Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To realize vehicle control based on driver's intension.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a first acquisition section which acquires first information on a curved road existing ahead of a vehicle; a second acquisition section which acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount by a driver of the vehicle; and a control section which performs support control including either one or both of deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle so that a vehicle speed comes close to a target speed based on the first information and notification control to notify the driver to adjust the vehicle speed to the target speed when the vehicle is traveling a section a predetermined distance before an entrance of the curved road or traveling on the curved road. The control section monitors the second information while the support control is active and stops the support control when the acceleration operation amount is increased by a predetermined amount or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that takes various situations into consideration have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, efforts are being focused on research and development to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of driving assistance technologies. For example, an automatic braking device has been disclosed that applies braking force to a vehicle before entering a curve until the vehicle reaches a safe speed at which the vehicle can safely enter the curve (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This automatic braking device determines whether the distance to the entrance to the curve is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, and if it determines that the distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, determines whether the driver intends to accelerate, and reduces the braking force depending on whether or not the driver intends to accelerate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5190022 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional devices have sometimes been unable to realize vehicle control according to the driver's intentions. For example, they have sometimes been unable to cause the vehicle to accelerate according to the driver's intentions.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and can realize vehicle control according to the driver's intention. For example, it is possible to cause the vehicle to accelerate according to the driver's intention. As a result, it is possible to contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system that takes into consideration the passengers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control device, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding a curved road in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a second acquisition unit that acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount by a driver of the vehicle, and a control unit that performs assistance control including one or both of deceleration control that decelerates the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information and notification control that notifies the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from the entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, and the control unit refers to the second information while the assistance control is being performed, and stops the assistance control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the control unit stops the assistance control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during execution of the assistance control, and the reference value is set to the acceleration operation amount at the start of the assistance control.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1), the control unit stops the assistance control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during execution of the assistance control, and the reference value is set to a minimum value of the acceleration operation amount during execution of the assistance control.

[0009] (4): A vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention includes a computer that acquires first information regarding a curved road in the direction of travel of the vehicle, acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount by the driver of the vehicle, and, when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from the entrance to the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, performs assistance control including one or both of deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so that the speed of the vehicle approaches a target speed based on the first information and notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, and while the assistance control is being performed, refers to the second information and stops the assistance control if the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more.

[0010] (5): A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to obtain first information regarding a curved road in the direction of travel of a vehicle, and to obtain second information including an acceleration operation amount by a driver of the vehicle, and when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from the entrance to the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, performs assistance control including one or both of deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so that the speed of the vehicle approaches a target speed based on the first information and notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, and while the assistance control is being performed, refers to the second information, and stops the assistance control if the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the aspects (1) to (5), in the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, or program, the control unit acquires an amount of operation of an operator of the vehicle in the acceleration operation from the second information, and stops the assistance control when the amount of operation increases by a predetermined amount or more, thereby realizing vehicle control according to the driver's intention. In particular, in either case where the driver performs an operation to greatly increase the opening degree of the operator in a short period of time, or where the driver performs an operation to gradually increase the opening degree over time, the assistance control is overridden by the acceleration operation, thereby realizing vehicle control according to the driver's intention.

[0012] According to the aspect (2), the reference value is set to the amount of operation for the operator at the start of the assistance control, so that the amount of operation required to override the assistance control is set to the same standard, making it easier for the driver to understand the amount of operation required to perform the override.

[0013] According to the aspect (3), the reference value is set to the minimum value of the operation amount for the operator while the assistance control is being executed, so that the driver can be made to execute an override even when the operation amount at the start of the assistance control is large and the margin of operation amount up to the maximum operation amount is less than a predetermined amount. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that utilizes a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of driving assistance control. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV1 for determining whether or not to perform an accelerator override, and the execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value RV1. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV2 for determining whether or not to perform an accelerator override, and the execution of the accelerator override based on the reference value RV2. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the effect of an accelerator override according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the driving assistance device 100. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an accelerator override process executed by the driving assistance device 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] <Embodiment> [Overall configuration] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that utilizes a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0017] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operation device 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configuration may be added. The driving support device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device."

[0018] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary location of a vehicle (hereinafter, vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly captures images of the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0019] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0020] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to that of light) around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M.

[0021] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on some or all of the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0022] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, or with various server devices via a wireless base station, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc.

