the predicted collision time (TTC) between the vehicle and the obstacle falls below a preset third threshold, Th3. The third threshold, Th3, is a threshold used to determine whether a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle is unavoidable, and is set to a value smaller than the first threshold, Th1, and the second threshold, Th2, mentioned above. The target deceleration for the first brake control is set to the first deceleration, which corresponds to the maximum deceleration achievable in the collision damage mitigation braking function. The first deceleration is designed to activate emergency braking to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle or to mitigate damage in the event of a collision, and is set to, for example, approximately 1G.

[0086] The second brake control is executed when the predicted collision time (TTC) between the vehicle and the obstacle falls below a preset fourth threshold, Th4. The fourth threshold, Th4, is greater than the third threshold, Th3, and is set to approximately the same value as the second threshold, Th2, mentioned above. The target deceleration for the second brake control is set to a second deceleration, which is smaller than the first deceleration. The second deceleration is designed to activate a warning brake to alert the driver that the vehicle is approaching an obstacle by generating a weak braking force, and is set to, for example, approximately 0.4G.

[0087] The controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 is configured to perform first brake control, second brake control, and warning control as a collision damage mitigation braking function. As described above, the second brake control is configured to generate a weak braking force to warn the driver and encourage the driver to take braking action. In this embodiment, the operation determination unit 122 of the controller 120 evaluates that the second brake control is performed in a situation where the risk of collision is not very high, and that the point where the second brake control is performed does not correspond to a dangerous area. The operation determination unit 122 evaluates that the first brake control is a highly urgent brake control, and that the point where the first brake control is performed corresponds to a dangerous area.

[0088] When the first brake control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed, the transmitter 123 of the controller 120 transmits to the second vehicle 2 the position information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the automatic brake control was executed and information indicating that the automatic brake control was executed. On the other hand, when the second brake control of the collision damage mitigation braking function is executed, the transmitter 123 does not transmit any information to the second vehicle 2.

[0089] Furthermore, as described above, the collision mitigation braking function's warning control is activated when the predicted collision time (TTC) between the vehicle and the obstacle falls below the first threshold Th1. Therefore, when the first and second brake control are performed, the warning control is also performed. In other words, the warning is activated if the predicted collision time (TTC) falls below the first threshold Th1 before the second brake control, which generates a weak braking force, is performed. The operation determination unit 122, as described above, determines (examines) the operation status of the warning control, and if it evaluates that the point where the warning control was performed corresponds to a dangerous area for other vehicles as well, it transmits the warning control operation information to the second vehicle 2. Therefore, even if the system is configured not to transmit information to the second vehicle 2 when the second brake control is performed, the point evaluated as corresponding to dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2 will still be transmitted to the second vehicle 2 at the warning control stage.

[0090] In addition to the effects and advantages of the first embodiment described above, the vehicle control system according to this embodiment can also provide the following effects and advantages.

[0091] The driver assistance system is configured to perform a collision mitigation braking function that activates a warning and automatic braking depending on the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and an obstacle. The automatic braking includes a first brake control that generates a braking force equivalent to the maximum deceleration (first deceleration) when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle is unavoidable, and a second brake control that generates a braking force equivalent to a deceleration smaller than the maximum deceleration (second deceleration) when it is determined that there is a high probability of a collision. The operation determination unit 122 determines whether or not the second brake control of the collision mitigation braking function has been executed. If the operation determination unit 122 determines that the second brake control of the collision mitigation braking function has been executed and the first brake control has not been executed, the area setting unit 222 does not set the point where the second brake control was performed in the first vehicle 1 as a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2.

[0092] The second brake control of the collision mitigation braking function is less urgent than the first brake control, which is more urgent, and serves as a warning to inform the driver that the vehicle is approaching an obstacle. The second brake control may also be activated due to the driver's tendency to drive close to the first vehicle 1. By not setting the point where the second brake control of the first vehicle 1 is activated as a dangerous area B, the operating conditions of the collision mitigation braking function in the second vehicle 2 are not unnecessarily changed.

