Automatic reverse driving control device

Abstract

To provide an automatic reverse driving control device which can deal with a change in a road surface condition and the improvement of unstable traveling during forward traveling, enables a vehicle to easily return even when forward traveling is impossible, and enables a driver to drive on a rough road or the like without worry.SOLUTION: An automatic reverse driving control device includes: a traveling information input section 120 for inputting information on a traveling trajectory of a vehicle 1 and a road surface gradient; a traveling information storage section 130 for storing the inputted information on the traveling trajectory of the vehicle and the road surface gradient; an automatic reverse traveling instruction input section 140 for inputting a switching instruction from traveling by a driver's driving operation to automatic reverse traveling by an ECU 100; and a control section 200 for, upon the input of the switching instruction, controlling the reverse traveling of the vehicle 1 with driving force based on the traveling trajectory on an outward trip stored in the traveling information storage section 130 and appropriate to a road surface inclination with the road surface gradient on the outward trip inverted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic reverse driving control device that controls the driving of a vehicle during automatic reverse driving. [Background technology]

[0002] When a vehicle such as an automobile is traveling on a rough road, a narrow mountain path, a narrow street, or the like, it may become impossible to travel forward and be forced to travel backward. For example, when traveling on a rough road, there may be no drivable road ahead. Also, there may be a case where the vehicle is confronted with an oncoming vehicle in a narrow section of the road where two vehicles cannot pass each other. Furthermore, there may be a case where the vehicle is forced to travel backward in a difficult situation, such as when there is no road ahead and the vehicle reaches a dead end.

[0003] For this reason, a driving assistance device has been proposed that enables easy driving of a vehicle by assisting in vehicle operation when reversing based on the vehicle's driving history when moving forward, even in situations where reversing is difficult. Also, a vehicle driving assistance device has been proposed that safely and easily reverses a vehicle while avoiding collisions with obstacles (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-131972 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even if there is no problem when driving on flat roads, if there is a gradient such as a slope, the gradient will be opposite when driving forward and when driving backward. In other words, if you drive at the same vehicle speed and gear ratio as when driving forward, you may slide down the slope or, conversely, not be able to climb the slope. In particular, when driving on rough roads, the above-mentioned gradient response is important, and if the gradient is not taken into consideration, there is a risk that you will not be able to drive backward appropriately.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and aims to provide an automatic reverse driving control device that can handle inclined roads, can easily turn back when forward driving is impossible, and allows the driver to drive on rough roads etc. with peace of mind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An automatic reverse driving control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a control unit that controls the driving and steering of the vehicle to control the driving of the vehicle, and the control unit comprises a driving information input unit that inputs information regarding the vehicle's driving trajectory and road surface gradient, a driving information storage unit that stores the input information regarding the vehicle's driving trajectory and road surface gradient, an automatic reverse driving instruction input unit that inputs an instruction to switch from driving by the driver to automatic reverse driving by the control unit, and a control unit that, upon input of the switch instruction, controls the reverse driving of the vehicle based on the driving trajectory of the outbound journey stored in the driving information storage unit and with a driving force appropriate for the road surface inclination obtained by reversing the road surface gradient of the outbound journey. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an automatic reverse driving control device can be provided that can handle inclined driving roads, can easily turn back when forward driving is impossible, and allows the driver to drive on rough roads etc. with peace of mind. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle equipped with an automatic reverse driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ECU according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing an automatic reverse driving control process. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a driving plan generation process in the automatic reverse driving control process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gradient from a reverse driving end point P to a current point. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a plan generation process for a downward gradient in the automatic reverse driving control process. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an uphill gradient plan generation process in the automatic reverse driving control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts with the same functions, and duplicated descriptions in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] (Vehicle 1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 equipped with an automatic reverse driving control device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a driving information detection unit 20, an automatic reverse driving input operation unit 40, and an ECU 100. The automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment includes a control unit, which is configured by an ECU 100.

[0012] The travel information detection unit 20 detects information relating to the travel path of the vehicle 1, the road surface gradient, and the like. The automatic reverse driving input operation unit 40 is an operation unit for inputting an instruction to switch from driving by the driver to automatic reverse driving by the ECU 100.

