Vehicle control device and control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device and a control method capable of suppressing a driver from feeling discomfort when a vehicle traveling under constant speed travel control turns right or left.SOLUTION: A control device 30 is configured to execute: travel control of controlling a vehicle 1 such that a travel speed of the vehicle 1 is a target speed corresponding to an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle; and acceleration limit control of limiting acceleration by the travel control. When an intention to turn right or left of the driver is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling under the constant speed travel control, the control device 30 executes the acceleration limit control, and ends the acceleration limit control in response to a decrease in a steering speed in the vehicle 1 during the acceleration limit control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable traffic participants have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driver assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for mobile vehicles (such as automobiles) in order to improve traffic safety and convenience.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology that detects the amount of steering by the driver and sets the amount of deceleration control in accordance with this steering amount. Also, Patent Document 2 below discloses a technology that, when an automatic vehicle speed control that automatically controls vehicle speed is in an on state, maintains the on state of the automatic vehicle speed control when the vehicle turns right or left at an intersection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4052292 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-126433 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the prior art, for example, when a vehicle is driven by a driving control called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), the driver may feel uncomfortable when turning right or left, and there is room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle control device and control method that can suppress discomfort felt by the driver when a traveling vehicle turns right or left by controlling the vehicle so that the traveling speed of the vehicle reaches a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver, thereby further improving traffic safety and contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. picture, The control unit detecting the intention to turn right or left based on whether the steering angle and the steering speed of the vehicle are greater than preset thresholds; A vehicle control device. Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the driver applies a brake to the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brake is released, the travel control is resumed; When the vehicle is being decelerated in response to the braking, the driver is notified that the driving control will be resumed. A vehicle control device. Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is terminated, and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle. A vehicle control device. Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is terminated, and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on a steering angle of the vehicle. A vehicle control device. Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is terminated, and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. A vehicle control device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is A control method performed by a computer configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The computer When the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, the acceleration suppression control is executed, and when the steering speed of the vehicle decreases during the acceleration suppression control, the acceleration suppression control is terminated. stomach , detecting the intention to turn right or left based on whether the steering angle and the steering speed of the vehicle are greater than preset thresholds; It is a control method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device and a control method that can suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable when a vehicle traveling under constant speed control turns right or left. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle 1 controlled by a control device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the vehicle 1 traveling under ACC when turning right or left. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of acceleration when the vehicle 1 traveling under ACC turns right or left and when traveling straight. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the control device 30 to execute the ACC or acceleration suppression control. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of the process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a flowchart (part 2) showing an example of the process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of a vehicle control device and a control method of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. The following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the following, identical or similar elements will be denoted by identical or similar reference symbols, and their descriptions may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] [Vehicle configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle 1 controlled by a control device 30, which is one embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention. The vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an automobile having a drive source and wheels including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steerable wheels (neither of which is shown). For example, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheel automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The drive source of the vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the drive source of the vehicle 1 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or all four wheels, i.e., a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. Either one of the front wheels or the rear wheels may be steerable wheels, or both may be steerable wheels.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30, an EPS system (electric power steering system) 40, a communication unit 50, a driving force control system 60, a braking force control system 70, and an operation input unit 80.

[0014] The sensor group 10 acquires various detection values ​​related to the vehicle 1 or the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The detection values ​​acquired by the sensor group 10 are sent to the control device 30 and used for control of the vehicle 1 by the control device 30 (for example, ACC, which will be described later).

[0015] The sensor group 10 includes, for example, a front camera 11a, a rear camera 11b, a left side camera 11c, a right side camera 11d, a front sonar group 12a, a rear sonar group 12b, a left side sonar group 12c, and a right side sonar group 12d. These cameras and sonar groups can function as external sensors that acquire information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1.

[0016] The front camera 11a, rear camera 11b, left side camera 11c, and right side camera 11d output image data of surrounding images obtained by capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 to the control device 30. The surrounding images captured by the front camera 11a, rear camera 11b, left side camera 11c, and right side camera 11d are also referred to as the front image, rear image, left side image, and right side image, respectively. An image composed of the left side image and the right side image is also referred to as a side image.

