Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

Abstract

The external lights will be turned on or flashed at an appropriate time depending on the conditions around the vehicle. [Solution] The vehicle control device 1 comprises an area recognition unit 44 that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 3, a driving control unit 45 that controls the driving of the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit 44, and a light control unit 46 that controls the external light 8 of the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit 44. The area recognition unit 44 determines whether the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front of it and whether the area around the vehicle 3 is congested. If the area recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle, the driving control unit 45 executes deceleration control of the vehicle 3. If the area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and the driving control unit 45 executes deceleration control of the vehicle 3, the light control unit 46 turns on or flashes the external light 8.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that considers vulnerable people among traffic participants have become active. Toward achieving this, research and development on preventive safety technologies have been conducted to further improve traffic safety and convenience.

[0003] As such research and development on preventive safety technologies, research and development on deceleration control has been progressing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology of blinking a hazard lamp when deceleration control of a host vehicle is executed. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-11087 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, if the hazard lamp blinks every time deceleration control of the host vehicle is executed, there is a risk that drivers of surrounding vehicles may feel annoyed. As described above, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in blinking the hazard lamp at appropriate timing according to the situation around the host vehicle.

[0006] In view of the above background, an object of an aspect of the present invention is to turn on or blink an external lamp at appropriate timing according to the situation around the host vehicle. Further, an object thereof is to contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle control device comprising: an area recognition unit that recognizes the conditions around the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit; and a light control unit that controls the external lights of the vehicle based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit, wherein the area recognition unit determines whether the vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it and whether the area around the vehicle is congested, and when the area recognition unit determines that the vehicle is approaching an obstacle, the driving control unit executes deceleration control of the vehicle, and when the area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested and the driving control unit executes the deceleration control of the vehicle, the light control unit turns on or flashes the external lights.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer determines whether the vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it, and if it determines that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, it performs deceleration control of the vehicle, and determines whether the area around the vehicle is congested, and if it determines that the area around the vehicle is congested and performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, it turns on or flashes the external lights of the vehicle.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control program that causes a computer to determine whether the vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it, to execute deceleration control of the vehicle if it determines that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, to determine whether the area around the vehicle is congested, and to turn on or flash the external lights of the vehicle if it determines that the area around the vehicle is congested and executes the deceleration control of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above configuration, the external lights can be turned on or flashed at an appropriate timing according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the vehicle to which the control device according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Flowchart showing flashing detection control according to the embodiment [Figure 3] A plan view showing a method for determining whether or not the area around the vehicle is congested in the flashing detection control according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes an embodiment of the vehicle control device 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "control device 1") with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <My vehicle 3> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the vehicle 3 to which the control device 1 is applied. For example, the vehicle 3 is an automobile. In other embodiments, the vehicle 3 may be a vehicle other than an automobile (for example, a two-wheeled vehicle).

[0014] The vehicle 3 includes a drive unit 5, a brake unit 6, a steering unit 7, an external light unit 8, a driver control unit 9, an external sensor 11, a vehicle sensor 12, an HMI 13 (Human Machine Interface), and a control device 1.

[0015] The drive unit 5 is a device that provides driving force to the vehicle 3. The drive unit 5 includes a drive source that generates driving force to move the vehicle 3. For example, the drive source is composed of an internal combustion engine and / or an electric motor.

[0016] The braking device 6 is a device that applies braking force to the vehicle 3. For example, the braking device 6 includes a brake caliper that presses pads against a brake rotor and an electric cylinder that supplies hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper.

[0017] The steering device 7 is a device that changes the steering angle of the wheels by steering the wheels. For example, the steering device 7 includes a rack and pinion mechanism connected to the wheels, and an electric motor that drives the rack and pinion mechanism.