[0013] (ECU100) 2, the ECU 100 has a driving information input unit 120, a driving information storage unit 130, an automatic reverse driving instruction input unit 140, and a control unit 200. The ECU 100 also has a ROM, a RAM, etc. As will be described later, the control unit 200 loads into the RAM a program for automatic reverse driving control processing stored in the ROM and executes it.

[0014] The travel information input unit 120 inputs information about the travel path of the vehicle 1 detected by the travel information detection unit 20, the road surface gradient, and the like. The travel information storage unit 130 stores information relating to the input travel trajectory of the vehicle, road surface gradient, etc. The travel information storage unit 130 also stores road data of the travel route along which the vehicle 1 travels. Note that this road data is not limited to data that is stored in advance, but may also be data that is acquired later, for example, as the vehicle 1 travels. The road data includes not only route information, but also, for example, the road width of the travel route and the curvature of corners.

[0015] The automatic reverse driving instruction input unit 140 inputs an instruction to switch to automatic reverse driving operated by the automatic reverse driving input operation unit 40.

[0016] (control unit 200) The control unit 200 controls the driving and steering of the vehicle 1, thereby controlling the running of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, when a switching instruction is input by the automatic reverse driving instruction input unit 140, the control unit 200 controls the reverse driving of the vehicle 1 based on the driving trajectory of the outbound journey stored in the driving information storage unit 130 and with a driving force appropriate for the road surface inclination obtained by reversing the road surface gradient of the outbound journey, and controls the vehicle 1 to reverse driving to a predetermined point (a reverse driving end point described later).

[0017] Furthermore, when the road surface gradient on the return route is a downward gradient, the control unit 200 controls the vehicle to travel backward on the return route at a speed equal to or slower than the vehicle speed on the outward route.

[0018] Furthermore, at a point where the road surface gradient on the return journey changes from a gentle downward gradient to a steep downward gradient, the control unit 200 decelerates the vehicle before the gradient becomes steep. Furthermore, at a point where the road surface gradient on the return route changes from a steep downward gradient to a gentle downward gradient, the control unit 200 controls the vehicle not to accelerate until the gradient becomes gentle.

[0019] Furthermore, if there is a corner on the outbound route and the vehicle is decelerating at the corner, the control unit 200 controls the vehicle to decelerate before entering the corner on the inbound route.

[0020] Next, the automatic reverse driving control process will be described. The automatic reverse driving control process is performed by storing a program for the automatic reverse driving control process in the ROM of the ECU 100. When the ignition is turned on, the program is loaded into the RAM of the ECU 100 and the control unit 200 starts the automatic reverse driving control process. The automatic reverse driving control process may also be started by releasing the key of the vehicle 1 or by opening or closing a door (for example, by opening or closing the door when the driver's seat door is unlocked). The program for the automatic reverse driving control process may also be stored in a predetermined storage medium and read and executed by a computer or the like.

[0021] The automatic reverse driving control process will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0022] (Step S11) When the ignition is turned on, the control unit 200 starts the main processing of the automatic reverse driving control processing. When the automatic reverse driving control processing starts, in step S11, the control unit 200 performs a driving information acquisition processing. For example, the control unit 200 acquires information about the driving trajectory of the vehicle 1 detected by the driving information detection unit 20 and information about the gradient of the road surface via the driving information input unit 120. Specifically, the control unit 200 acquires information about the driving route on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, the gradient condition of the road surface, the engine rotation speed, the vehicle speed for each gradient and each steering angle, the gear ratio, etc., detected by the driving information detection unit 20.

[0023] (Step S12) Next, in step S12, the control unit 200 stores the acquired information on the travel path of the vehicle 1, the gradient of the road surface, and the like in the travel information storage unit 130.

[0024] (Step S13) Next, in step S13, the control unit 200 performs a process of determining whether or not the ignition has been turned off. If the control unit 200 determines that the ignition has been turned off, it ends the automatic reverse driving control process, and if it determines that the ignition has not been turned off, it proceeds to step S14.

[0025] (Step S14) In step S14, the control unit 200 performs processing to determine whether an automatic reverse driving instruction has been input. That is, it determines whether the automatic reverse driving input operation unit 40 has been operated. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether the automatic reverse driving instruction input unit 140 has input an instruction to switch to automatic reverse driving from the automatic reverse driving input operation unit 40. If the control unit 200 determines that an automatic reverse driving instruction has been input, it proceeds to step S15, and if it determines that an automatic reverse driving instruction has not been input, it proceeds to step S11.