[0023] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupant of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupant. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, a speaker, a buzzer, a touch panel, switches, keys, etc. The HMI 30 is equipped with a display device. The display device (display unit) is, for example, a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M, which displays various information on the vehicle M, such as a speedometer indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle M or a tachometer indicating the number of revolutions (rotation speed) of the internal combustion engine equipped in the vehicle M, a so-called multi-information display.

[0024] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle M, and the like.

[0025] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, determines a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary input position) to a destination input by a driver using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which road shapes are expressed by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include road curvature and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by a passenger. The navigation device 50 may transmit a current position and a destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0026] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point.

[0027] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a boundary between a lane. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device. The second map information 62 includes information on the position of a curved road, the curvature of the curved road, the curve radius of the curved road, the gradient of the curved road, and the like. These pieces of information may be included in the first map information 54. In addition, the second map information 62 or the first map information 54 may include information indicating whether or not the curved road is a target of the assistance control described later.

[0028] The driver monitor camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached to an arbitrary location in the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows the head of an occupant (hereinafter, the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M to be imaged from the front (in an orientation that images the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to an upper portion of a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. The driver monitor camera 70 outputs an image of the interior of the vehicle including the driver of the vehicle M captured from the installed position to the driving assistance device 100.

[0029] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a brake pedal 82, an accelerator pedal 84, a steering wheel, a turn signal switch, a shift lever, and other operators. The driving operators 80 are fitted with sensors that detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to the driving support device 100, or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a joystick, buttons, or the like. A brake pedal sensor (BP sensor) 86 is attached to the brake pedal 82. An accelerator pedal sensor (AP sensor) 88 is attached to the accelerator pedal 84.

[0030] The BP sensor 86 detects the opening degree of the brake pedal 82, which changes in response to the driver's operation of the brake pedal 82. The AP pedal sensor 88 detects the opening degree of the accelerator pedal 84, which changes in response to the driver's operation of the accelerator pedal 84.

[0031] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a driver recognition unit 120, a curve determination unit 130, an operation information processing unit 140, an assistance control unit 150, and a storage unit 190. Some or all of these functional units are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in a storage device (storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 in advance, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in a drive device. The curve determination unit 130 is an example of a first acquisition unit, the operation information processing unit 140 is an example of a second acquisition unit, and the assistance control unit 150 is an example of a control unit.

[0032] The storage unit 190 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0033] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (for example, whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0034] The recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing a pattern of road dividing lines (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with a pattern of road dividing lines around the vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0035] When recognizing the travel lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and attitude of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle with respect to a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to either side end of the travel lane (a road division line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the travel lane.

[0036] The driver recognition unit 120 detects whether the driver is in a predetermined state based on an image captured by the driver monitor camera 70. The predetermined state is a state in which a hands-off lane keeping control, which will be described later, can be executed. Hands-off is a state in which the driver does not grip the steering wheel, and hands-on is a state in which the driver grips the steering wheel. A state in which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed is a state in which the driver monitors the front (or the periphery of the vehicle M). Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver monitors the front so that the driver can quickly take over from the control of the vehicle M by the vehicle system 1 to the operation of the vehicle M by the driver. Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver's line of sight is directed forward. Whether the driver is hands-on or hands-off is determined based on the detection result of a grip sensor that detects the grip state of the steering wheel (not shown).

[0037] The curve determination unit 130 acquires first information about a curved road that exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle M. The first information about the curved road is, for example, information about the position of the curved road, the shape of the curved road, etc. The curve determination unit 130 identifies the position of the curved road relative to the vehicle M based on, for example, the position of the vehicle M and the first information.

[0038] The operation information processing unit 140 acquires second information regarding an acceleration operation of the driver of the vehicle M. The second information is, for example, information indicating an accelerator pedal opening degree output from the AP pedal sensor 88. The operation information processing unit 140 acquires information regarding a deceleration operation of the driver of the vehicle M. For example, the operation information processing unit 140 acquires information indicating a brake pedal opening degree output from the BP sensor 86.

[0039] The assistance control unit 150 assists the driver in controlling the vehicle M. For example, the assistance control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without relying on the driver's operation, and automatically controls the speed of the vehicle M. The assistance control unit 150 executes so-called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control).

[0040] For example, when there are no other vehicles in front of vehicle M within a predetermined distance from vehicle M, the assistance control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without the driver's operation so that vehicle M travels at a speed set by the driver, the legal speed, or a speed that is preset in accordance with the road.

[0041] For example, when there is another vehicle ahead of the vehicle M within a predetermined distance from the vehicle M, the assistance control unit 150 automatically controls the driving drive force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without the driver's operation so as to follow the other vehicle. Following means that the vehicle M travels behind the other vehicle while maintaining a position at a predetermined distance from the other vehicle.