[0017] The front sonar group 12a, rear sonar group 12b, left side sonar group 12c, and right side sonar group 12d emit sound waves around the vehicle 1 and receive reflected sound from other objects. The front sonar group 12a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars that make up the front sonar group 12a are provided diagonally forward left, front left, front right, and diagonally forward right of the vehicle 1, respectively. The rear sonar group 12b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars that make up the rear sonar group 12b are provided diagonally rear left, rear left, rear right, and diagonally rear right of the vehicle 1, respectively. The left side sonar group 12c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars that make up the left side sonar group 12c are provided on the front left side and rear left side of the vehicle 1, respectively. The right side sonar group 12d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars that make up the right side sonar group 12d are provided at the front and rear of the right side of the vehicle 1. Instead of or in addition to these sonar groups 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, the vehicle 1 may be provided with a radar device that emits radio waves (for example, so-called millimeter wave radio waves) around the vehicle 1 and receives reflected waves from other objects.

[0018] Furthermore, the sensor group 10 includes wheel sensors 13a and 13b, a vehicle speed sensor 14, and an operation detection unit 15. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b detect rotation angles θa and θb of wheels (not shown), respectively. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b may be configured as angle sensors or displacement sensors. The wheel sensors 13a and 13b output detection pulses each time the wheels rotate a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from the wheel sensors 13a and 13b can be used to calculate the wheel rotation angles and wheel rotation speeds. The travel distance of the vehicle 1 can be calculated based on the wheel rotation angles. The wheel sensor 13a detects, for example, the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. The wheel sensor 13b detects, for example, the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0019] The vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the vehicle speed V, which is the traveling speed of the vehicle 1, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the control device 30. The vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the vehicle speed V based on, for example, the rotation of a countershaft of the transmission.

[0020] The operation detection unit 15 detects the content of an operation performed by the driver using the operation input unit 80, and outputs the detected content of the operation to the control device 30. The operation input unit 80 includes, for example, a turn signal lever 81 that accepts an operation to activate a direction indicator (also referred to as a "turn signal") of the vehicle 1. The turn signal lever 81 is configured to be able to accept, for example, a "right turn signal activation operation" that is an operation to activate a right turn signal, which is a direction indicator for the right direction, and a "left turn signal activation operation" that is an operation to activate a left turn signal, which is a direction indicator for the left direction.

[0021] The operation input unit 80 may further include operation buttons or operation switches that accept operations related to ACC, such as operations to instruct the start and end of ACC, which will be described later, and operations to set a target speed. Also, a part of the operation input unit 80 (for example, operation buttons that accept operations related to ACC) or the whole of the operation input unit 80 may be shared with the touch panel 21, which will be described later.

[0022] The navigation device 20 identifies the current position of the vehicle 1 using, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System), and provides the driver with a route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the destination. The navigation device 20 has, for example, a storage device (not shown) equipped with a map information database.

[0023] The navigation device 20 is also equipped with a touch panel 21 and a speaker 22. The touch panel 21 is configured by integrating a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display) capable of displaying images with an input device capable of receiving input of information, and functions as a display device controlled by the control device 30 and an input device that receives input of various information to the control device 30. In other words, the touch panel 21 can display various screens under the control of the control device 30, and can input various commands received from the driver to the control device 30. The speaker 22 also outputs various guidance messages by voice under the control of the control device 30.

[0024] The EPS system 40 includes a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 45. The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of a steering wheel 46. The torque sensor 42 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering wheel 46. The EPS motor 43 applies a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46, thereby assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel 46 (in other words, steering). The resolver 44 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43.

[0025] The EPS ECU 45 is configured to include, for example, an input / output unit which is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45, a calculation unit implemented by a processor or the like capable of executing various calculations, and a storage unit which is capable of storing various types of information (none of which are shown), and is responsible for overall control of the EPS system 40. The EPS ECU 45 also outputs information indicating the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46 detected by the steering angle sensor 41 to the control device 30. The EPS ECU 45 may also output information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering wheel 46 to the control device 30. The steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0026] The communication unit 50 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 under the control of the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 50. Examples of the external device 2 include a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. Note that, for communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, WI-FI (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. can be used.

[0027] The driving force control system 60 includes a driving ECU 61 and is configured to be able to control the driving force of the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 61 includes, for example, an input / output unit that is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the driving ECU 61, a calculation unit realized by a processor or the like that can execute various calculations, and a storage unit that can store various information (all of which are not shown). The driving ECU 61 controls the driving force of the vehicle 1 by controlling the internal combustion engine, electric motor, and the like that are the driving sources of the vehicle 1, based on the driver's operation of an accelerator pedal 62 (hereinafter also referred to as "accelerator operation") provided on the vehicle 1 and instructions from the control device 30.

[0028] The braking force control system 70 includes a braking ECU 71 and is configured to be able to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 71 includes, for example, an input / output unit that is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 71, a calculation unit implemented by a processor or the like capable of performing various calculations, and a storage unit that can store various information (all of which are not shown). The braking ECU 71 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling a brake device (not shown) of the vehicle 1 based on the driver's operation of a brake pedal 72 provided on the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a "brake operation") or an instruction from the control device 30. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 71 generates a braking force corresponding to the brake operation by controlling the electric motor of the brake device based on the brake operation or an instruction from the control device 30.