[0026] (Step S15) In step S15, the control unit 200 performs a driving plan generation process. In the driving plan generation process, the control unit 200 generates a driving plan for automatic reverse driving of the vehicle 1, based on the driving trajectory of the outbound journey stored in the driving information storage unit 130, for reverse driving to a predetermined point with a driving force appropriate for a road surface gradient that is the inverse of the road surface gradient of the outbound journey. Note that the predetermined point to which the vehicle 1 will reverse during automatic reverse driving (hereinafter referred to as the reverse driving end point) may be input by the driver or set by the control unit 200. Examples of the reverse driving end point set by the control unit 200 include a branch point where a branch is possible, a point where road surface conditions are stable, and a point where there are no obstacles within a predetermined range. The driving plan generation process will be described in detail below.

[0027] (Step S16) Next, in step S16, the control unit 200 performs processing to set the reverse gear. Specifically, the control unit 200 sets the driving range to the R range and changes the gear oil pressure etc. so that the transmission gear is in reverse gear.

[0028] (Step S17) Next, in step S17, the control unit 200 causes the vehicle 1 to travel in reverse automatically in accordance with the travel plan. Specifically, the control unit 200 controls the drive, steering, etc. of the vehicle 1 based on the generated travel plan for automatic reverse traveling, thereby causing the vehicle 1 to travel in reverse. The control unit 200 also modifies the travel plan for automatic reverse traveling according to the situation even during reverse traveling. For example, if an obstacle that was not present before the start of automatic reverse traveling (during the generation of the travel plan) appears during reverse traveling, the control unit 200 modifies the travel plan to avoid this obstacle.

[0029] (Step S18) Next, in step S18, the control unit 200 performs processing to determine whether or not the vehicle 1 has reached the reverse traveling end point. That is, the control unit 200 executes automatic reverse traveling and determines whether or not the vehicle 1 has traveled to the reverse traveling end point. If the control unit 200 determines that the vehicle 1 has reached the reverse traveling end point, it proceeds to step S19, and if it determines that the vehicle 1 has not yet reached the reverse traveling end point, it proceeds to step S17.

[0030] (Step S19) In step S19, the control unit 200 performs automatic reverse driving termination processing. Specifically, the control unit 200 stops the vehicle 1 and sets the vehicle 1 into parking gear. The control unit 200 also notifies the driver that automatic reverse driving has ended and prompts the driver to apply the brakes. Note that the control unit 200 may keep the automatic brakes applied until the driver performs some operation, or may not terminate the automatic reverse driving termination processing until the driver applies the brakes.

[0031] (Step S20) Next, in step S20, the control unit 200 performs a process of determining whether the ignition is turned off. If the control unit 200 determines that the ignition is turned off, it ends the automatic reverse driving control process, and if it determines that the ignition is not turned off, it proceeds to step S11.

[0032] Next, the driving plan generation process performed by the control unit 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a subroutine of step S15 (driving plan generation process) in Fig. 3.

[0033] (Step S31) In the driving plan generation process, first, in step S31, the control unit 200 generates a return trip schedule. Specifically, the control unit 200 sets a return trip route so that the vehicle travels in reverse based on the travel trajectory of the outbound trip. The control unit 200 generates a trip route from the current point to the reverse trip end point, and also generates a detailed driving plan for each predetermined section from the current point to the reverse trip end point. Furthermore, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle speed for the return journey based on the vehicle speed for the outbound journey. For example, the control unit 200 sets a vehicle speed slower than that for the outbound journey at a preset deceleration rate. The deceleration rate is not limited to a fixed deceleration rate, and may be a deceleration rate according to road conditions, etc. Furthermore, if the travel route for the return journey is a flat road, the control unit 200 may set the vehicle speed to the same as that for the outbound journey. Note that the control unit 200 sets an appropriate vehicle speed according to the gradient, etc., as will be described below.

[0034] (Step S32) Next, in step S32, the control unit 200 performs a process of determining whether the return route is a downward gradient. Specifically, if the outbound route is an uphill gradient (climbing road) based on the gradient information of the outbound route, the control unit 200 determines that the return route is a downward gradient. Note that at the start of the driving plan generation process, the control unit 200 determines whether the most recent outbound route was an upward gradient. Then, if the most recent outbound route was an upward gradient, the control unit 200 starts the generation process from a driving plan with a downward gradient. If the control unit 200 determines that the return route is a downward slope, it proceeds to step S33, and if it determines that the return route is not a downward slope, it proceeds to step S34.