[0042] The assistance control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane. For example, the assistance control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M drives in the center or near the center of the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110. The assistance control unit 150 executes, for example, hands-off lane keeping control that can control the steering of the vehicle M in a state where the driver is not gripping the steering wheel, or hands-on lane keeping control that can control the steering of the vehicle M in a state where the driver is gripping the steering wheel.

[0043] The assistance control unit 150 automatically changes lanes of the vehicle M. For example, the assistance control unit 150 generates a trajectory for lane change and changes lanes of the vehicle M so that the vehicle M travels along the generated trajectory. The assistance control unit 150 changes lanes of the vehicle M (ALC; automatic lane change) based on a destination set by the occupant or a recommended lane output to the MPU 60.

[0044] The assistance control unit 150 may automatically change lanes of the vehicle M when a lane change instruction is given by the driver. The lane change instruction is the operation of a lever part of a turn signal operating switch. For example, when the driver operates the lever part in a direction in which the vehicle M wants to change lanes, the vehicle M changes lanes in a direction corresponding to the operation. The lane change instruction may be an operation different from the operation of the lever part of the turn signal operating switch. For example, a lane change may be performed when a specified operating button is pressed. A part or all of the control of the assistance control unit 150 described above may be omitted.

[0045] Furthermore, when entering a curved road or while traveling on a curved road, the assistance control unit 150 decelerates the vehicle M to a speed appropriate for the curved road and notifies the driver of the deceleration, thereby assisting the driver so that the vehicle M can travel smoothly on the curved road. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as assistance control.

[0046] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle M to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and an ECU that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the assistance control unit 150 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0047] Brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from assistance control unit 150 or information input from driving operator 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0048] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the assistance control unit 150 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0049] [Assistive Control] The assistance control unit 150 performs assistance control, which is one or both of deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle M so that the speed of the vehicle M approaches a target speed corresponding to the curved road while the vehicle M is traveling in a section (predetermined section) from the entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance of the curved road or while the vehicle M is traveling on the curved road, and notification control for notifying (warning) that the speed of the vehicle M approaches the target speed. The assistance control is a process that is executed, for example, when the driving assistance device 100 does not automatically control the speed of the vehicle M (for example, the ACC is not operating) and the driver controls the speed of the vehicle M. The target speed is a speed that is determined by the shape of the curved road, the legal speed limit of the road on the curved road, etc.

[0050] The target of the assistance control may be a curved road that satisfies a condition, for example, that the curve radius is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is a curve radius at which the vehicle M needs to decelerate when traveling.

[0051] The assistance control may be performed on the condition that the speed of the vehicle M is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is a speed that does not deviate by more than a predetermined speed from the speed limit or recommended speed of the curved road or the roads before and after the curved road. The predetermined speed is, for example, a set speed (e.g., 30 km / h) added to the above-mentioned speed limit or recommended speed.

[0052] The assist control may be performed when the road surface condition meets a criterion. For example, the criterion means that no event that affects the braking operation, such as the road surface not being frozen, has occurred. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the road surface condition based on the detection result of the object recognition device 16, or the driving assistance device 100 may recognize the road surface condition based on information provided by another device. The assist control may be performed when the gradient of the curved road is less than a threshold value.

[0053] 2 is a diagram for explaining the assistance control. Time T is the timing when the vehicle M reaches a position P a predetermined distance before the entrance of the curved road. The predetermined distance before is a position that is preset according to the target speed. For example, the greater the difference between the speed of the vehicle M and the target speed, the farther the predetermined distance before is set from the entrance of the curved road. The predetermined distance before is set at a position that can ensure the time for a preset notification, the time for a preset first warning, and the time for a preset second warning when a brake override or an accelerator override is not performed, as described below.

[0054] After passing position P, vehicle M passes positions P1, P2, and P3 in that order. The time when vehicle M reaches position P is time T, the time when vehicle M reaches position P1 is time T+1, the time when vehicle M reaches position P2 is time T+2, and the time when vehicle M reaches position P3 is time T+3. An entrance to a curved road is provided between positions P2 and P3. The entrance to a curved road is, for example, a position where a road (lane) starts to curve or a position where the road curves by more than a threshold value.