[0029] [Control device] The control device 30 is a computer that controls the entire vehicle 1 based on information input from the sensor group 10, navigation device 20, EPS system 40, communication unit 50, driving force control system 60, braking force control system 70, etc.

[0030] The control device 30 includes, for example, an input / output unit 31, a control unit 32, and a storage unit 35. The input / output unit 31 is an interface that inputs and outputs data between the inside and outside of the control device 30 in accordance with the control of the control unit 32. The storage unit 35 includes a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, and stores various information (for example, data and programs) for controlling the operation of the vehicle 1. The control unit 32 is configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each component of the vehicle 1 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 35 or the like.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control unit 32 is configured to be able to execute "constant speed traveling and following distance control" as an example of the traveling control of the present invention. The constant speed traveling and following distance control is also generally referred to as "ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)." In this embodiment, the constant speed traveling and following distance control will also be referred to as "ACC" hereinafter.

[0032] In ACC, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the traveling speed of vehicle 1 becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between vehicle 1 and another vehicle traveling ahead of vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "preceding vehicle"), or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of vehicle 1. More specifically, ACC includes "constant speed traveling control" that controls vehicle 1 so that the traveling speed of vehicle 1 (i.e., vehicle speed V) becomes the predetermined target speed set by the driver, and "inter-vehicle distance control" that controls vehicle 1 so that the distance between vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle traveling ahead of vehicle 1 becomes approximately constant. That is, during ACC, if there is no preceding vehicle, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the speed becomes the target speed set by the driver, and if there is a preceding vehicle, vehicle 1 is controlled so that the distance between vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle is kept approximately constant and follows the preceding vehicle.

[0033] For example, the control unit 32 starts ACC when the driver performs an operation to instruct the start of ACC (hereinafter also referred to as an "ACC on operation"), in other words, when the control unit 32 receives an ACC on operation. Thereafter, the control unit 32 ends ACC when the driver performs an operation to instruct the end of ACC (hereinafter also referred to as an "ACC cancel operation"), in other words, when the control unit 32 receives an ACC cancel operation. That is, after starting ACC in response to the ACC on operation, the control unit 32 can maintain ACC until the ACC cancel operation is received. The control unit 32 can also automatically control the vehicle speed V when the vehicle 1 traveling with ACC turns right or left. As a result, when the vehicle 1 traveling with ACC turns right or left, the vehicle 1 can travel at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0034] Incidentally, when the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like himself / herself to turn the vehicle 1 right or left, the driver may generally first rapidly turn the steering wheel 46 while keeping the vehicle 1 at a low speed, and when the steering angle θst becomes large to a certain extent (i.e., when the steering angle is nearing the end), the driver may gradually slow down the steering speed ω and finely adjust the steering angle θst while accelerating the vehicle 1. In other words, in this case, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 (in other words, the vehicle speed V) may be controlled in conjunction with the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1.

[0035] In contrast, in ACC, the acceleration of vehicle 1 is usually controlled based on a target speed set by the driver and a distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle. For this reason, if the acceleration of vehicle 1 were controlled based on a target speed set by the driver and a distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle when vehicle 1 traveling using ACC makes a right or left turn, as in normal times, the way vehicle 1 accelerates may differ from when the driver controls vehicle speed V or the like to make the vehicle 1 turn right or left, which may cause the driver to feel uncomfortable.

[0036] Therefore, the control unit 32 is configured to further execute acceleration suppression control that suppresses acceleration of the vehicle 1 using the ACC, and executes the acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling using the ACC, and terminates the acceleration suppression control when the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 decreases during the acceleration suppression control. This allows the way in which the vehicle 1 traveling using the ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be similar to when the driver turns the vehicle 1 by controlling the vehicle speed V, etc., and makes it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the vehicle accelerates when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of ACC, which allows the vehicle 1 to travel at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, and improves the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0037] For example, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the fact that the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 each become larger than a preset threshold. This makes it possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the operation of the steering wheel 46 (in other words, steering) by the driver. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., turn of the vehicle 1) by simple processing that does not use map information, images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, or the like.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on an operation to activate a turn indicator of the vehicle 1, i.e., an operation of the turn signal lever 81, instead of or in addition to the operation of the steering wheel 46. In this case, the control unit 32 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left when the driver continuously activates the turn indicator of the vehicle 1 for a predetermined period of time or more (for example, when the turn indicator of the vehicle 1 continuously flashes for 5 seconds or more). In this case, the control unit 32 may also detect the driver's intention to turn right or left when the turn indicator of the vehicle 1 flashes a predetermined number of times or more (for example, six times or more) after the driver starts flashing it. In this way, even when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected based on an operation to activate a turn indicator of the vehicle 1, i.e., an operation of the turn signal lever 81, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., a right or left turn of the vehicle 1) through simple processing that does not use map information, images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, or the like.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the brake operation in addition to the operation of the steering wheel 46 and / or the turn signal lever 81. In this case, the control unit 32 may detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on, for example, the fact that the driver has operated the brakes after activating the turn indicator of the vehicle 1 (in other words, the fact that the driver has activated the brake device of the vehicle 1).