[0035] (Step S33) In step S33, the control unit 200 performs a downgradient plan generation process. In the downgradient plan generation process, the control unit 200 generates a driving plan for a downgradient and a driving plan according to changes in the downgradient. The downgradient plan generation process will be described in detail later. Then, when the control unit 200 ends the downgradient plan generation process, the control unit 200 proceeds to step S36.

[0036] (Step S34) In step S34, the control unit 200 performs a process of determining whether the return route is an uphill slope. Specifically, if the outbound route is a downhill slope based on the gradient information of the outbound route, the control unit 200 determines that the return route is an uphill slope. If the control unit 200 determines that the return route is an uphill slope, it proceeds to step S35, and if it determines that the return route is not an uphill slope, it proceeds to step S36.

[0037] (Step S35) In step S35, the control unit 200 performs an upslope plan generation process. In the upslope plan generation process, the control unit 200 generates a driving plan for an upslope and a driving plan that corresponds to changes in the upslope. Details of the upslope plan generation process will be described later. Then, when the control unit 200 ends the upslope plan generation process, the control unit 200 proceeds to step S36.

[0038] (Step S36) In step S36, the control unit 200 performs a process of determining whether or not there is a corner in the route. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether or not there is a corner based on the route information of the outbound journey. If the control unit 200 determines that there is a corner in the route, it proceeds to step S37, and if it determines that there is no corner in the route, it proceeds to step S38.

[0039] (Step S37) In step S37, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle to decelerate before entering a corner. That is, the control unit 200 generates a travel schedule for the return trip so that the vehicle decelerates before entering a corner on the return trip. Note that the control unit 200 does not necessarily have to decelerate before entering a corner. For example, if the vehicle speed inside the corner and before and after the corner on the outbound trip is the same, the control unit 200 does not have to decelerate before entering the corner. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed inside the corner on the outbound trip is lower than the speed before and after the corner, or if the return trip has a downhill slope, it is desirable for the control unit 200 to decelerate before entering the corner. Furthermore, the control unit 200 may select whether or not to decelerate before entering a corner, or set the deceleration rate, depending on the curvature of the corner. Then, when the control unit 200 has completed the setting for decelerating the vehicle before entering a corner, the process proceeds to step S38.

[0040] (Step S38) In step S38, the control unit 200 determines whether a driving plan has been created up to the reverse driving end point. That is, the control unit 200 creates a detailed driving plan for each predetermined section from the current point to the reverse driving end point, and determines whether a detailed driving plan has been created for all sections from the current point to the reverse driving end point. If the control unit 200 determines that a driving plan has been generated up to the end point of reverse driving, it terminates the driving plan generation process, and if it determines that there is a driving section for which a driving plan has not been generated, it proceeds to step S31.

[0041] Here, a specific example of a driving route to be used in the following description of the driving plan generation process will be shown: Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the gradient from the reverse driving end point P to the current point. As shown in FIG. 5, there are sections A, B, C, and D between reverse driving end point P and current point Q. Sections A and B have the same gradient. Section C has a steeper gradient than section B, and section D has a gentler gradient than section C. That is, on the return journey, the gradient is steep when entering section C from section D, and gentle when entering section B from section C.

[0042] In this example, vehicle 1 travels in section A at 15 km / h, section B at 25 km / h, section C at 20 km / h, and section D at 25 km / h on the outbound journey. The vehicle 1 travels on the return route from the current point Q to the reverse travel end point P on a section with such a gradient.

[0043] Also, assume that section A is a corner, that is, section A is a curved road. In this example, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle to decelerate in section B before entering section A in step S37.

[0044] Next, the downgradient plan generation process performed by the control unit 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a subroutine of step S33 (downgradient plan generation process) in Fig. 4.