[0055] If the speed of the vehicle M is greater than the target speed at time T, the assistance control unit 150 notifies the driver and decelerates the vehicle M at a first deceleration rate. The notification is a notification that makes the driver aware of a curved road. The notification is, for example, a notification that the vehicle M approaches a curved road in a state where the speed of the vehicle M is greater than the target speed, or a notification to start assistance control that decelerates the vehicle M so that the speed of the vehicle M approaches the target speed. The notification is, for example, performed via the HMI 30. The notification may be a notification by an image, or a notification by sound or vibration (for example, vibrating the seat belt).

[0056] At time T+1, the assistance control unit 150 issues a first warning to the driver. The first warning is a warning to make the driver aware of the curved road. The first warning is, for example, a warning to the driver to decelerate the vehicle M so that the speed of the vehicle M approaches the target speed.

[0057] At time T+2, the assistance control unit 150 issues a second warning to the driver, decelerates the vehicle M at a second deceleration rate, and makes the speed of the vehicle M match the target speed at time T+3. The second deceleration rate is a deceleration rate greater than the first deceleration rate. The second warning is a warning to the driver to recognize the curved road. The second warning is a warning to the driver to decelerate the vehicle M so that the speed of the vehicle M approaches the target speed. The second warning is a warning with a stronger intensity than the first warning. A stronger warning is a warning in a manner that makes the driver feel the need to decelerate more. For example, a stronger warning is when the assistance control unit 150 provides an image that encourages the driver to decelerate, outputs a louder sound, or applies a larger vibration to the driver.

[0058] [Acceleration operation override] As described above, the assistance control unit 150 assists the vehicle M in traveling on a curved road. This can assist the driver's operation so that the vehicle M travels smoothly on the curved road at a target speed. However, some drivers may find the assistance control (especially the deceleration control) by the assistance control unit 150 annoying, or may intend to accelerate the vehicle M rather than decelerate it.

[0059] In the above circumstances, when the assist control unit 150 acquires the second information indicating that the driver has performed an acceleration operation while the assist control is being performed, the assist control unit 150 acquires the accelerator pedal opening output from the AP pedal sensor 88 from the acquired second information, and judges whether or not the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value within a predetermined period (for example, several seconds). Here, the start point of the predetermined period may be, for example, when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 84 during the execution of the assist control, or when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 84 with an operation amount equal to or greater than a predetermined degree. When it is judged that the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value within the predetermined period, the assist control unit 150 stops the assist control and accelerates the vehicle M. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as accelerator override. The accelerator pedal opening is an example of an "acceleration operation amount". Alternatively, the assist control unit 150 may measure a cumulative value of an increase in the accelerator pedal opening within a predetermined period, and judge whether or not the measured cumulative value is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. Hereinafter, the setting of the reference value for determining whether or not to perform the accelerator override will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG.

[0060] 3 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV1 for determining execution of accelerator override and execution of accelerator override based on the reference value RV1. In FIG. 3, from time T, the assistance control unit 150 executes assistance control, thereby decelerating the vehicle M at a first deceleration rate and issuing a notification or a first warning via the HMI 30. The driver feels a change in gravity (longitudinal G) in the traveling direction of the vehicle M as the vehicle M decelerates, and further recognizes that a curved road is approaching due to the notification or the first warning via the HMI. Here, it is assumed that the driver recognizes the above situation but does not wish to apply assistance control and starts an acceleration operation at time T+2.

[0061] In response to the driver starting the acceleration operation, the assistance control unit 150 acquires second information indicating that the driver has performed the acceleration operation, and acquires the accelerator pedal opening output from the AP pedal sensor 88 from the acquired second information. Next, the assistance control unit 150 judges whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV1 within a predetermined period. Here, the reference value RV1 is the value of the accelerator pedal opening at the time T when the assistance control by the assistance control unit 150 is started. At the time T+2#, the assistance control unit 150 judges that the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV1 within a predetermined period, stops the assistance control, and accelerates the vehicle M according to the accelerator pedal opening (executes the accelerator override). This makes it possible to realize the control of the vehicle according to the driver's intention. Furthermore, by setting the reference value RV1 to the value of the accelerator pedal opening at the start of the assistance control, the operation amount required to perform the accelerator override is set to the same standard, and the driver can easily grasp the operation amount required to perform the accelerator override.

[0062] 4 is a diagram for explaining a reference value RV2 for determining execution of accelerator override and execution of accelerator override based on the reference value RV2. In FIG. 4, from time T, the assistance control unit 150 executes assistance control, thereby decelerating the vehicle M at a first deceleration rate, and issuing a notification or a first warning via the HMI 30. The driver feels a change in gravity (longitudinal G) in the traveling direction of the vehicle M as the vehicle M decelerates, and further recognizes that a curved road is approaching due to the notification or the first warning via the HMI. It is assumed that the driver recognizes the above situation, but does not wish to apply assistance control, and attempts accelerator override.