[0040] [Operation when a vehicle using ACC turns right or left] Here, an example of the operation of the vehicle 1 traveling under ACC when turning right or left will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the following description, the steering angle θst is set to 0 when the steering wheel 46 is at a predetermined center position, and increases in the positive direction when turned right (i.e., clockwise) and increases in the negative direction when turned left (i.e., counterclockwise). Regarding the steering speed ω, clockwise is set to the positive direction and counterclockwise is set to the negative direction.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 2, assume that at time t1 when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a target speed Vtar by the ACC, a right turn signal is activated on the turn signal lever 81, and the right turn signal included in the direction indicators of the vehicle 1 is activated. Note that the target speed Vtar is a speed that is set in advance by the driver or the manufacturer of the vehicle 1, for example, as a target speed by the ACC.

[0042] Then, assume that a brake operation is performed at time t2 after time t1. In this case, the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left from time t2, when the brake operation is performed with the direction indicator of the vehicle 1 activated, and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation. More specifically, at this time, the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC, controls the drive source of the vehicle 1 via the drive force control system 60 so that the ACC does not accelerate the vehicle 1 even if the vehicle speed V falls below the target speed Vtar, and controls the brake device of the vehicle 1 via the braking force control system 70 so that a braking force corresponding to the brake operation (in other words, the amount of operation of the brake pedal 72) is generated.

[0043] Then, from time t3 after time t2, when the driver starts to turn the steering wheel 46, the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω start to increase. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the driver starts to turn the steering wheel 46 to the right, so the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω start to increase in the positive direction. In this way, when the steering angle θst and the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 each become larger than a preset threshold value (for example, a predetermined value larger than 0), the control device 30 resumes ACC and starts acceleration suppression control.

[0044] When the acceleration suppression control is being executed, if the vehicle speed V is lower than the target speed Vtar, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. However, the upper limit of the acceleration at this time is set to a predetermined value for the acceleration suppression control (for example, 0.5 [m / s 2 ]) This enables the control device 30 to maintain the vehicle speed V at a substantially constant value during the acceleration suppression control.

[0045] Then, when the steering angle θst becomes large to a certain extent (i.e., when the steering is nearing the end), the driver slows down the steering speed ω and finely adjusts the steering angle θst while turning the vehicle 1. As a result, as shown in Fig. 2, the steering speed ω starts to decrease slightly before the time t10 when the steering angle θst becomes maximum.

[0046] The control device 30 terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to the decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. When the acceleration suppression control is terminated, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 by, for example, the ACC so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. At this time, the control device 30 also accelerates the vehicle 1 by an acceleration (for example, 0.5 [m / s 2 In the example shown in FIG. 2, the control device 30 ends the acceleration suppression control at time t4 immediately after the steering speed ω starts to decrease, and thereafter accelerates the vehicle 1 at an acceleration suppression rate of 0.5 [m / s 2 The vehicle 1 is accelerated at a predetermined acceleration greater than [Vtar] so that the vehicle speed V reaches the target speed Vtar.

[0047] As described above, the control device 30 executes acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. After terminating the acceleration suppression control, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at an acceleration greater than that during the acceleration suppression control so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. This allows the acceleration method when the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC turns right or left to be similar to when the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. to turn the vehicle 1 right or left, making it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration method when turning right or left.

[0048] [Acceleration when a vehicle using ACC turns right or left, and acceleration when going straight] Incidentally, the vehicle 1 may turn right or left at an intersection or may go straight. Depending on whether the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left or goes straight at an intersection, the control device 30 may control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 as follows.