[0018] The external lamp 8 is a device that emits light toward the outside of the host vehicle 3. The external lamp 8 includes a brake lamp 15 (stop lamp) that illuminates toward the rear of the host vehicle 3, a reverse lamp 16 (back-up lamp) that illuminates toward the rear of the host vehicle 3, and a hazard lamp 17 (emergency flashing indicator lamp) that flashes toward the front and rear of the host vehicle 3. The hazard lamp 17 is provided to be capable of flashing in a low-speed flashing mode and a high-speed flashing mode having a shorter flashing cycle than the low-speed flashing mode.

[0019] The driving operator 9 is a device that receives driving operations by a driver. The driving operator 9 includes a steering operator 22 (for example, a steering wheel) that receives a steering operation of the host vehicle 3 by the driver, an acceleration operator 23 (for example, an accelerator pedal) that receives an acceleration operation of the host vehicle 3 by the driver, and a deceleration operator 24 (for example, a brake pedal) that receives a deceleration operation of the host vehicle 3 by the driver.

[0020] The external environment sensor 11 is a device that detects the external environment conditions of the host vehicle 3. The external environment sensor 11 includes a plurality of cameras 26, a plurality of radars 27, and a plurality of lidars 28 (LiDAR). Each of the cameras 26 captures images of targets (vehicles, pedestrians, road structures, lane markings, etc.) existing in the external environment of the host vehicle 3. Each of the radars 27 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the external environment of the host vehicle 3, and detects the positions of the targets existing in the external environment of the host vehicle 3 by capturing the reflected waves. Each of the lidars 28 irradiates light such as infrared light to the external environment of the host vehicle 3, and detects the positions of the targets existing in the external environment of the host vehicle 3 by capturing the reflected light. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the external environment sensor 11 may detect the external environment conditions via sonar.

[0021] The vehicle sensor 12 is a sensor that detects the traveling state of the host vehicle 3. The vehicle sensor 12 includes a vehicle speed sensor 30 that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 3, and an acceleration sensor 31 that detects acceleration and deceleration of the host vehicle 3.

[0022] The HMI 13 is a device that outputs information to occupants of the host vehicle 3 and accepts input of information from the occupants. The HMI 13 includes a touch panel 32, an audio output device 33, and a hazard switch 34. The touch panel 32 displays various screens to the occupant and accepts input operations performed by the occupant on the various screens. The audio output device 33 outputs voice guidance, warning sounds and the like. The hazard switch 34 accepts a blinking operation for the hazard lamps 17 performed by the driver.

[0023] <Control device 1> The control device 1 is a computer including a processor 41 and a memory 42 communicatively connected to the processor 41. The processor 41 may include, for example, at least one of a CPU, a GPU, and a RISC as a core. The memory 42 stores programs executed by the processor 41 and various types of data. The memory 42 may include at least one of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may be, for example, DRAM or SRAM. The non-volatile memory may be an SSD, a flash memory, a magnetic disk storage device, or an optical disk storage device. At least a part of the control device 1 may be implemented by hardware such as LSI, ASIC, or FPGA, or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The control device 1 may be configured by a single piece of hardware, or may be configured by a plurality of pieces of hardware that can communicate with each other.

[0024] The control device 1 comprises, as functional units, a surrounding area recognition unit 44, a driving control unit 45, and a lighting unit control unit 46. The processor 41 functions as the surrounding area recognition unit 44, the driving control unit 45, and the lighting unit control unit 46 by executing a vehicle control program 48 stored in the memory 42. The processor 41 executes a vehicle control method by executing the vehicle control program 48.

[0025] The surrounding area recognition unit 44 recognizes the situation around the vehicle 3 based on the detection results of the external sensor 11. For example, the surrounding area recognition unit 44 recognizes obstacles (vehicles ahead, pedestrians, etc.) in front of the vehicle 3 based on the detection results of the external sensor 11. The surrounding area recognition unit 44 also recognizes moving objects M (details will be described later) in the vicinity of the vehicle 3 based on the detection results of the external sensor 11.