[0063] Here, unlike the situation shown in FIG. 3, the value of the accelerator pedal opening at time T when the assist control is started is close to the upper limit, so it may be impossible to increase the value of the accelerator pedal opening by a predetermined amount or more using that value as a reference value. Therefore, the assist control unit 150 sets the minimum value of the accelerator pedal opening during the execution of the assist control as a reference value RV2, and judges whether the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV2 within a predetermined period. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, at time T+3, the driver releases the accelerator pedal 84, so that the accelerator pedal opening becomes the minimum value, and the assist control unit 150 sets the value of the accelerator pedal opening at time T+3 as the reference value RV2. After that, at time T+4, the assist control unit 150 judges that the accelerator pedal opening has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value RV2, stops the assist control, and accelerates the vehicle M according to the accelerator pedal opening (executes accelerator override). This makes it possible to realize control of the vehicle according to the driver's intention. Furthermore, by setting the reference value RV2 to the minimum value of the accelerator pedal opening degree during execution of the assistance control, the driver can be made to execute an override even when the value of the accelerator pedal opening degree at the start of the assistance control is large and the margin of operation up to the maximum operation amount is less than a predetermined amount.

[0064] In addition, the reference value RV2 may be set by the assistance control unit 150 only when it is impossible to increase the accelerator pedal opening degree by more than a predetermined amount from the value at time T when the assistance control is started, or it may be set together with the reference value RV1 at all times when the assistance control is being executed.

[0065] [effect] 5 is a diagram for explaining the effect of accelerator override according to the embodiment. The vertical axis indicates the accelerator pedal opening degree, and the horizontal axis indicates time. For example, when the acceleration operation amount for the accelerator pedal 84 reaches a threshold value during the time period from when the accelerator pedal 84 is operated to accelerate the vehicle M until the predetermined period PT1 has elapsed, the assistance control unit 150 stops the assistance control. If the accumulated operation amount does not reach the threshold value during the time period P1 has elapsed, the assistance control continues even if the driver is operating the accelerator pedal 84.

[0066] The accelerator override condition is satisfied whether the accelerator pedal 84 is operated so that the accelerator pedal opening degree changes significantly in a short period of time as shown by line L1 (for example, in the case of FIG. 4) or whether the accelerator pedal 84 is operated so that the accelerator pedal opening degree changes gradually as shown by line L2 (for example, in the case of FIG. 3). As a result, whether the driver performs an operation to significantly increase the opening degree of the operator in a short period of time or an operation to gradually increase the opening degree over time, the assistance control is overridden by the acceleration operation, and vehicle control according to the driver's intention can be realized.

[0067] [flowchart] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving support device 100. The order of the processing in this flowchart may be changed, and some of the processing may be omitted.

[0068] First, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not a curved road exists a predetermined distance ahead from the position of the vehicle M (step S100). If a curved road exists, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not the curved road satisfies a condition (step S102). If the curved road satisfies a condition, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not the speed of the vehicle M satisfies a condition (step S104). If the determination in step S100, S102, or S104 is negative, the processing of one routine of this flowchart ends.

[0069] If the vehicle speed satisfies the condition, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether the vehicle M has reached a first position (e.g., position P in FIG. 2) (step S106). If the vehicle M has reached the first position, the driving assistance device 100 issues a notification (step S108) and decelerates the vehicle M at a first deceleration rate (step S110).

[0070] Next, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether the vehicle M has reached a second position (e.g., position P1 in FIG. 2) (step S112). If the vehicle M has reached the second position, the driving assistance device 100 issues a first warning (step S114). Next, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether the vehicle M has reached a third position (e.g., position P2 in FIG. 2) (step S116).

[0071] When the vehicle M reaches the third position, the driving support device 100 issues a second warning (step S118) and decelerates the vehicle M at a second deceleration rate (step S122). Next, it is determined whether the speed of the vehicle M has reached the target speed (step S122). When the speed of the vehicle M has not reached the target speed, the process returns to step S118. When the speed of the vehicle M has reached the target speed, the driving support device 100 stops the deceleration of the vehicle M (step S124). This ends the process of one routine of this flowchart.

[0072] As described above, when the vehicle M and the curved road satisfy the conditions, the driving assistance device 100 can assist the driver so that the vehicle M can travel on the curved road more smoothly by executing assistance control (steps S106-S124).