[0049] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the acceleration when a vehicle 1 traveling using ACC turns right or left, and when traveling straight. (a) in Figure 3 shows an example of the behavior of vehicle 1 when turning right or left at an intersection IC, and (b) in Figure 3 shows an example of the behavior of vehicle 1 when traveling straight at an intersection IC.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 3, when vehicle 1 approaches the intersection IC, the traffic light SG installed at the intersection IC is on red, regardless of whether the vehicle is turning right or left or going straight. Here, the red light is a lighting mode indicating that the vehicle should not proceed beyond a predetermined stopping position. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, vehicle 1 decelerates in response to the driver's brake operation just before the intersection IC and stops at the predetermined stopping position. Thereafter, when traffic light SG switches to green, vehicle 1 proceeds through the intersection IC. Here, the blue light is a lighting mode indicating that the vehicle may proceed beyond the predetermined stopping position.

[0051] When the vehicle 1 turns right or left at an intersection IC, the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected as described above. That is, in this case, the control device 30 executes the acceleration suppression control in response to the detection of the driver's intention to turn right or left, as described above, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 during the acceleration suppression control. Then, in this case, as shown in (a) of FIG. 3, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at a first acceleration so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar upon termination of the acceleration suppression control. Here, the first acceleration is an acceleration smaller than a second acceleration described below.

[0052] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 travels straight through the intersection IC, the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected. That is, in this case, the control device 30 does not execute acceleration suppression control. Then, in this case, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3, when the brake operation is released and the vehicle 1 resumes traveling, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at a second acceleration so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. Here, the second acceleration is an acceleration greater than the above-mentioned first acceleration, and is, for example, an acceleration that is normally set in advance by the driver or the manufacturer of the vehicle 1 as the acceleration used when accelerating using ACC.

[0053] That is, when the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like to go straight through an intersection IC, the driver is likely to generally accelerate the vehicle 1 at a higher acceleration than when turning right or left at the intersection IC. In consideration of such driving that the driver is likely to generally perform, the control device 30 accelerates the vehicle 1 at a higher acceleration when the vehicle 1 goes straight through the intersection IC (i.e., when the acceleration suppression control is not executed because the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected) than when the vehicle 1 turns right or left at the intersection IC (i.e., when the acceleration suppression control is executed because the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected). This allows the acceleration manner of the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC when traveling through an intersection IC to be similar to when the driver controls the vehicle speed V and the like to go through the intersection IC, making it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration manner. Therefore, the use of ACC, which allows the vehicle 1 to travel at an appropriate vehicle speed V without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, can be promoted, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0054] As described above, the control device 30 executes acceleration suppression control when the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected, and the acceleration when accelerating the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar upon completion of the acceleration suppression control is set to the first acceleration. On the other hand, if the control device 30 does not execute acceleration suppression control because the driver's intention to turn right or left is not detected, the control device 30 subsequently sets the acceleration when accelerating the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar to the second acceleration. This allows the acceleration method when the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC proceeds through an intersection IC to be the same as when the driver controls the vehicle speed V, etc., and makes it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration method.

[0055] The first acceleration may be set based on, for example, the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle 1. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 in consideration of the driver's past driving characteristics. This allows the acceleration method when the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC turns right or left to be the same as when the driver himself controls the vehicle speed V to turn right or left, making it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration method.

[0056] More specifically, the control device 30 may learn, for example, the acceleration when the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. and the vehicle 1 turns right or left at an intersection or the like as the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle 1, and set the first acceleration based on the learning results. In this case, for example, the average value of the acceleration when the driver controls the vehicle speed V etc. and the vehicle 1 turns right or left at an intersection or the like over a predetermined period in the past may be set as the first acceleration.

[0057] Furthermore, the first acceleration may be set based on, for example, the steering angle θst of the vehicle 1. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 taking into consideration the steering angle θst of the vehicle 1. As a result, when the steering angle θst is large, such as when the vehicle 1 is turning (for example, making a so-called U-turn), the acceleration set as the first acceleration can be made smaller than when the steering angle θst is small, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle 1.

[0058] More specifically, the control device 30 may, for example, refer to a map that defines the first acceleration for each steering angle θst, derive the first acceleration corresponding to the steering angle θst in the vehicle 1, and set the first acceleration. In this case, the map that defines the first acceleration for each steering angle θst is stored in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0059] Furthermore, the first acceleration may be set based on, for example, the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. In this way, when the traveling vehicle 1 turns right or left using the ACC, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 taking into account the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. This makes it possible to suppress, for example, acceleration that would cause the vehicle speed V to exceed the legal speed limit, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle 1. Note that the control device 30 may obtain the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, for example, by performing image analysis on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, or by referring to a map information database of the navigation device 20.

