Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which can ease anxiety of an occupant in automatic steering control.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device performs automatic steering control of a vehicle 7 to secure lateral distances D2, D4 between an object 8 which exists outside of a driving lane 21 of the vehicle 7 which is an automatic operation vehicle, within a predetermined distance from the driving lane 21, and in front of the vehicle 7 and the vehicle 7. The vehicle control device includes: a type determination section which determines a type of the object 8 on the basis of a detection result of a front sensor mounted on the vehicle 7; and a traveling control section which changes a target lateral speed in the automatic steering control according to the type of the object 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-29841 is a known technical document relating to a vehicle control device. This publication discloses a technology for alleviating the anxiety of occupants by controlling the speed at which the host vehicle moves to a target lane position in accordance with the vehicle speed when the host vehicle moves to the target lane position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-29841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such vehicle control devices, automatic steering control may be performed to steer the vehicle away from an object that is outside the vehicle's lane and within a certain distance from the lane and in front of the vehicle. Even in the execution of this automatic steering control, further improvements are required to alleviate the anxiety felt by the vehicle occupants.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle control device that can alleviate the anxiety felt by occupants during automatic steering control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device that executes automatic steering control of a vehicle to ensure a lateral distance between the vehicle and an object that is outside the vehicle's driving lane but within a certain distance from the driving lane and in front of the vehicle, and includes: a type determination unit that determines the type of the object based on a detection result of a forward sensor mounted on the vehicle; and a driving control unit that changes a target lateral speed in the automatic steering control according to the type of the object. a distance recognition unit that recognizes a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and an object in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle based on the detection result of the front sensor; and a storage unit that stores, for each type of object, a target lateral velocity pattern in which the target lateral velocity increases as the longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the object decreases. Equipped with The types of objects include large moving objects and small stationary objects, the target lateral velocity patterns include a first lateral velocity pattern corresponding to large moving objects and a fourth lateral velocity pattern corresponding to small stationary objects, and when the longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the object is the same, the target lateral velocity of the fourth lateral velocity pattern is greater than the target lateral velocity of the first lateral velocity pattern, and the driving control unit performs automatic steering control in accordance with the target lateral velocity pattern corresponding to the type of object determined by the type determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that can alleviate the anxiety felt by occupants during automatic steering control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining automatic steering control according to the type of object. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing target lateral velocity patterns corresponding to types of objects. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a vehicle control device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing VLO control. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing VLO control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device 1 according to one embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control device 1 includes a forward sensor 2, an internal sensor 3, a drive actuator 4, a brake actuator 5, a steering actuator 6, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The vehicle control device 1 controls the traveling of a vehicle 7 (see Fig. 2), which is an autonomous vehicle.

[0012] The forward sensor 2 is configured to include at least one of a camera and a radar sensor. The camera is an imaging device that captures images of the outside of the vehicle 7. The camera transmits information about the captured image to the ECU 10. Objects around the vehicle 7 are detected by image recognition processing of the image captured by the camera. The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera.

[0013] A radar sensor is a detection device that uses radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light to detect objects around the vehicle 7. Radar sensors include millimeter wave radars and LIDARs (Light Detection and Ranging). The radar sensor detects objects by transmitting radio waves or light to the surroundings of the vehicle 7 and receiving the radio waves or light reflected by the objects. The radar sensor transmits information about the detected objects to the ECU 10.

[0014] The internal sensors 3 are detecting devices that detect the traveling state of the vehicle 7. The internal sensors 3 include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of the vehicle 7. For example, a wheel speed sensor is used as the vehicle speed sensor. The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 7. The acceleration sensor may include a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 7 and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in the lateral direction of the vehicle 7. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle 7. For example, a gyro sensor can be used as the yaw rate sensor. The internal sensors 3 transmit information about the traveling state of the vehicle 7 to the ECU 10.