[0093] -Third Embodiment- The following describes a vehicle control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration of the vehicle control system according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0094] In this embodiment, the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 are each configured to perform a traction control function as a driver assistance function. As described above, the traction control function is performed to suppress wheel over-rotation when the amount of wheel slip exceeds a starting threshold. The traction control function may also be activated when the amount of wheel slip increases due to the driver rapidly pressing the accelerator pedal. The activation of the traction control function due to the driver's sudden operation of the accelerator pedal is considered to be due to the driver's accelerator pedal operation characteristics and not due to the road shape or the current road environment.

[0095] Therefore, the operation determination unit 122 of the first vehicle 1 determines whether the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression amount when the traction control function is activated is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, as an indicator of the operation status of the traction control function. If the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression amount when the traction control function is activated is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the point where the traction control function was activated is evaluated as not being in a dangerous area. In other words, if the traction control function is activated when the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression amount is less than the predetermined value, the point where the traction control function was activated is evaluated as being in a dangerous area. The operation determination unit 122 determines whether the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, for example, based on the accelerator pedal depression amount input from the accelerator pedal sensor 115.

[0096] The transmitting unit 123 of the first vehicle 1 transmits the position information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the traction control function was executed and information indicating that the traction control function was executed to the second vehicle 2 only if the operation determination unit 122 evaluates that the point where the traction control function was activated corresponds to a dangerous area. The transmitting unit 123 does not transmit information to the second vehicle 2 if the operation determination unit 122 determines that the traction control function was activated when the rate of change of the accelerator pedal depression amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0097] If the traction control function of the first vehicle 1 is activated when the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression amount exceeds a predetermined value, the area corresponding to the position information of the first vehicle 1 at the time the traction control function was activated is not set as a dangerous area B in the area setting unit 222 of the second vehicle 2. As a result, if the traction control function is activated due to the accelerator pedal operation characteristics of the driver of the first vehicle 1, the point at which the traction control function was activated in the first vehicle 1 can be excluded from the dangerous area B of the second vehicle 2.

[0098] In addition to the effects and advantages of the first embodiment described above, the vehicle control system according to this embodiment can also provide the following effects and advantages.

[0099] The driver assistance system is configured to perform a traction control function that suppresses wheel over-rotation by reducing the torque of the vehicle's drive system and / or activating the braking system when the amount of slip of the vehicle's wheels exceeds a starting threshold. The operation determination unit 122 determines whether the traction control function of the first vehicle 1 has been activated when the rate of change of the accelerator pedal depression amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If the operation determination unit 122 determines that the traction control function has been activated when the rate of change of the accelerator pedal depression amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the area setting unit 222 does not set the point where the traction control function was activated in the first vehicle 1 as a dangerous area B of the second vehicle 2.

[0100] If the traction control function is activated when the rate of change in the accelerator pedal depression exceeds a predetermined value, the activation of the traction control function is considered to be due to the driver's accelerator pedal operation characteristics. In this case, by not setting the point where the traction control function was activated due to the driver characteristics of the first vehicle 1 as the danger area B of the second vehicle 2, the operating conditions of the driver assistance system in the second vehicle 2 are not unnecessarily changed.

[0101] -Fourth Embodiment- The following describes a vehicle control system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 schematically shows the overall configuration of the vehicle control system according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the vehicle control system according to this embodiment further includes a server 3 located remotely from the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle control system is configured to receive operation information of the driving assistance functions of multiple vehicles, including the first vehicle 1, at the server 3, and to provide the second vehicle 2 with the information necessary to determine whether or not to set the locations where the driving assistance functions of multiple vehicles have been activated as dangerous areas.

[0102] The transmitter 123 of the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 is configured to perform wireless communication C1 with the server 3 via an on-board communication device. The receiver 221 of the controller 220 of the second vehicle 2 is configured to perform wireless communication C2 with the server 3 via an on-board communication device.

[0103] Server 3 is configured to receive and store information on the operation of driver assistance functions from multiple vehicles, including the first vehicle 1. If the driver assistance function operation information received from multiple vehicles indicates that the driver assistance function was activated at the same location, Server 3 evaluates that location as a dangerous area for the second vehicle 2 and transmits the driver assistance function operation information to the second vehicle 2. By configuring Server 3 to accumulate information on the operation of driver assistance functions from multiple vehicles, it is possible to accurately evaluate whether a certain location corresponds to dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2.