[0045] (Step S51) In the downhill slope plan generation process, first, in step S51, the control unit 200 performs a process of setting the vehicle speed on the return journey of the vehicle 1 to be equal to or lower than the vehicle speed on the outbound journey. Specifically, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle speed on the return journey to be equal to or lower than the vehicle speed on the outbound journey based on vehicle speed information on the outbound journey. For example, the control unit 200 sets a predetermined deceleration rate based on gradient information on the outbound journey and sets the vehicle speed to be equal to the vehicle speed on the outbound journey multiplied by this deceleration rate. The control unit 200 sets a larger deceleration rate, i.e., a lower vehicle speed on the return journey, the steeper the downhill gradient. The control unit 200 may also change the deceleration rate based on road conditions, such as road width. The control unit 200 may also reduce the vehicle speed by, for example, reducing the engine speed. The control unit 200 may also reduce the vehicle speed by setting a gear ratio on the return journey lower than the gear ratio on the outbound journey.

[0046] (Step S52) Next, in step S52, the control unit 200 determines whether the downward gradient will become steeper. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether the gradient of the route on the return travel route on the side of the reverse travel end point P will become steeper than the gradient of the route on the side of the current point Q. In other words, the control unit 200 determines whether the return travel route will change from a gentle downward gradient to a steep downward gradient.

[0047] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 200 determines that the downward gradient becomes steep at the point where section D changes to section C. If the control unit 200 determines that the downward gradient will become steep, it proceeds to step S53, and if it determines that the downward gradient will not become steep, it proceeds to step S54.

[0048] (Step S53) In step S53, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle 1 to decelerate before the gradient changes. That is, on the outbound journey, the vehicle 1 is likely to have traveled at a high vehicle speed before the gradient changes on the return journey, but if the vehicle 1 travels at a similar vehicle speed on the return journey, it will enter a steep downward gradient at a high vehicle speed. Therefore, the control unit 200 decelerates the vehicle before entering the steep downward gradient to accommodate the change in the downward gradient.

[0049] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle speed of vehicle 1 on the outbound journey is 20 km / h in section C, but 25 km / h in section D. If the vehicle speed on the return journey is set to a speed proportional to that on the outbound journey, vehicle 1 will enter section C at a high speed. For this reason, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle to decelerate before reaching section C. Then, when the control unit 200 has completed the setting to decelerate before the gradient changes, it ends the downhill gradient plan generation process.

[0050] (Step S54) In step S54, the control unit 200 determines whether the downward gradient will become gentler. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether, on the return travel route, the gradient of the route on the side of the reverse travel end point P will become gentler than the gradient of the route on the side of the current point Q, in contrast to the above. In other words, the control unit 200 determines whether the return travel route will change from a steep downward gradient to a gentle downward gradient.

[0051] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 200 determines that the downward gradient becomes gentler at the point where Section C changes to Section B. If the control unit 200 determines that the downward gradient will become gentler, it proceeds to step S55, and if it determines that the downward gradient will not become gentler, it ends the downward gradient plan generation process.

[0052] (Step S55) In step S55, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle to accelerate after the gradient changes. That is, the control unit 200 sets the vehicle not to accelerate before the downward gradient becomes gentler on the return trip. Note that the control unit 200 does not necessarily have to set the vehicle to accelerate after the downward gradient becomes gentler, and sets an appropriate vehicle speed depending on the situation.

[0053] (Step S56) Next, in step S56, the control unit 200 determines whether the return travel route changes from a downward gradient to an upward gradient. If the control unit 200 determines that the return route will change from a downward slope to an upward slope, it proceeds to step S57, and if it determines that the return route will not become an upward slope, it terminates the downward slope plan generation process.

[0054] (Step S57) In step S57, the control unit 200 permits acceleration before the change to an upslope. That is, when the travel route on the return trip changes from a downslope to an upslope, it is acceptable to increase the vehicle speed to a certain extent, or, since there is a risk that the vehicle will not be able to climb the gradient unless the vehicle speed is increased, in such cases, the control unit 200 sets an acceleration setting. Note that, when the upslope can be climbed to the end, the control unit 200 does not necessarily have to set an acceleration setting, but will set an appropriate vehicle speed depending on the situation. After completing the process of permitting acceleration before the change to an upslope, the control unit 200 ends the downslope plan generation process.

[0055] Next, the uphill plan generation process performed by the control unit 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a subroutine of step S35 (uphill plan generation process) in Fig. 4.

[0056] (Step S71) In the uphill gradient plan generation process, first, in step S71, the control unit 200 determines whether the vehicle speed or torque on the outbound journey is sufficient. That is, the control unit 200 determines whether the vehicle 1 can travel uphill on the return journey at the vehicle speed or torque on the outbound journey. If the control unit 200 determines that the vehicle speed or torque on the outbound journey is sufficient, it proceeds to step S73, and if it determines that the vehicle speed or torque on the outbound journey is not sufficient, it proceeds to step S72.