[0060] The first acceleration may be set arbitrarily by the driver performing a predetermined operation on the operation input unit 80. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling by ACC turns right or left, the driver can control the acceleration of the vehicle 1 at a desired acceleration.

[0061] [Processing performed by the control device] Next, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control device 30. First, with reference to Fig. 4, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control device 30 to execute ACC or acceleration suppression control.

[0062] (Processing for executing ACC and acceleration suppression control) 4, the control device 30 first determines whether or not an ACC ON operation has been performed (step S1). If it is determined that an ACC ON operation has not been performed (step S1: NO), the control device 30 repeats the processing of step S1 until it determines that an ACC ON operation has been performed. Then, if it is determined that an ACC ON operation has been performed (step S1: YES), the control device 30 starts the ACC (step S2).

[0063] Next, the control device 30 determines whether or not an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S3). If it is determined that an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S3: YES), the control device 30 ends the ACC (step S4) and ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0064] If it is determined that the ACC cancellation operation has not been performed (step S3: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the driver is performing a brake operation (step S5). If it is determined that the driver is performing a brake operation (step S5: YES), the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation (step S6).

[0065] Note that when the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to a brake operation, the control device 30 may notify the driver that the ACC will resume via the display device of the touch panel 21, the speaker 22, or the like. In this way, when the vehicle 1 traveling with the ACC is decelerating in response to a brake operation, the driver who wants to continue the ACC can be prevented from performing unnecessary operations, such as turning the ACC on again, thereby reducing the burden on the driver.

[0066] Next, the control device 30 determines whether or not an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S7). If it is determined that an ACC cancel operation has been performed (step S7: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the processing of step S4 described above. On the other hand, if it is determined that an ACC cancel operation has not been performed (step S7: NO), the control device 30 returns to the processing of step S5 described above.

[0067] Furthermore, if it is determined that the brakes are not being applied (step S5: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected, for example, by the processing shown in Fig. 5 etc. (step S8). If the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected (step S8: YES), the control device 30 executes acceleration suppression control (step S9) and returns to the processing of step S8 described above. If the driver's intention to turn right or left has not been detected (step S8: NO), the control device 30 returns to the processing of step S3 described above.

[0068] (Processing to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left) Next, an example of the process executed by the control device 30 to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. For example, the control device 30 repeatedly executes the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6 at a predetermined cycle during the period from when the ACC is turned on until when the ACC is canceled.

[0069] 5, the control device 30 first determines whether or not the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected (step S11). If the driver's intention to turn right or left has not been detected (step S11: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the right turn signal has been activated by a right turn signal activation operation, or the left turn signal has been activated by a left turn signal activation operation (step S12).

[0070] If it is determined that the right or left turn signal has been operated (step S12: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not a brake operation has been performed (step S13). If it is determined that a brake operation has been performed (step S13: YES), the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left (step S14) and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, if it is determined that a brake operation has not been performed (step S13: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0071] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S12 that the right or left turn signal is not activated (step S12: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the steering angle θst is greater than a threshold value θs (step S15). Here, the threshold value θs is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0072] If it is determined that the steering angle θst is greater than the threshold value θs (step S15: YES), the control device 30 determines whether the steering speed ω is greater than the threshold value ωs (step S16). Here, the threshold value ωs is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0 and greater than a threshold value ωe described later, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0073] If it is determined that the steering speed ω is greater than the threshold value ωs (step S16: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the processing of step S14 described above. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering speed ω is not greater than the threshold value ωs (step S16: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0074] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S15 that the steering angle θst is not greater than the threshold value θs (step S15: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the steering angle θst is smaller than the threshold value −θs (step S17). Here, the threshold value −θs is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign (i.e., positive or negative) of the threshold value θs described above, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0075] If it is determined that the steering angle θst is not smaller than the threshold value −θs (step S17: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering angle θst is smaller than the threshold value −θs (step S17: YES), the control device 30 determines whether the steering speed ω is smaller than the threshold value −ωs (step S18). Here, the threshold value −ωs is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign of the above-mentioned threshold value ωs, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0076] If it is determined that the steering speed ω is not smaller than the threshold value −ωs (step S18: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering speed ω is smaller than the threshold value −ωs (step S18: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the process of step S14 described above.