[0104] On the other hand, by configuring server 3 to store operational information of the driver assistance functions of multiple vehicles, it becomes difficult to transmit to vehicle 2 that the driver assistance function of vehicle 1 has been activated at a certain point in near real time. Therefore, server 3 may change the timing of information transmission to vehicle 2 depending on the operational information of the driver assistance function it receives.

[0105] For example, if the received driver assistance function operation information includes information on the operation of a collision mitigation braking function warning control, the server 3 will not transmit the warning control operation information to the second vehicle 2 until multiple warning control operation information indicating that warning control was performed at the same location has been accumulated. As described above, the warning of the collision mitigation braking function serves to alert the driver that there is a risk of collision between the vehicle and the vehicle in front. Therefore, even if warning control is performed at a certain location, there is not a high urgency to immediately set that location as a dangerous area B. Thus, when warning control is activated by multiple vehicles at the same location, the server 3 evaluates that the location corresponds to a dangerous area B, thereby ensuring that the area is reliably set as a dangerous area B for the second vehicle 2 as well.

[0106] On the other hand, if the received driver assistance function operation information includes operation information for the automatic brake control of the collision damage mitigation braking function, server 3 immediately transmits the automatic brake control operation information to the second vehicle 2. This allows the second vehicle 2 to quickly set the location where there is a high probability of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle and automatic brake control has been executed as a dangerous area B.

[0107] Furthermore, as described in the second embodiment, if the automatic brake control of the collision damage mitigation braking function includes a first brake control and a second brake control, the server 3 may immediately transmit the automatic brake control operation information to the second vehicle 2 if the received operation information of the driving assistance function includes operation information of the first brake control which is executed when it is determined that a collision is unavoidable.

[0108] Alternatively, the vehicle control system may be configured such that server 3 performs at least some of the functions of the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 and / or at least some of the functions of the controller 220 of the second vehicle 2. For example, the functions of the operation determination unit 122 of the first vehicle 1 may be performed on server 3. In this case, the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 can omit the process of determining the operation status of the driving assistance function, thereby reducing the computational load. Alternatively, the functions of the area setting unit 222 of the second vehicle 2 may be performed on server 3. In this case, the controller 220 can set the dangerous area B on the road simply by receiving information about the dangerous area B from server 3.

[0109] -Variations- (1) In the fourth embodiment described above, an example was described in which the operation information of the driver assistance functions of multiple vehicles is stored in the server 3. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the operation information of past driver assistance functions may be stored in the first vehicle 1. The transmitter 123 of the controller 120 of the first vehicle 1 may be configured to transmit the operation information of the driver assistance functions to the second vehicle 2 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication A or the server 3 when multiple pieces of driver assistance function operation information for the same location are stored.

[0110] (2) The vehicle control system may be configured to communicate information between the first vehicle 1 and the second vehicle 2 using vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

[0111] (3) The driver assistance functions provided by the driver assistance system are not limited to those described above. The driver assistance system may omit at least some of the driver assistance functions described above, or may include other functions. Furthermore, the driver assistance system may be configured to include only a collision damage mitigation braking function as a driver assistance function.

[0112] (4) In the first embodiment described above, it was determined whether the operation status of the warning control of the collision damage mitigation braking function falls under any of cases (A) to (C). However, the vehicle control system may use operation statuses other than cases (A) to (C) to determine whether the point at which the warning control of the first vehicle 1 was activated corresponds to the dangerous area B of the second vehicle 2. Also, in the flowchart of Figure 3, the determination process related to cases (A) to (C) was performed in steps S109 to S111, but any of these processes may be omitted.