[0057] (Step S72) In step S72, the control unit 200 performs a process to increase the vehicle speed or torque. That is, the control unit 200 controls the vehicle so that it generates the vehicle speed or torque necessary for traveling up the uphill slope on the return journey. Specifically, the control unit 200 performs control such as increasing the engine speed or decreasing the gear ratio. After the control unit 200 has performed the process of increasing the vehicle speed or torque, the process proceeds to step S74.

[0058] (Step S73) In step S73, the control unit 200 performs a process of setting a vehicle speed and torque appropriate for the return journey. That is, when traveling the return journey, the control unit 200 sets the same vehicle speed and torque as on the outbound journey, since the same vehicle speed and torque are sufficient. Furthermore, when traveling the return journey, the control unit 200 may lower the vehicle speed and torque, or one of the vehicle speed and torque, compared to the outbound journey. Furthermore, since the return journey has an uphill gradient, the control unit 200 may increase the vehicle speed and torque, or one of the vehicle speed and torque, compared to the outbound journey, even if the same vehicle speed and torque as on the outbound journey are sufficient. Note that the control unit 200 sets the vehicle speed and torque for the return journey depending on road conditions, etc., and may increase one of the vehicle speed and torque and decrease the other compared to the outbound journey. Then, after the control unit 200 has performed the process of setting the vehicle speed and torque appropriate for the return journey, the process proceeds to step S74.

[0059] (Step S74) In step S74, the control unit 200 determines whether the upward gradient will become steeper. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether the gradient of the route on the return travel route on the side of the reverse travel end point P is steeper than the gradient of the route on the side of the current point Q. In other words, the control unit 200 determines whether the return travel route will change from a gentle upward gradient to a steep upward gradient. If the control unit 200 determines that the uphill gradient will become steeper, it proceeds to step S75, and if it determines that the uphill gradient will not become steeper, it proceeds to step S76.

[0060] (Step S75) In step S75, the control unit 200 performs processing to permit acceleration before the gradient change. That is, because the uphill gradient becomes steeper, the vehicle 1 may not be able to climb the steep uphill gradient, or may be able to climb the gradient but may prefer to accelerate. For this reason, the control unit 200 performs processing to permit acceleration before the gradient change. Specifically, the control unit 200 performs processing to increase the vehicle speed and torque according to the situation, similar to steps S71 to S73 above. Then, when the control unit 200 finishes the process of permitting acceleration before the gradient change, it ends the uphill gradient plan generation process.

[0061] (Step S76) In step S76, the control unit 200 determines whether the gradient changes from an uphill to a downhill, or whether the uphill gradient becomes gentler. Specifically, the control unit 200 determines whether, on the return travel route, the gradient of the route on the reverse travel end point P side becomes a downhill from the gradient of the route on the current point Q side, or whether the gradient of the route on the reverse travel end point P side becomes gentler than the gradient of the route on the current point Q side. In other words, the control unit 200 determines whether the gradient of the uphill of the return travel route will decrease. If the control unit 200 determines that the slope will change from an uphill slope to a downhill slope or that the uphill slope will become gentler, it proceeds to step S77, and if it determines that the slope will not change from an uphill slope to a downhill slope or that the uphill slope will not become gentler, it terminates the uphill slope plan generation process.

[0062] (Step S77) In step S77, the control unit 200 performs a process to decelerate the vehicle 1 before the gradient changes. That is, since the uphill gradient becomes gentler or the downhill gradient becomes stronger, there is a risk that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 will increase too much. For this reason, the control unit 200 controls the vehicle 1 to decelerate before the gradient changes so that the vehicle speed does not increase too much. Then, when the control unit 200 finishes the process of decelerating before the gradient changes, it ends the uphill gradient plan generation process.

[0063] As described above, when an instruction to switch to automatic reverse driving is input from automatic reverse driving instruction input unit 140, control unit 200 of the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment controls the reverse driving of the vehicle based on the outbound driving trajectory stored in driving information storage unit 130 and with a driving force appropriate for a road surface gradient that is the inverse of the road surface gradient of the outbound road, and controls the reverse driving to reverse driving end point P. Therefore, the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment can also handle inclined roads and can easily turn back even when forward driving is impossible, allowing the driver to drive on rough roads with peace of mind.