[0077] Furthermore, in the process of step S11, if it is determined that the driver's intention to turn right or left has been detected (step S11: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering angle θst is greater than 0 (step S19), as shown in Fig. 6. If it is determined that the steering angle θst is greater than 0 (step S19: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering speed ω has become smaller than a threshold value ωe (step S20). Here, the threshold value ωe is a threshold value on the positive direction side that is greater than 0, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0078] If it is determined that the steering speed ω has become smaller than the threshold value ωe (step S20: YES), the control device 30 determines that the right or left turn of the vehicle 1 has been substantially completed and that the driver no longer intends to turn right or left (step S21), and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering speed ω has not become smaller than the threshold value ωe (step S20: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0079] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S19 that the steering angle θst is not greater than 0 (step S19: NO), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering angle θst is less than 0 (step S22). If it is determined that the steering angle θst is less than 0 (step S22: YES), the control device 30 determines whether or not the steering speed ω has become greater than a threshold value −ωe (step S23). Here, the threshold value −ωe is a threshold value on the negative side obtained by reversing the sign of the aforementioned threshold value ωe, and is set in advance in the control device 30 by, for example, the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0080] If it is determined that the steering speed ω is greater than the threshold value −ωe (step S23: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to the processing of step S21 described above. On the other hand, if it is determined that the steering speed ω is not greater than the threshold value −ωe (step S23: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0081] 5 and 6, the control device 30 detects the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the determination that a brake operation has been performed in the processing of step S13, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the control device 30 determines that the right or left turn signal has been activated in the processing of step S12, the control device 30 may proceed directly to the processing of step S14 and detect the driver's intention to turn right or left.

[0082] As described above, the control device 30 can detect the driver's intention to turn right or left and execute acceleration suppression control based on the steering angle θst and steering speed ω of the vehicle 1 becoming larger than the positive thresholds θs and ωs, respectively, or becoming smaller than the negative thresholds -θs and -ωs. Furthermore, the control device 30 can detect the driver's intention to turn right or left and execute acceleration suppression control based on the right turn signal operation and left turn signal operation that activate the direction indicators of the vehicle 1. As a result, the control device 30 can accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left from the operations that the driver normally performs when turning the vehicle 1 right or left, and can appropriately start acceleration suppression control.

[0083] Furthermore, when the driver turns the vehicle 1 right or left, the absolute value of the steering speed ω decreases as the steering angle θst approaches a target value, and by utilizing this property, the control device 30 can accurately detect that the steering is nearing the end and appropriately terminate the acceleration suppression control. This allows the way in which the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC accelerates when turning right or left to be the same as when the driver turns the vehicle 1 right or left by controlling the vehicle speed V, etc., and makes it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the vehicle accelerates when turning right or left.

[0084] Furthermore, when a brake operation is performed on the vehicle 1 traveling using ACC (i.e., when the driver activates the brake device of the vehicle 1), the control device 30 temporarily suspends the ACC so that acceleration by the ACC does not occur even if the vehicle speed V falls below the target speed Vtar, and decelerates the vehicle 1 in response to the brake operation. Then, after the brake operation is released, the control device 30 resumes control of the vehicle 1 (i.e., ACC) so that the vehicle speed V becomes the target speed Vtar. This makes it possible to reduce the driver's effort in restarting ACC compared to when ACC is terminated in response to a brake operation. Furthermore, by notifying the driver that ACC will be resumed while the vehicle 1 is decelerating in response to a brake operation, the driver is prevented from performing unnecessary operations to restart ACC, thereby making it possible to reduce the driver's effort.

[0085] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, a four-wheeled automobile is used as an example of a vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. A vehicle to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied may also be a two-wheeled automobile (a so-called motorcycle).

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the control device 30 of the vehicle 1 that can run using ACC (constant speed control and inter-vehicle distance control) was described, but the control device of the present invention can also be applied to a control device of a vehicle that does not have the function of inter-vehicle distance control and can run using constant speed control (cruise control).

[0088] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited to these.

[0089] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle (vehicle 1) so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit (control unit 32) that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the constant speed traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed (steering speed ω) of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control; Vehicle control device.

[0090] According to (1), the acceleration of a vehicle traveling through cruise control when turning right or left can be made similar to that when the driver controls the vehicle's speed to turn right or left, making it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of cruise control that allows the vehicle to travel at an appropriate speed without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the vehicle. This in turn can further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0091] (2) The vehicle control device according to (1), The control unit The intention to turn right or left is detected based on the fact that the steering angle (steering angle θst) of the vehicle and the steering speed are each greater than a preset threshold value. Vehicle control device.

[0092] According to (2), it is possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the steering of the vehicle by the driver. Therefore, for example, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., the right or left turn of the vehicle) through simple processing that does not use map information, images of the vehicle's surroundings, etc.

[0093] (3) The vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), The control unit detecting the intention to turn right or left based on the driver's activation of a turn indicator of the vehicle; Vehicle control device.

