Driving support device

Abstract

To provide a drive support device which is improved such that a vehicle is not started in a situation that is not suitable for a driver to safely drive the vehicle.SOLUTION: A drive support device comprises: a braking and driving force control device; and a control device which executes vehicle-stop maintenance assist control (S50) of maintaining a vehicle in the stop state by controlling the braking and driving force of the vehicle by controlling the braking and driving force control device such that the braking force becomes equal to or greater than creeping force. The control device calculates the driving suitable state degree Rd of a driver, executes the vehicle-stop maintenance assist control (S50) when there is such a possibility that the braking force may be less than the creeping force (S10-S40) and the driving suitable state degree is less than a reference value Rdc (S40), and does not execute the vehicle-stop maintenance assist control (S60) when there is such a possibility that the braking force may be less than the creeping force and the driving suitable state degree is equal to or greater than reference value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device for vehicles such as automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the driving support devices for vehicles such as automobiles, a driving support device that controls the start of a vehicle using the creep phenomenon is known. For example, Patent Document 1 below has a stop maintenance means and an assist means for assisting the running of the vehicle due to the creep phenomenon. When it is determined that the vehicle should stop in a situation where a creep force acts on the vehicle, the stop maintenance means is activated. When it is determined that the vehicle should run, a driving support device that activates the assist means is described. The determination as to whether the vehicle should stop or the vehicle should run is made based on the situation around the vehicle such as the situation at an intersection and the signal situation.

[0003] According to this type of driving support device, in a situation where the vehicle should stop, the stop maintenance means is activated, so that the vehicle can be maintained in a stopped state. In a situation where the vehicle should run, the assist means is activated, so that the vehicle can be run by the creep phenomenon.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] 〔Problems to be Solved by the Invention〕 However, in the driving support device described in Patent Document 1, the determination of whether the vehicle should stop or the vehicle should travel is made based on the situation around the vehicle, and the situation of the driver is not considered. Therefore, even in a situation where the driver is not suitable for safely driving the vehicle, such as when the driver is operating a mobile terminal or looking aside, if it is determined based on the situation around the vehicle that the vehicle should travel, the vehicle will start.

[0006] A main object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device that controls the start of a vehicle using the creep phenomenon, and is improved so that the vehicle does not start when the driver is in a situation where it is not suitable for safely driving the vehicle.

[0007] 〔Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention〕 According to the present invention, there is provided a driving support device (100) including a driving force control device (driving device 22, braking device 32) that controls the driving force of a vehicle (102), and a control device (driving support ECU 10) that executes stop maintenance assist control for assisting the vehicle to be maintained in a stopped state by controlling the driving force control device so that the braking force becomes equal to or greater than the creep force.

[0008] The control device When the vehicle is stopped (S10), the brake switch is on (S20), and the shift position is in the D range (S30), it is determined that there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force. calculates the driving suitability degree of the driver based on the situation of the upper body of the driver, and when the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is less than the reference value It is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for safe driving. executes stop maintenance assist control (S50), and when the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is equal to or greater than the reference value, is configured not to execute stop maintenance assist control (S60). (S40) According to the above configuration,

[0009] When the vehicle is stopped, the brake switch is on, and the shift position is in the D range, it is determined that there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force. Also, based on the situation of the driver's upper body, the driver's driving suitability degree, which is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for safe driving, is calculated. The parking maintenance assist control is executed when the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is less than the reference value, and is not executed when the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is greater than or equal to the reference value. When the braking force is less than the creep force, since the vehicle is driven by the creep force, it attempts to move.

[0010] When the situation is not suitable for the driver to drive safely, the parking maintenance assist control is executed, and the driving force is controlled so that the braking force becomes greater than or equal to the creep force, so that it is possible to prevent the vehicle from starting unnecessarily. Also, when the vehicle is stopped and the situation is suitable for the driver to drive safely, the parking maintenance assist control is not executed, so if the vehicle is stopped, the vehicle can start smoothly by the creep force.