[0015] The drive actuator 4 controls the drive force of the vehicle 7 in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. Specifically, the drive actuator 4 controls the amount of air supplied to the engine (throttle opening) to control the drive force of the vehicle 7. If the vehicle 7 is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle), in addition to the amount of air supplied to the engine, a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the drive force. If the vehicle 7 is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a control signal from the ECU 10 is input to a motor serving as a power source to control the drive force. In these cases, the motor serving as a power source constitutes the drive actuator 4.

[0016] The brake actuator 5 controls the braking force of the vehicle 7 in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. Specifically, the brake actuator 5 controls a brake system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, and controls the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle 7. As the brake system, for example, a hydraulic brake system can be used.

[0017] The steering actuator 6 controls the steering torque of the vehicle 7 in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. Specifically, the steering actuator 6 controls the drive of an assist motor that controls the steering torque in the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10.

[0018] The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage device such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM). The ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, executing programs stored in the storage device with the CPU. The ECU 10 is installed in, for example, a vehicle 7.

[0019] The vehicle control device 1 executes automatic steering control of the vehicle 7. In this embodiment, the automatic steering control is VLO (Vehicle Lateral Offset) control. The VLO control is control for ensuring a lateral distance between the vehicle 7 and an object that is outside the driving lane of the vehicle 7, within a certain distance from the driving lane, and in front of the vehicle. The VLO control is control for ensuring a lateral distance between the vehicle 7 and an object adjacent to the vehicle 7.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating VLO control according to the type of object. As shown in FIG. 2(a), a large moving object (e.g., a large vehicle) may exist as the object 8 in front of the vehicle 7 in a travel lane 22 adjacent to the travel lane 21 of the vehicle 7. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2(b), a small stationary object (e.g., a construction pylon) may exist as the object 8 in front of the vehicle 7 in the travel lane 22. In VLO control, the vehicle 7 is caused to travel so that the lateral distances D2 and D4 between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 are large. In VLO control, when the types of objects 8 are different, the vehicle 7 is caused to travel according to different patterns for each type of object 8. Specifically, this is as follows.

[0021] 1, the ECU 10 has, as its functional configuration, a memory unit 11, a type determination unit 12, a distance recognition unit 13, and a travel control unit 14. The memory unit 11 stores a target lateral velocity pattern corresponding to each object 8. The target lateral velocity pattern will be described later. The memory unit 11 may store the target lateral velocity pattern in a database external to the ECU 10.

[0022] The type determination unit 12 determines the type of the object 8 based on the detection result of the forward sensor 2 mounted on the vehicle 7. The type determination unit 12 determines the type of the object 8 based on an image captured by the camera of the forward sensor 2. The type determination unit 12 determines the type of the object 8 by, for example, using at least one of noise removal, edge processing, pattern matching, and deep learning on the captured image. The type determination unit 12 may determine the type of the object 8 based on the detection result of the radar sensor of the forward sensor 2.

[0023] The type determination unit 12 determines the movement state of the object 8 based on the detection result of the front sensor 2. The type determination unit 12 determines whether the object 8 is a moving object or not, and whether the object 8 is a stationary object or not. The type determination unit 12 determines the size of the object 8 based on the detection result of the front sensor 2. The type determination unit 12 determines whether the object 8 is a large object or not, and whether the object 8 is a small object or not.

[0024] The types of the object 8 include, for example, large moving objects, large stationary objects, small moving objects, and small stationary objects. Examples of large moving objects include, for example, large vehicles (e.g., trucks) and construction vehicles. Examples of large stationary objects include, for example, walls and fences. Examples of small moving objects include, for example, pedestrians and bicycles. Examples of small stationary objects include, for example, construction pylons, signs (e.g., arrow boards), blocks, and small barriers.

[0025] The distance recognition unit 13 recognizes distances D1 and D3 between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 7 based on the detection result of the forward sensor 2. The distance recognition unit 13 may recognize the distances D1 and D3 based on an image captured by the camera of the forward sensor 2 or the detection result of the radar sensor.