[0094] According to (3), it is possible to detect the driver's intention to turn right or left based on the driver's activation of the vehicle's turn indicator. Therefore, for example, it is possible to accurately detect the driver's intention to turn right or left (i.e., the vehicle's right or left turn) through simple processing that does not use map information, images of the vehicle's surroundings, etc.

[0095] (4) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (3), The control unit When the driver applies a brake to the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brake is released, the travel control is resumed. Vehicle control device.

[0096] According to (4), it is possible to reduce the driver's effort in restarting driving control after applying the vehicle brakes.

[0097] (5) The vehicle control device according to (4), The control unit When the vehicle is being decelerated in response to the braking, the driver is notified that the driving control will be resumed. Vehicle control device.

[0098] According to (5), it is possible to prevent the driver from performing unnecessary operations to resume cruise control, thereby reducing the effort required by the driver.

[0099] (6) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (5), The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; The first acceleration is smaller than the second acceleration. Vehicle control device.

[0100] According to (6), the way in which a vehicle accelerates when turning right or left and when going straight can be changed by cruise control, similar to when the driver controls the vehicle's speed himself, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the vehicle accelerates when turning right or left or going straight.

[0101] (7) The vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

[0102] According to (7), when a vehicle traveling under cruise control turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle taking into account the driver's past driving characteristics. As a result, when a vehicle traveling under cruise control turns right or left, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle in the same way as when the driver controls it, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the way the acceleration is performed.

[0103] (8) The vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on a steering angle of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

[0104] According to (8), when a traveling vehicle turns right or left by cruise control, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle taking into account the steering angle of the vehicle. As a result, when the steering angle is large, for example, when the vehicle is turning (for example, making a so-called U-turn), the acceleration of the vehicle can be reduced, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0105] (9) The vehicle control device according to (6), The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Vehicle control device.

[0106] According to (9), when a vehicle turns right or left using cruise control, it is possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle taking into account the legal speed limit of the road the vehicle is traveling on. This makes it possible to suppress acceleration that would cause the vehicle's traveling speed to exceed the legal speed limit, thereby improving vehicle safety.

[0107] (10) A control method performed by a computer configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The computer When the driver's intention to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, the acceleration suppression control is executed, and the acceleration suppression control is terminated in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control. Control method.

[0108] According to (10), the acceleration of a vehicle traveling through cruise control when turning right or left can be made similar to that when the driver controls the vehicle's speed to turn right or left, making it possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the acceleration when turning right or left. Therefore, it is possible to promote the use of constant speed cruise control, which allows the vehicle to travel at an appropriate speed without the driver needing to operate the accelerator and / or brake, thereby improving vehicle safety and convenience. This in turn can further improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1 vehicle 30 Control device 32 Control section θst steering angle ω Steering speed

Claims

1. A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a travel control for controlling a vehicle so that the travel speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the travel control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit detecting the intention to turn right or left based on whether the steering angle and the steering speed of the vehicle are greater than preset thresholds; Vehicle control device.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The control unit When the driver applies a brake to the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brake is released, the travel control is resumed. Vehicle control device.

3. A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the driver applies a brake to the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under the travel control, the vehicle is decelerated, and when the brake is released, the travel control is resumed; When the vehicle is being decelerated in response to the braking, the driver is notified that the driving control will be resumed. Vehicle control device.

4. A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the driver's past driving characteristics of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

5. A vehicle control device configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on a steering angle of the vehicle. Vehicle control device.

6. A vehicle control device configured to be able to perform a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by the driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The vehicle control device includes: a control unit that executes the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the traveling control, and terminates the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in a steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a first acceleration; When the intention to turn right or left is not detected, an acceleration when accelerating the vehicle by the travel control so that the travel speed becomes the target speed is set to a second acceleration; the first acceleration is less than the second acceleration, The control unit When the intention to turn right or left is detected, the acceleration suppression control is ended and the vehicle is accelerated at the first acceleration so that the traveling speed becomes the target speed. The first acceleration is set based on the legal speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Vehicle control device.

7. A control method performed by a computer configured to be able to execute a driving control for controlling a vehicle so that the driving speed of the vehicle becomes a target speed corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, or a predetermined target speed set by a driver of the vehicle, and an acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the vehicle due to the driving control, The computer performing a process of executing the acceleration suppression control when an intention of the driver to turn right or left is detected in the vehicle traveling under the travel control, and terminating the acceleration suppression control in response to a decrease in the steering speed of the vehicle during the acceleration suppression control; detecting the intention to turn right or left based on whether the steering angle and the steering speed of the vehicle are greater than preset thresholds; Control method.

Images