[0113] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various further modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0114] 1. First vehicle 120 controllers 121 ADAS Control Unit 122 Operation determination unit 123 Transmitter 2. Second vehicle 220 Controllers 221 Receiving Unit 222 Area setting section 223 Condition Change Section 224 ADAS Control Unit 230 Notification device

Claims

1. A receiving unit configured to receive information regarding the operation of the driver assistance system of the first vehicle, An area setting unit configured to set a hazardous area on the road based on information regarding the operation of the first vehicle's driving assistance system received by the receiving unit, A condition change unit is configured to change the operating conditions for activating the driver assistance system of a second vehicle, which is different from the first vehicle, in the dangerous area set by the area setting unit, to a safer state. A vehicle control system equipped with the following features.

2. When the area setting unit sets the hazardous area, the condition changing unit will: The driver of the second vehicle is proposed to change the operating conditions of the driver assistance system in the aforementioned dangerous area to a safer state. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, which changes the operating conditions of the driving assistance system of the second vehicle in accordance with the setting operation of the driver of the second vehicle.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the condition changing unit automatically changes the operating conditions of the driving support system of the second vehicle in the dangerous area to the safe side when the dangerous area is set by the area setting unit.

4. The first vehicle further includes an operation determination unit that determines the operating status when the driver assistance system is activated, The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the area setting unit sets the point where the driving assistance system of the first vehicle was activated as a dangerous area for the second vehicle, based on the determination result by the operation determination unit.

5. The aforementioned driver assistance system includes several different functions to assist the driver's driving operations, The receiving unit receives information regarding the operation of the first function among the multiple functions of the driving assistance system of the first vehicle. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the condition changing unit changes the operating conditions for activating at least the first function among the multiple functions of the driving assistance system of the second vehicle to a safer state.

6. The aforementioned driver assistance system includes several different functions to assist the driver's driving operations, The receiving unit receives information regarding the operation of the first function among the multiple functions of the driving assistance system of the first vehicle. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the condition changing unit changes the operating conditions for activating all functions, including the first function, among the multiple functions of the driving assistance system of the second vehicle, to a safer side.

7. The first vehicle further includes an operation determination unit configured to determine the operating status when the driver assistance system is activated, The aforementioned driver assistance system is configured to perform a collision mitigation braking function that activates a warning and automatic braking in response to the possibility of a collision between the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and an obstacle. The operation determination unit determines the operation status of the warning of the collision damage mitigation braking function, (A) After the alarm is activated, which controls the preceding vehicle in front of the first vehicle, the preceding vehicle turns right or left and is no longer present. (B) In the case in which the first vehicle did not decelerate in response to the activation of the alarm, (C) In the case where the driver of the first vehicle was distracted when the alarm was activated, Determine whether it falls under any of the following categories. If the operation determination unit determines that the operation status of the alarm falls under any of the cases (A) to (C) above, the area setting unit does not set the point where the alarm was activated in the first vehicle as the dangerous area of ​​the second vehicle, as described in claim 1.

8. The first vehicle further includes an operation determination unit configured to determine the operating status when the driver assistance system is activated, The aforementioned driver assistance system is configured to perform a collision mitigation braking function that activates a warning and automatic braking in response to the possibility of a collision between the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and an obstacle. The automatic braking system includes a first brake control that generates a braking force equivalent to the maximum deceleration when it is determined that a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle is unavoidable, and a second brake control that generates a braking force equivalent to a deceleration less than the maximum deceleration when it is determined that there is a high probability of a collision. The operation determination unit determines whether or not the second brake control has been executed as the collision damage mitigation braking function. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the operation determination unit determines that the second brake control of the collision damage mitigation brake function has been executed, and the first brake control has not been executed, the area setting unit does not set the point where the second brake control was performed in the first vehicle as the dangerous area of ​​the second vehicle.

9. The first vehicle further includes an operation determination unit configured to determine the operating status when the driver assistance system is activated, The aforementioned driving assistance system is configured to perform a traction control function that suppresses wheel over-rotation by reducing the torque of the vehicle's drive system and / or activating the braking system when the amount of slip of the vehicle's wheels exceeds a starting threshold. The operation determination unit determines whether the traction control function of the first vehicle has been activated while the rate of change of the accelerator pedal depression amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein if the operation determination unit determines that the traction control function has been activated when the rate of change of the accelerator pedal depression amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the area setting unit does not set the point where the traction control function was activated in the first vehicle as the dangerous area of ​​the second vehicle.

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