[0026] The driving control unit 45 controls the movement of the vehicle 3 in response to driving operations performed by the driver on the driving controls 9. For example, the driving control unit 45 controls the steering device 7 in response to steering operations performed by the driver on the steering controls 22, causing the vehicle 3 to turn. The driving control unit 45 controls the drive device 5 in response to acceleration operations performed by the driver on the acceleration controls 23, causing the vehicle 3 to accelerate. The driving control unit 45 controls the brake device 6 in response to deceleration operations performed by the driver on the deceleration controls 24, causing the vehicle 3 to decelerate.

[0027] The driving control unit 45 controls the driving of the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the surrounding area recognition unit 44. For example, the driving control unit 45 executes Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the surrounding area recognition unit 44. Hereinafter, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems will be abbreviated as "driving assistance control". In other embodiments, the driving control unit 45 may also execute Autonomous Driving (AD) in addition to driving assistance control.

[0028] The driving control unit 45 is equipped to perform follow-the-vehicle control as a driver assistance control. When performing follow-the-vehicle control, the driving control unit 45 controls the drive unit 5 and brake unit 6 to make the vehicle 3 follow the vehicle in front while maintaining a predetermined distance. The driving control unit 45 stops the follow-the-vehicle control when the vehicle speed drops below the minimum speed.

[0029] The driving control unit 45 is equipped to perform collision mitigation braking control as a driver assistance control. Collision mitigation braking control is an example of deceleration control of the vehicle 3. When performing collision mitigation braking control, the driving control unit 45 automatically decelerates the vehicle 3 in order to mitigate or avoid a collision between the vehicle 3 and an obstacle in front of the vehicle 3 (hereinafter referred to as "forward obstacle"). For example, the collision mitigation braking control transitions in the order of first stage, second stage, and third stage as the distance between the vehicle 3 and the forward obstacle decreases. In the first stage of collision mitigation braking control, the driving control unit 45 outputs warning information regarding the forward obstacle to the HMI 13 without automatically decelerating the vehicle 3. In the second stage of collision mitigation braking control, the driving control unit 45 automatically decelerates the vehicle 3 with a first deceleration. In the third stage of collision mitigation braking control, the driving control unit 45 automatically decelerates the vehicle 3 with a second deceleration greater than the first deceleration.

[0030] The light control unit 46 controls the external light unit 8 in response to driving operations performed by the driver on the driving control unit 9 and input operations performed on the HMI 13. For example, the light control unit 46 illuminates the brake lamp 15 in response to a deceleration operation on the deceleration control unit 24. The light control unit 46 also flashes the hazard lamp 17 in a slow flashing mode in response to a flashing operation on the hazard switch 34.

[0031] The light control unit 46 controls the external light unit 8 based on the recognition results of the surrounding area recognition unit 44. For example, the light control unit 46 flashes the hazard lamp 17 in high-speed flashing mode when several conditions described later are met.

[0032] <Flashing detection control> Next, the flashing determination control performed by the control device 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The flashing determination control is a control that determines whether or not to flash the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode when collision mitigation braking control is performed. The control device 1 should repeat the flashing determination control at predetermined intervals.

[0033] Referring to Figure 2, when flashing detection control is started, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines whether the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front (step ST1). That is, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines whether or not to execute collision mitigation braking control. For example, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front if the vehicle speed of the vehicle 3 is equal to or greater than the threshold speed, and the distance between the vehicle 3 and the obstacle in front is equal to or less than the threshold distance. On the other hand, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is not approaching an obstacle in front if the vehicle speed of the vehicle 3 is less than the threshold speed, or if the distance between the vehicle 3 and the obstacle in front exceeds the threshold distance.

[0034] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is not approaching an obstacle in front of it (step ST1: No), that is, if the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that collision mitigation braking control should not be performed, the flashing determination control ends without the collision mitigation braking control being performed.

[0035] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front of it (Step ST1: Yes), that is, if the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that collision mitigation braking control should be executed, the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines whether or not the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (Step ST2).