[0026] When an object 8 is present ahead of the vehicle 7, the driving control unit 14 controls the driving of the vehicle 7 so that the lateral distances D2, D4 between the vehicle 7 and the object 8 increase. The driving control unit 14 controls the driving of the vehicle 7 so that the vehicle 7 moves away from the object 8 in the lateral direction. The driving control unit 14 controls the driving of the vehicle 7 so that the vehicle 7 moves to a target position in the lateral direction at a predetermined lateral speed. The driving control unit 14 controls the lateral speed of the vehicle 7, for example, by sending a signal related to the steering angle of the vehicle 7 to the steering actuator 6. The driving control unit 14 changes the target lateral speed in the VLO control of the vehicle 7 depending on the type of object 8.

[0027] The cruise control unit 14 executes VLO control in accordance with a target lateral velocity pattern. The target lateral velocity pattern is a time-varying pattern of the target lateral velocity of the vehicle 7 in VLO control. Different target lateral velocity patterns may be prepared in advance depending on the type of object 8. The cruise control unit 14 executes VLO control in accordance with different target lateral velocity patterns for each type of object 8. For example, the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a moving object is different from the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a stationary object. For example, the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a large object is different from the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a small object.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing target lateral velocity patterns corresponding to the type of object 8. As an example, FIG. 3 shows a target lateral velocity pattern P1 corresponding to a large moving object (e.g., a large vehicle) and a target lateral velocity pattern P2 corresponding to a small stationary object (e.g., a construction pylon). When the object 8 is a large moving object, the cruise control unit 14 executes VLO control in accordance with the target lateral velocity pattern P1. In the target lateral velocity pattern P1, the target lateral velocity increases as the distance D1 decreases. When the object 8 is a small stationary object, the cruise control unit 14 executes VLO control in accordance with the target lateral velocity pattern P2. In the target lateral velocity pattern P2, the target lateral velocity increases as the distance D3 decreases.

[0029] The cruise control unit 14 increases the target lateral speed the later the timing at which the object 8 is detected by the front sensor 2. The timing at which the object 8 is detected by the front sensor 2 may or may not coincide with the timing at which VLO control execution begins. In this embodiment, when the distances are equal, the target lateral speed in the target lateral speed pattern P1 is smaller than the target lateral speed in the target lateral speed pattern P2. The target lateral speed patterns P1 and P2 are set between the upper limit lateral speed L1 and the lower limit lateral speed L2.

[0030] Next, the processing of the ECU 10 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing by the ECU 10. As shown in FIG. 4, in step S1, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the vehicle 7 is in a state in which VLO control is permitted. If the ECU 10 determines that the vehicle 7 is in a state in which VLO control is permitted (step S1: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S2. If the ECU 10 determines that the vehicle 7 is not in a state in which VLO control is permitted (step S1: NO), the ECU 10 ends this processing. In step S2, the ECU 10 determines whether or not an object 8 exists ahead of the vehicle 7. If the ECU 10 determines that an object 8 exists ahead of the vehicle 7 (step S2: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S3. If the ECU 10 determines that an object 8 does not exist ahead of the vehicle 7 (step S2: NO), the ECU 10 ends this processing. In step S3, the ECU 10 executes VLO control of the vehicle 7.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing VLO control of the vehicle 7. As shown in FIG. 5, VLO control is performed according to the first lateral velocity pattern, the second lateral velocity pattern, the third lateral velocity pattern, or the fourth lateral velocity pattern, depending on the type of the object 8. The first lateral velocity pattern, the second lateral velocity pattern, the third lateral velocity pattern, and the fourth lateral velocity pattern are each stored as different patterns in the storage unit 11. In step S31, the ECU 10 determines whether the object 8 is a large moving object. If the object 8 is a large moving object (step S31: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S32. If the object 8 is not a large moving object (step S31: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S33. In step S32, the ECU 10 performs VLO control according to the first lateral velocity pattern (e.g., the target lateral velocity pattern P1 shown in FIG. 2).