[0011] In addition, As described above, The "driving suitability degree of the driver" is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for driving safely. When the driving suitability degree is less than the reference value, the driver is in a situation where he / she cannot drive safely. Also, the "parking maintenance assist control" is a control that assists the vehicle in maintaining a stopped state by automatically increasing the braking force and / or reducing the driving force without requiring the driver's driving operation.

[0012] In the above description, for the sake of helping the understanding of the present invention, the names and / or symbols used in the embodiments corresponding to the configurations of the invention to be described later are added in parentheses. However, each component of the present invention is not limited to the components of the embodiments corresponding to the names and / or symbols added in parentheses. Other objects, other features and accompanying advantages of the present invention will be easily understood from the description of the embodiments of the present invention described with reference to the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0015] <Configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, a driving support device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle 102 and includes a driving support ECU 10. The vehicle 102 includes a drive ECU 20, a brake ECU 30, an electric power steering ECU 40, and a meter ECU 50. An ECU means an electronic control unit (Electronic Control Unit) having a microcomputer as a main part. In the following description, the vehicle 102 is referred to as the host vehicle 102 as necessary to distinguish it from other vehicles, and the electric power steering ECU is referred to as the EPS·ECU.

[0016] The microcomputer of each ECU includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a readable and writable non-volatile memory (N / M), and an interface (I / F). The CPU realizes various functions by executing instructions (programs, routines) stored in the ROM. Further, these ECUs are connected to each other via a CAN (Controller Area Network) 104 so as to be able to exchange data (communicate). Therefore, the detection values of sensors (including switches) connected to a specific ECU are also transmitted to other ECUs.

[0017] The driving support ECU 10 is a central control device that performs driving support controls such as following distance control and lane keeping control. In the embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the driving support ECU 10 cooperates with other ECUs to execute start control by controlling the driving force when the vehicle 102 is in a stopped state.

[0018] An outside vehicle camera sensor 12, a radar sensor 14, and a driver camera sensor 16 are connected to the driving support ECU 10. The camera sensor 12 and the radar sensor 14 each include a plurality of camera devices and a plurality of radar devices. The camera sensor 12 and the radar sensor 14 function as surrounding information detection devices that detect information such as targets around the vehicle 102.

[0019] Each camera device of the outside vehicle camera sensor 12, although not shown in the figure, includes a camera unit that photographs the surroundings of the vehicle 102, and a recognition unit that analyzes the image data obtained by the camera unit to recognize targets such as white lines on the road and other vehicles. The recognition unit supplies information regarding the recognized targets to the driving support ECU 10 every time a predetermined time elapses. Note that LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) may be used instead of the camera sensor 12.

[0020] Each radar device of the radar sensor 14 includes a radar transceiver unit and a signal processing unit (not shown). The radar transceiver unit emits radio waves in the millimeter wave band (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves"), and receives the millimeter waves (i.e., reflected waves) reflected by a three-dimensional object (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, guardrails, etc.) existing within the radiation range. The signal processing unit acquires information representing the distance between the host vehicle and the three-dimensional object, the relative speed between the host vehicle and the three-dimensional object, the relative position (direction) of the three-dimensional object with respect to the host vehicle, etc., every time a predetermined time elapses, based on the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter wave and the received reflected wave, the attenuation level of the reflected wave, and the time from transmitting the millimeter wave to receiving the reflected wave, and supplies it to the driving support ECU 10.

[0021] The driver imaging camera sensor 16 is provided on a dashboard or a steering column not shown in FIG. 1, and includes a camera unit that images the upper body of the driver, and an image processing unit that processes the image data of the upper body of the driver obtained by the camera unit. The image processing unit supplies information on the image data of the upper body of the driver to the driving support ECU 10 at predetermined time intervals. Therefore, the driver imaging camera sensor 16 functions as a driver monitoring camera.