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, for example, the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested if it recognizes a predetermined number N (N≧2) of moving objects M (cars, pedestrians, bicycles, etc.) around the vehicle 3, and if the predetermined number N of moving objects M are within a predetermined distance L from the vehicle 3 (for example, the center point 3A of the vehicle 3). On the other hand, the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is not congested if it does not recognize a predetermined number N of moving objects M around the vehicle 3, or if the predetermined number N of moving objects M are not within a predetermined distance L from the vehicle 3. More specifically, "when the surrounding area recognition unit 44 recognizes a predetermined number N of moving objects M" means "when the surrounding area recognition unit 44 recognizes a predetermined number N or more of moving objects M." For example, if the predetermined number N is 5, the surrounding recognition unit 44 recognizes 5 or more moving objects M around its own vehicle 3, and if 5 or more moving objects M are located within a predetermined distance L from its own vehicle 3, it determines that the area around its own vehicle 3 is congested.

[0037] Referring to Figure 2, if the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (step ST2: Yes), the driving control unit 45 determines whether the vehicle 3 is traveling at a low speed (step ST3). For example, the driving control unit 45 determines that the vehicle 3 is traveling at a low speed if the vehicle 3 is traveling at a speed below the reference speed. On the other hand, the driving control unit 45 determines that the vehicle 3 is not traveling at a low speed if the vehicle 3 is stopped or traveling at a speed above the reference speed. The reference speed used as the basis for the determination in step ST3 is set lower than the lower limit speed of the follow-up driving control. In other embodiments, the reference speed may be set higher than the lower limit speed of the follow-up driving control.

[0038] If the driving control unit 45 determines that the vehicle 3 is traveling at a low speed (step ST3: Yes), the driving control unit 45 determines whether the first collision condition is met (step ST4). The first collision condition is a collision condition relating to the vehicle 3. For example, if the vehicle 3 is not decelerating (the driver is not performing any deceleration operations), or if the vehicle 3 is decelerating at a deceleration rate below a predetermined value due to the driver's deceleration operations, the driving control unit 45 determines that the first collision condition is met. On the other hand, if the vehicle 3 is decelerating at a deceleration rate exceeding a predetermined value, the driving control unit 45 determines that the first collision condition is not met.

[0039] If the driving control unit 45 determines that the first collision condition is met (step ST4: Yes), the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines whether or not the second collision condition is met (step ST5). The second collision condition is a collision condition relating to a moving object M present in the vicinity of the vehicle 3. For example, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that the second collision condition is met if it recognizes a moving object M (for example, a following vehicle with a non-zero speed) behind the vehicle 3, or if it determines that there is a possibility that a moving object M (for example, a surrounding vehicle) present in the vicinity of the vehicle 3 may move into the vehicle's lane behind the vehicle 3. On the other hand, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that the second collision condition is not met if it does not recognize a moving object M behind the vehicle 3 and determines that there is no possibility that the moving object M may move into the vehicle's lane behind the vehicle 3. For example, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that there is a possibility that a moving object M located diagonally behind the vehicle 3 may move into the vehicle's lane behind the vehicle 3 if its lateral speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed and the velocity vector of the moving object M is pointing towards the vehicle's lane.

[0040] If the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines that the second rear-end collision condition is met (step ST5: Yes), the driving control unit 45 executes collision mitigation braking control, and the light unit control unit 46 flashes the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode (step ST6). At that time, when the collision mitigation braking control enters the first stage and the HMI 13 starts outputting warning information, the light unit control unit 46 starts flashing the hazard lamps 17. In other words, before the collision mitigation braking control transitions from the first stage to the second stage and the driving control unit 45 starts automatically decelerating the vehicle 3 by collision mitigation braking control, the light unit control unit 46 starts flashing the hazard lamps 17.