[0032] In step S33, the ECU 10 determines whether the object 8 is a large stationary object. If the object 8 is a large stationary object (step S33: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S34. If the object 8 is not a large stationary object (step S33: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S35. In step S34, the ECU 10 executes VLO control in accordance with the second lateral velocity pattern. When the distance between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 7 is the same, the lateral velocity in the second lateral velocity pattern is smaller than the lateral velocity in the first lateral velocity pattern. In other words, when the object 8 is a large stationary object, the ECU 10 causes the vehicle 7 to travel at a higher lateral velocity than when the object 8 is a large moving object.

[0033] In step S35, the ECU 10 determines whether the object 8 is a small moving object. If the object 8 is a small moving object (step S35: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S36. If the object 8 is not a small moving object (step S35: NO), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S37. In step S36, the ECU 10 executes VLO control in accordance with the third lateral velocity pattern.

[0034] In step S37, the ECU 10 determines whether the object 8 is a small stationary object. If the object 8 is a small stationary object (step S37: YES), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S38. If the object 8 is not a small stationary object (step S37: NO), the ECU 10 ends this processing. In step S38, the ECU 10 executes VLO control in accordance with a fourth lateral velocity pattern (for example, the target lateral velocity pattern P2 shown in FIG. 2).

[0035] 6 is a flowchart showing VLO control in accordance with each target lateral velocity pattern. As shown in FIG. 6, in step S41, the ECU 10 recognizes the distance between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 7. In step SS42, the ECU 10 sets a target lateral velocity based on the target lateral velocity pattern and the distance. The ECU 10 causes the vehicle 7 to travel at the set target lateral velocity.

[0036] As described above, in the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the cruise control unit 14 changes the target lateral speed in VLO control depending on the type of object 8. This allows the vehicle 7 to travel at different target lateral speeds for each type of object 8. Therefore, the vehicle control device 1 can achieve VLO control that is closer to manual driving by the driver than when VLO control is performed at a constant target lateral speed regardless of the type of object 8, thereby reducing the sense of anxiety felt by the occupants. Conventionally, depending on the detection accuracy of the object 8 by the forward sensor 2 or the type of object 8, the occupants may feel that the execution of VLO control is relatively slow. According to the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, even when an object 8 that is difficult to detect unless it is close or an object 8 that the occupants want to avoid early is present, the target lateral speed can be set in advance to an appropriate value, thereby reducing the sense of anxiety felt by the occupants.

[0037] The vehicle control device 1 includes a distance recognition unit 13 that recognizes the distance between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 7 based on the detection result of the forward sensor 2. The cruise control unit 14 executes VLO control in accordance with a target lateral velocity pattern in which the target lateral velocity increases as the distance decreases. The target lateral velocity pattern differs for each type of object 8. The shorter the distance between the object 8 and the vehicle 7 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 7, the greater the sense of anxiety of the occupant. With the above configuration, the target lateral velocity increases as the distance decreases, so the distance from the object 8 can be secured in a short time, thereby alleviating the sense of anxiety of the occupant.

[0038] The type determination unit 12 determines the movement state of the object 8 based on the detection result of the forward sensor 2. The target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a moving object is different from the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a stationary object. This makes it possible to achieve VLO control in accordance with a target lateral velocity pattern different from that when the object 8 is a stationary object when the object 8 is a moving object. Therefore, compared to when VLO control is performed using the same target lateral velocity pattern regardless of whether the object 8 is a moving object or a stationary object, it is possible to achieve VLO control that is closer to manual driving by the driver, thereby alleviating the anxiety of the occupants.