[0073] In the process of the above flowchart, if the accelerator override is established, the assistance control is stopped.

[0074] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of accelerator override processing executed by the driving support device 100. First, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the assist control is being performed (step S200). If the assist control is being performed, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the accelerator pedal 84 is being operated (step S202). If it is determined that the accelerator pedal 84 is not being operated, the driving support device 100 returns the processing to step S200.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined that the accelerator pedal 84 is being operated, the driving support device 100 determines whether the accelerator pedal opening degree has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within a predetermined period of time (step S206). If it is determined that the accelerator pedal opening degree has not increased by the predetermined amount or more from the reference value within the predetermined period of time, the driving support device 100 returns the process to step S202.

[0076] If it is determined that the accelerator pedal depression has increased by a predetermined amount or more from the reference value within the predetermined period, the driving support device 100 determines that the accelerator override has been established, and stops the support control shown in the flowchart of Fig. 10 (step S208). Next, the driving support device 100 accelerates the vehicle M according to the accelerator pedal depression (step S210). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0077] The reference value in step S206 may be at least one of the reference value RV1 in Fig. 3 and the reference value RV2 in Fig. 4. For example, in step S206, the driving support device 100 may determine whether the accelerator pedal opening degree has increased by a predetermined amount or more from either one of the reference value RV1 and the reference value RV2 within a predetermined period of time. In this way, in either case where the driver performs an operation to greatly increase the opening degree of the operating element in a short period of time (corresponding to the reference value RV2) or where the driver performs an operation to gradually increase the opening degree over time (corresponding to the reference value RV1), the support control is overridden by the acceleration operation, and vehicle control according to the driver's intention can be realized.

[0078] According to the embodiment described above, when the driver accelerates while the assist control is being performed, the assist control unit 150 determines whether the amount of acceleration has increased by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined period, and stops the assist control when the amount of acceleration has increased by the predetermined amount or more. This makes it possible to realize vehicle control according to the driver's intention.

[0079] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device, Acquire first information regarding a curved road in a traveling direction of the vehicle; Acquire second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; When the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from an entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, an assistance control is performed including one or both of a deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information and a notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, During the execution of the assist control, the second information is referred to, and when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more, the assist control is stopped. The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

[0080] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Vehicle Systems 100 Driving support device 110 Recognition part 130 Curve Judgment Section 140 Operation information processing section 150 Support control section

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding a curved road present in a traveling direction of the vehicle; A second acquisition unit that acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; a control unit that performs assistance control including one or both of a deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information, and a notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from an entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, The control unit, during execution of the assistance control, refers to the second information, and stops the assistance control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, The reference value is set to a minimum value of the acceleration operation amount during execution of the assistance control. Vehicle control device.

2. The control unit stops the assist control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during execution of the assist control, The reference value is set to the acceleration operation amount at the start of the assistance control. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The computer Acquire first information regarding a curved road in a traveling direction of the vehicle; Acquire second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; When the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from an entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, an assistance control is performed including one or both of a deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information and a notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, During the execution of the assist control, the second information is referred to, and when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, the assist control is stopped; The reference value is set to a minimum value of the acceleration operation amount during execution of the assistance control. A vehicle control method.

4. On the computer, acquiring first information regarding a curved road in a traveling direction of the vehicle; acquiring second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; When the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from an entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, an assistance control is performed that includes one or both of a deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information and a notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle will approach the target speed, During the execution of the assist control, the second information is referred to, and when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value, the assist control is stopped; The reference value is set to a minimum value of the acceleration operation amount during execution of the assistance control. program.

5. a first acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding a curved road present in a traveling direction of the vehicle; A second acquisition unit that acquires second information including an acceleration operation amount of a driver of the vehicle; a control unit that performs assistance control including one or both of a deceleration control for decelerating the vehicle so as to bring the speed of the vehicle closer to a target speed based on the first information, and a notification control for notifying the driver that the speed of the vehicle is approaching the target speed, when the vehicle is traveling on the curved road or in a section from an entrance of the curved road to a predetermined distance before the entrance, The control unit, during execution of the assistance control, refers to the second information, and stops the assistance control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more; The control unit stops the assist control when the acceleration operation amount increases by a predetermined amount or more from a reference value during execution of the assist control, The reference value is set to one of the acceleration operation amount at the start of the assistance control and the minimum value of the acceleration operation amount during the execution of the assistance control, according to a margin operation amount from the acceleration operation amount to a maximum operation amount at the start of the assistance control. Vehicle control device.

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