[0041] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is not congested (Step ST2: No), if the driving control unit 45 determines that the vehicle 3 is not traveling at a low speed (Step ST3: No), if the driving control unit 45 determines that the first collision condition is not met (Step ST4: No), or if the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the second collision condition is not met (Step ST5: No), the driving control unit 45 executes collision mitigation braking control, but the light control unit 46 does not flash the hazard lamps 17 (Step ST7).

[0042] <Effects> As described above, when the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and the driving control unit 45 executes collision mitigation braking control, the light unit control unit 46 flashes the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode. By performing this control, the hazard lamps 17 can be flashed in high-speed flashing mode when collision mitigation braking control is executed in a situation where the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., a situation in which the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended). This makes it possible to flash the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode at an appropriate timing according to the situation around the vehicle 3, thereby notifying those around of an emergency. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle 3 being rear-ended.

[0043] <Variation> In the above embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 44 determines whether the vehicle 3 is approaching the obstacle ahead based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 3 and the distance between the vehicle 3 and the obstacle ahead. This determination method is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate. For example, in another embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 44 may determine whether the vehicle 3 is approaching the obstacle ahead based on the relative speed of the vehicle 3 with respect to the obstacle ahead.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 44 recognizes a predetermined number N moving objects M around the vehicle 3, and determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested if the predetermined number N moving objects M are within a predetermined distance L from the vehicle 3. This determination method is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate. For example, in another embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 44 may determine that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested if it recognizes a predetermined number N moving objects M around the vehicle 3, regardless of whether the predetermined number N moving objects M are within a predetermined distance L from the vehicle 3. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 44 may determine whether the area around the vehicle 3 is congested based on traffic congestion information received from an external server or location information of surrounding vehicles received from surrounding vehicles. In addition, the surrounding recognition unit 44 may change the value of the predetermined distance L according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle 3. Specifically, the surrounding recognition unit 44 should make the predetermined distance L smaller as the vehicle speed of the vehicle 3 decreases.

[0045] In the above embodiment, when the driving control unit 45 performs collision mitigation braking control, it determines whether or not to flash the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode based on the determination results of steps ST2 to ST5. However, steps ST3 to ST5 other than step ST2 are not mandatory and can be selected or omitted. For example, in another embodiment, when the driving control unit 45 performs collision mitigation braking control, it may determine whether or not to flash the hazard lamps 17 in high-speed flashing mode based only on the determination result of step ST2.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the lighting control unit 46 starts flashing the hazard lamps 17 before the driving control unit 45 starts automatically decelerating the vehicle 3 using collision mitigation braking control. In other embodiments, the lighting control unit 46 may start flashing the hazard lamps 17 after the driving control unit 45 has started automatically decelerating the vehicle 3 using collision mitigation braking control.

[0047] In the above embodiment, when the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and the driving control unit 45 executes collision mitigation braking control, the light unit control unit 46 flashes the hazard lamp 17. In other embodiments, when the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and the driving control unit 45 executes collision mitigation braking control, the light unit control unit 46 may flash an external light unit 8 other than the hazard lamp 17 (for example, a reverse lamp 16), or the light unit control unit 46 may illuminate an external light unit 8 other than the hazard lamp 17.

[0048] In the above embodiment, collision mitigation braking control is an example of deceleration control of the vehicle 3. In other embodiments, a control other than collision mitigation braking control (for example, follow-me driving control) may be an example of deceleration control of the vehicle 3.

[0049] This concludes the description of specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments or modifications and can be broadly modified and implemented.

[0050] <Summary of Embodiments> The control device 1 comprises an area recognition unit 44 that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 3, a driving control unit 45 that controls the driving of the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit 44, and a light control unit 46 that controls the external light body 8 of the vehicle 3 based on the recognition results of the area recognition unit 44. The area recognition unit 44 determines whether the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front of it and whether the area around the vehicle 3 is congested. If the area recognition unit 44 determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle, the driving control unit 45 executes deceleration control of the vehicle 3. If the area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and the driving control unit 45 executes the deceleration control of the vehicle 3, the light control unit 46 turns on or flashes the external light body 8.