[0039] The type determination unit 12 determines the size of the object 8 based on the detection result of the forward sensor 2. The target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a large object is different from the target lateral velocity pattern when the object 8 is a small object. This makes it possible to achieve VLO control in accordance with a target lateral velocity pattern different from that when the object 8 is a small object when the object 8 is a large object. Therefore, compared to when VLO control is performed using the same target lateral velocity pattern regardless of whether the object 8 is a large object or a small object, it is possible to achieve VLO control that is closer to manual driving by the driver, thereby reducing the anxiety of the occupants.

[0040] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present disclosure can be implemented in various forms including the above-described embodiments and various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0041] Although examples of the types of object 8 include large moving objects, large stationary objects, small moving objects, and small stationary objects, the types of object 8 may also be various other types classified based on the degree of anxiety felt by the occupants. A type of object 8 may include only one object. For example, large moving objects may include only large vehicles, and small stationary objects may include only construction pylons. The type determination unit 12 does not necessarily have to determine the moving state of the object 8. The type determination unit 12 does not necessarily have to determine the size of the object 8. The type determination unit 12 may only determine the type of vehicle (including both stopped and moving vehicles) or structure, etc.

[0042] For example, when the object 8 is a large vehicle, the travel control unit 14 may execute VLO control in accordance with a target lateral speed pattern that is different from that when the object 8 is a construction vehicle.

[0043] For example, when the object 8 is a wall, the driving control unit 14 may execute VLO control according to a target lateral speed pattern that is different from that when the object 8 is a fence. For example, when the object 8 is a pedestrian, the driving control unit 14 may execute VLO control according to a target lateral speed pattern that is different from that when the object 8 is a bicycle. For example, when the object 8 is a construction pylon, the driving control unit 14 may execute VLO control according to a target lateral speed pattern that is different from that when the object 8 is a signboard. The driving control unit 14 may control the driving of the vehicle 7 at a predetermined target lateral speed that is determined in advance for each type of object 8.

[0044] The target lateral speed of the vehicle 7 when the object 8 is a moving object may be greater than the target lateral speed of the vehicle 7 when the object 8 is a stationary object. The target lateral speed of the vehicle 7 when the object 8 is a large object may be greater than the target lateral speed of the vehicle 7 when the object 8 is a small object.

[0045] The vehicle control device 1 does not need to include the distance recognition unit 13. The traveling control unit 14 only needs to change the target lateral speed in VLO control when the type of object 8 is different, regardless of the distance in the forward / backward direction of the vehicle 7.

[0046] The driving control unit 14 may determine whether the vehicle 7 is traveling at the target lateral speed based on the detection result of the internal sensor 3. If it is determined that the vehicle 7 is not traveling at the target lateral speed, the driving control unit 14 may continue to control the traveling of the vehicle 7 until the vehicle 7 travels at the target lateral speed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...vehicle control device, 7...vehicle, 21...driving lane, 8...object, 2...forward sensor, 12...type determination unit, 14...driving control unit, 13...distance recognition unit, P1, P2...target lateral speed pattern.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle control device that performs automatic steering control of a vehicle to ensure a lateral distance between the vehicle and an object that is outside the vehicle's driving lane and within a certain distance from the driving lane and in front of the vehicle, a type determination unit that determines the type of the object based on a detection result of a front sensor mounted on the vehicle; a travel control unit that changes a target lateral speed in the automatic steering control according to the type of the object; a distance recognition unit that recognizes a longitudinal distance between the object and the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle based on a detection result of the front sensor; a storage unit that stores, for each type of object, a target lateral velocity pattern in which the target lateral velocity increases as the longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the object decreases; Equipped with The types of objects include large moving objects and small stationary objects; the target lateral velocity pattern includes a first lateral velocity pattern corresponding to the large moving object and a fourth lateral velocity pattern corresponding to the small stationary object; When the longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the object is the same, the target lateral speed of the fourth lateral speed pattern is greater than the target lateral speed of the first lateral speed pattern, The vehicle control device, wherein the driving control unit executes the automatic steering control in accordance with the target lateral velocity pattern according to the type of the object determined by the type determination unit.

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