[0022] The CPU of the driving support ECU 10 calculates the driving fitness degree Rd of the driver from the driver's posture, the direction of the driver's face, the direction of the line of sight, the driver's per-minute eye closure rate, the state of eye opening, the frequency of blinking, or eye movement, etc., based on the information on the image data of the upper body of the driver.

[0023] The driving fitness degree Rd is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for driving safely. When the driving fitness degree Rd is less than the reference value Rdc (a positive constant), it is determined that the driver is in a situation where safe driving is not possible. The driving fitness degree Rd may be calculated as the sum of the evaluation values set for each of the above items. Further, when calculating the driving fitness degree, at least any one of the grip pressure of the driver's steering wheel, the pressing force on the armrest, the heart rate, the electromyogram information, and the brain wave pattern may be considered.

[0024] A drive ECU 20 is connected to a drive device 22 that accelerates the vehicle 102 by applying a driving force to a drive wheel not shown in FIG. 1. The drive ECU 20 normally controls the drive device so that the driving force generated by the drive device 22 changes according to the driving operation by the driver, and when receiving a command signal from the driving support ECU 10, controls the drive device 22 based on the command signal.

[0025] In the embodiment, although not shown in detail in FIG. 1, the drive device 22 includes an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine and an automatic transmission 24 incorporating a torque converter. Therefore, even when the vehicle 102 is stopped, if the shift position of the automatic transmission 24 is in the D range and the braking force of the vehicle is less than the driving force due to creep, the vehicle moves forward at a low speed due to creep. However, when a braking force exceeding the driving force due to creep is applied to the vehicle, the vehicle maintains a stopped state.

[0026] Note that the drive device 22 is not limited to the combination of an internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission incorporating a torque converter. That is, the drive device 22 may be any known drive device in the art, such as a combination of an internal combustion engine and a continuously variable transmission, a combination of an internal combustion engine and a motor (a so-called hybrid system), a so-called plug-in hybrid system, a combination of a fuel cell and a motor, or a motor, as long as a pseudo-creep force is generated.

[0027] Connected to the braking ECU 30 is a braking device 32 that decelerates the vehicle 102 by applying a braking force to the wheels (not shown in FIG. 1). Normally, the braking ECU 30 controls the braking device so that the braking force generated by the braking device 32 changes according to the braking operation by the driver. When receiving a command signal from the driving assistance ECU 10, the braking ECU 30 performs automatic braking by controlling the braking device 32 based on the command signal. Note that when a braking force is applied to the wheels, a brake lamp (not shown in FIG. 1) is lit.

[0028] An EPS·ECU 40 has an EPS device 42 connected thereto. The EPS·ECU 40 controls the EPS device 42 in a known manner in the art based on the steering torque Ts and the vehicle speed V detected by a driving operation sensor 60 and a vehicle state sensor 70, which will be described later, thereby controlling the steering assist torque and reducing the driver's steering burden. Further, the EPS·ECU 40 can steer the steered wheels as needed by controlling the EPS device 42. Therefore, the EPS·ECU 40 and the EPS device 42 function as a steering device that automatically steers the steered wheels as needed.

[0029] A meter ECU 50 has a display 52 connected thereto for displaying the status of control by the driving support ECU 10 and the like. The display 52 may be, for example, a head-up display or a multi-information display on which meters and various types of information are displayed, or may be a display of a navigation device.

[0030] The driving operation sensor 60 and the vehicle state sensor 70 are connected to a CAN 104. Information detected by the driving operation sensor 60 and the vehicle state sensor 70 (referred to as sensor information) is transmitted to the CAN 104. The sensor information transmitted to the CAN 104 can be appropriately used in each ECU. Note that the sensor information is information of a sensor connected to a specific ECU and may be transmitted from the specific ECU to the CAN 104.