[0051] According to this embodiment, when deceleration control is performed in a situation where the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., a situation where the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended), the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed. Therefore, the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed at an appropriate timing according to the situation around the vehicle 3, notifying those in the vicinity of an emergency. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle 3 being rear-ended.

[0052] The surrounding area recognition unit 44 may determine that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested if it recognizes two or more predetermined numbers N of moving objects M around the vehicle 3.

[0053] According to this configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., whether or not the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended). This allows the external light unit 8 to be turned on or flashed at a more appropriate time, thereby notifying those in the vicinity of an emergency.

[0054] The surrounding area recognition unit 44 may determine that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested if it recognizes a predetermined number N of the moving objects M around the vehicle 3 and the predetermined number N of the moving objects M are located within a predetermined distance L from the vehicle 3.

[0055] According to this configuration, it is possible to determine with greater accuracy whether or not the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., whether or not the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended). This allows the external light unit 8 to be turned on or flashed at a more appropriate time, thereby notifying those in the vicinity of an emergency.

[0056] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and the driving control unit 45 executes the deceleration control of the vehicle 3, and the surrounding area recognition unit 44 detects a moving object M behind the vehicle 3, the light control unit 46 may turn on or flash the external light unit 8.

[0057] According to this configuration, the external light unit 8 can be illuminated or flashed only when there is a high probability that the vehicle 3 will be rear-ended, thereby notifying those around of the emergency. This prevents drivers of surrounding moving vehicles M from feeling annoyed by the unnecessary illumination or flashing of the external light unit 8.

[0058] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and the driving control unit 45 executes the deceleration control of the vehicle 3, and the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that there is a possibility that a moving object M present in the area around the vehicle 3 may move into the vehicle's lane behind the vehicle 3, the light control unit 46 may turn on or flash the external light unit 8.

[0059] According to this configuration, the external light unit 8 can be illuminated or flashed only when there is a high probability that the vehicle 3 will be rear-ended, thereby notifying those around of the emergency. This prevents drivers of surrounding moving vehicles M from feeling annoyed by the unnecessary illumination or flashing of the external light unit 8.

[0060] If the surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and the driving control unit 45 executes the deceleration control of the vehicle 3, and the vehicle 3 is decelerating at a deceleration rate of less than or equal to a predetermined value due to the driver's deceleration operation, the light unit control unit 46 may turn on or flash the external light unit 8.

[0061] When the vehicle 3 is decelerating slowly due to the driver's deceleration operation, the driver of a following vehicle may not notice the vehicle 3's deceleration. According to the above configuration, in such cases, the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed to notify the driver of the following vehicle of the emergency. This further reduces the possibility of the vehicle 3 being rear-ended.

[0062] The driving control unit 45 is provided to perform follow-driving control, which causes the vehicle 3 to follow a preceding vehicle while maintaining a predetermined distance between them. The surrounding area recognition unit 44 determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and the driving control unit 45 performs the deceleration control for the vehicle 3, and the vehicle 3 is traveling at a speed lower than or equal to the reference speed which is lower than the lower limit speed of the follow-driving control, in which case the light unit control unit 46 may turn on or flash the external light unit 8.

[0063] According to this embodiment, when the vehicle 3 decelerates while follow-me driving control is being performed, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary illumination or flashing of the external light unit 8. This reduces the inconvenience felt by drivers of surrounding vehicles.

[0064] Before the driving control unit 45 starts decelerating the vehicle 3 by the deceleration control, the light unit control unit 46 may start turning on or flashing the external light unit 8.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the driver of a following vehicle can be notified of an emergency before the vehicle itself begins to decelerate. This allows the driver of the following vehicle to take action earlier, further reducing the possibility of the vehicle itself being rear-ended.

[0066] A vehicle control method in which a computer 1 determines whether the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front of it, and if it determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching the obstacle, it performs deceleration control of the vehicle 3, and determines whether the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and if it determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and performs the deceleration control of the vehicle 3, it lights up or flashes the external light unit 8 of the vehicle 3.