[0031] The driving operation sensor 60 includes a drive operation amount sensor that detects the operation amount of an accelerator pedal, a braking operation amount sensor that detects the master cylinder pressure or the depressing force on a brake pedal, and a brake switch that detects the presence or absence of the operation of the brake pedal. Further, the driving operation sensor 60 includes a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle θ, a steering torque sensor that detects the steering torque Ts, a shift position sensor that detects the shift position of the automatic transmission 24, and the like.

[0032] The vehicle state sensor 70 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 102, a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate of the vehicle.

[0033] In the embodiment, the ROM of the driving support ECU 10 stores a starting control program corresponding to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, and the CPU of the driving support ECU 10 executes the starting control according to the program.

[0034] <Starting control routine in the embodiment> Next, the starting control routine in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. The starting control according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is executed by the CPU of the driving support ECU 10 when an ignition switch (not shown in FIG. 1) is on.

[0035] First, in step S10, the CPU determines whether the vehicle 102 is stopped. When the CPU makes a negative determination, it proceeds with the starting control to step S60, and when it makes an affirmative determination, it proceeds with the starting control to step S20. Note that when the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle state sensor 70 is 0, the vehicle may be determined to be stopped. Alternatively, when the vehicle speed V is 0 and the image captured by the external shooting camera sensor 12 does not change, the vehicle may be determined to be stopped.

[0036] In step S20, the CPU determines whether the brake switch of the driving operation sensor 60 is on, that is, whether the driver has depressed a brake pedal (not shown in FIG. 1). When the CPU makes a negative determination, it proceeds with the starting control to step S60, and when it makes an affirmative determination, it proceeds with the starting control to step S30.

[0037] In step S30, the CPU determines whether or not the shift position of the automatic transmission 24 detected by the shift position sensor of the driving operation sensor 60 is in the D range. When the CPU makes a negative determination, it advances the start control to step S60, and when it makes an affirmative determination, it advances the start control to step S40.

[0038] As can be understood from the above description, when an affirmative determination is made in S10 to S30, the vehicle 102 is stopped, and there is a possibility that the vehicle may start due to the creep phenomenon due to a decrease in the braking force of the vehicle and / or an increase in the driving force of the vehicle. In other words, it is a situation where the braking force of the vehicle 102 may be less than the creep force but the vehicle is stopped.

[0039] In step S40, the CPU calculates the driving suitability degree Rd of the driver based on the information of the upper body image data of the driver acquired by the driver imaging camera sensor 16, based on the information of the upper body of the driver such as the posture of the driver and the direction of the driver's face as described above. Further, the CPU determines whether or not the driving suitability degree Rd is equal to or higher than the reference value Rdc. When the CPU makes an affirmative determination, it advances the start control to step S60, and when it makes a negative determination, that is, when it determines that the driver is in a situation where safe driving is not possible, it advances the start control to step S50.

[0040] In step S50, the CPU executes parking maintenance assist control. The parking maintenance assist control is control that assists the vehicle 102 to maintain a stopped state by automatically increasing the braking force and / or reducing the driving force without requiring the driver's braking and driving operations. The increase in the braking force may be achieved, for example, by operating the electric parking brake or increasing the ratio of the braking force to the braking operation amount. Further, the reduction in the driving force may be achieved by reducing the output of the internal combustion engine or stopping the internal combustion engine. During the execution of the parking maintenance assist control, this may be displayed on the display 52.

[0041] In step S60, when the CPU is executing the parking maintenance assist control, it terminates the parking maintenance assist control, and when it is not executing the parking maintenance assist control, it temporarily terminates the start control. When it is displayed on the display 52 that the parking maintenance assist control is being executed, the display is erased.

[0042] <Example of start control of the embodiment> Next, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vehicle 102 is stopped behind the preceding vehicle 106 that is stopped waiting for a signal, and the start control of the embodiment will be described for two cases C1 and C2 in which the driving suitability degree Rd of the driver is different. It is assumed that the brake switch is on and the shift position of the automatic transmission 24 is in the D range, so that an affirmative determination is made in steps S10 to S30.

[0043] <C1. Case where the driving suitability degree Rd is less than the reference value Rdc> In this case, since a negative determination is made in step S40, the parking maintenance control is executed in step S50. Therefore, even if the driving suitability degree Rd of the driver decreases due to the driver operating the mobile terminal or looking aside, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 102 from starting unnecessarily due to the creep phenomenon. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the host vehicle 102 moves forward and collides with the preceding vehicle 106.

[0044] <C2. Case where the driving suitability degree Rd is equal to or greater than the reference value Rdc> In this case, since an affirmative determination is made in step S40, the parking maintenance control is not executed. Therefore, when the signal of the traffic signal changes from red to green, the driver can apply a creep force to the vehicle 102 by reducing the braking operation amount, and thereby smoothly start the vehicle 102.

[0045] As can be understood from the above description, according to the embodiment, When the vehicle is stopped (S10), the brake switch is on (S20), and the shift position is in the D range (S30), it is determined that there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force. Also, based on the situation of the driver's upper body, the driver's driving suitability degree, which is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for safe driving, is calculated. Furthermore,When the braking force is less than the creep force and the vehicle 102 is in a stopped state (S10 to S30), the stop maintenance assist control is executed (S50) when the driving suitability degree Rd is less than the reference value Rdc (S40), and is not executed when the driving suitability degree is equal to or higher than the reference value (S60).

[0046] Therefore, when the vehicle 102 is stopped and the situation is not suitable for the driver to drive safely, the stop maintenance assist control is executed, so that it is possible to prevent the vehicle from starting unnecessarily. Also, when the vehicle 102 is stopped and the situation is suitable for the driver to drive safely, the stop maintenance assist control is not executed, so that the vehicle can start smoothly due to the creep force.

[0047] In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0048] For example, in the above-described embodiment, in step S10, when it is determined that the vehicle 102 is stopped, in step S20, it is determined whether or not the brake switch of the driving operation sensor 60 is on. In step S20, if an affirmative determination is made, in step S30, it is determined whether or not the shift position is in the D range, and if an affirmative determination is made, in step S40, it is determined whether or not the driving suitability degree Rd is equal to or higher than the reference value Rdc. However, the execution order of steps S10 to S30 may be an order other than the above.

[0050] Also, in the above-described embodiment, when a negative determination is made in step S20, that is, when it is determined that the brake switch of the driving operation sensor 60 is not on, the start control proceeds to step S60. However, when a negative determination is made in step S20, it is determined whether the driver is awake. When it is determined that the driver is awake, the start control proceeds to step S60, but when it is determined that the driver is not awake, the start control may be modified to proceed to step S50. According to this modification example, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from starting due to the creep phenomenon in a situation where the driver is not awake and the brake pedal is not depressed.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0051] 10… Driving support ECU, 12… External camera sensor, 14… Radar sensor, 16… Driver camera sensor, 20… Driving ECU, 22… Driving device, 30… Brake ECU, 32… Brake device, 40… EPS·ECU, 42… EPS device, 50… Meter ECU, 60…… Driving operation sensor, 70… Vehicle state sensor, 100… Driving support device, 102… Vehicle (own vehicle)

Claims

【Claim 1】 In a driving assistance device including a driving force control device that controls the driving force of a vehicle, and a control device that executes a stop maintenance assist control for assisting the vehicle to be maintained in a stopped state by controlling the driving force control device so that the braking force becomes equal to or greater than the creep force, the control device determines that there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force when the vehicle is stopped, the brake switch is on, and the shift position is in the D range, calculates a driver's driving suitability degree, which is a degree indicating whether the driver is in a situation suitable for driving safely based on the situation of the upper body of the driver, and executes the stop maintenance assist control when there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is less than a reference value, and is configured not to execute the stop maintenance assist control when there is a possibility that the braking force is less than the creep force and the driving suitability degree is equal to or greater than the reference value. A driving assistance device.

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