[0067] According to this embodiment, when deceleration control is performed in a situation where the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., a situation where the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended), the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed. Therefore, the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed at an appropriate timing according to the situation around the vehicle 3, notifying those in the vicinity of an emergency. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle 3 being rear-ended.

[0068] The vehicle control program 48 causes the computer 1 to determine whether the vehicle 3 is approaching an obstacle in front of it, and if it determines that the vehicle 3 is approaching the obstacle, it causes the computer 1 to perform deceleration control on the vehicle 3, and if it determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested, and if it determines that the area around the vehicle 3 is congested and the deceleration control on the vehicle 3 is performed, it causes the external light unit 8 of the vehicle 3 to light up or flash.

[0069] According to this embodiment, when deceleration control is performed in a situation where the area around the vehicle 3 is congested (i.e., a situation where the vehicle 3 is likely to be rear-ended), the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed. Therefore, the external light unit 8 can be turned on or flashed at an appropriate timing according to the situation around the vehicle 3, notifying those in the vicinity of an emergency. This reduces the possibility of the vehicle 3 being rear-ended. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1: Vehicle control device 3: Own vehicle 8: External light body 44: Peripheral Recognition Unit 45: Driving control unit 46: Lighting Unit Control 48: Vehicle control program M: Moving object

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, A surrounding area recognition unit that recognizes the situation around the vehicle, A driving control unit that controls the driving of the vehicle based on the recognition results of the surrounding area recognition unit, The system includes a light control unit that controls the external light unit of the vehicle based on the recognition result of the surrounding area recognition unit, The surrounding area recognition unit determines whether the vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it and whether the area around the vehicle is congested. When the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, the driving control unit executes deceleration control for the vehicle. A vehicle control device in which, when the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested, and the driving control unit performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, the light unit control unit turns on or flashes the external light unit.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested when it recognizes two or more predetermined moving objects in the area around the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit recognizes a predetermined number of the moving objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, and determines that the vicinity of the vehicle is congested when the predetermined number of the moving objects are within a predetermined distance from the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested, the driving control unit performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, and the surrounding area recognition unit recognizes a moving object behind the vehicle, and the light control unit turns on or flashes the external light.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested, the driving control unit performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, and the surrounding area recognition unit determines that there is a possibility that a moving object present around the vehicle may move into the vehicle's lane behind the vehicle, and the light control unit turns on or flashes the external light.

6. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested, the driving control unit performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, and the vehicle is decelerating at a deceleration rate of less than or equal to a predetermined value due to the driver's deceleration operation, and the light unit control unit turns on or flashes the external light unit.

7. The aforementioned driving control unit is provided to be able to perform follow-driving control that causes the vehicle to follow the vehicle ahead while maintaining a predetermined distance between them. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surrounding area recognition unit determines that the area around the vehicle is congested, the driving control unit performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, and the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than or equal to a reference speed that is lower than the lower limit speed of the follow driving control, the light unit control unit turns on or flashes the external light unit.

8. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light unit control unit starts turning on or flashing the external light unit before the driving control unit starts decelerating the vehicle by the deceleration control.

9. A vehicle control method, Computers Determine whether your vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it. When it is determined that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, the vehicle will perform deceleration control. Determine whether the area around the vehicle is congested or not. A vehicle control method that, when it is determined that the area around the vehicle is congested and the vehicle is to perform the deceleration control, illuminates or flashes the external lights of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle control program, On the computer, The system determines whether or not the vehicle is approaching an obstacle in front of it. When it is determined that the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, the vehicle is instructed to perform deceleration control. The system will determine whether or not the area around the vehicle is congested. A vehicle control program that, when it determines that the area around the vehicle is congested and performs the deceleration control of the vehicle, turns on or flashes the external lights of the vehicle.

Images