[0064] Furthermore, in the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment, when the road surface gradient on the return road is a downward gradient, the control unit 200 controls the reverse driving on the return road at a speed lower than the vehicle speed on the outward road, so that the vehicle speed does not increase too much on a downward gradient, allowing the driver to drive on rough roads etc. with peace of mind.

[0065] Furthermore, in the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment, the control unit 200 decelerates the vehicle before the road surface gradient on the return journey changes from a gentle downward gradient to a steep downward gradient, so that the vehicle speed does not increase too much when the road becomes a steep downward gradient, allowing the driver to drive on rough roads, etc., with peace of mind.

[0066] Furthermore, in the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment, when the road surface gradient on the return journey changes from a steep downward gradient to a gradual downward gradient, the control unit 200 does not accelerate until the gradient becomes gradual. Therefore, the vehicle speed does not increase too much on the steep downward gradient before the gradual downward gradient, allowing the driver to drive on rough roads etc. with peace of mind.

[0067] Furthermore, in the automatic reverse driving control device of this embodiment, if there is a corner on the outbound route and the vehicle is decelerating at this corner, the control unit 200 will decelerate the vehicle before entering this corner on the return route, thereby preventing the vehicle from entering a corner at an excessively high vehicle speed and allowing the driver to drive on rough roads, etc. with peace of mind. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: vehicle, 20: driving information detection unit, 40: automatic reverse driving input operation unit, 100: ECU, 120: driving information input unit, 130: driving information storage unit, 140: automatic reverse driving instruction input unit

Claims

1. A control unit is provided to control the driving and steering of the vehicle to control the running of the vehicle; The control unit a travel information input unit for inputting information about a travel path of a vehicle and a road surface gradient; a travel information storage unit that stores input information about the travel path of the vehicle and the road surface gradient; an automatic reverse driving instruction input unit that inputs an instruction to switch from driving by a driver to automatic reverse driving by the control unit; a control unit that controls the vehicle's backward travel based on the travel locus of the outbound journey stored in the travel information storage unit and with a driving force appropriate for a road surface gradient obtained by reversing the road surface gradient of the outbound journey, in response to the input of the switching command; the control unit decelerates the vehicle before the road gradient on the return journey changes from a gentle downward gradient to a steep downward gradient, An automatic reverse driving control device characterized by the above.

2. A control unit is provided to control the driving and steering of the vehicle to control the running of the vehicle; The control unit a travel information input unit for inputting information about a travel path of a vehicle and a road surface gradient; a travel information storage unit that stores input information about the travel path of the vehicle and the road surface gradient; an automatic reverse driving instruction input unit that inputs an instruction to switch from driving by a driver to automatic reverse driving by the control unit; a control unit that controls the vehicle's backward travel based on the travel locus of the outbound journey stored in the travel information storage unit and with a driving force appropriate for a road surface gradient obtained by reversing the road surface gradient of the outbound journey, in response to the input of the switching command; the control unit, at a point where the road surface gradient on the return journey changes from a steep downward gradient to a gradual downward gradient, does not accelerate until the gradient becomes gradual. An automatic reverse driving control device characterized by the above.

3. A control unit is provided to control the driving and steering of the vehicle to control the running of the vehicle; The control unit a travel information input unit for inputting information about a travel path of a vehicle and a road surface gradient; a travel information storage unit that stores input information about the travel path of the vehicle and the road surface gradient; an automatic reverse driving instruction input unit that inputs an instruction to switch from driving by a driver to automatic reverse driving by the control unit; a control unit that controls the vehicle's backward travel based on the travel locus of the outbound journey stored in the travel information storage unit and with a driving force appropriate for a road surface gradient obtained by reversing the road surface gradient of the outbound journey, in response to the input of the switching command; When there is a corner on the outbound route and the vehicle is decelerating at the corner, the control unit decelerates the vehicle before entering the corner on the inbound route. An automatic reverse driving control device characterized by the above.

4. the control unit controls the reverse traveling on the return journey at a vehicle speed equal to or lower than that on the outward journey when the road surface gradient on the return journey is a downward gradient.

4. An automatic reverse driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic reverse driving control device is a control device for controlling a vehicle in a reverse direction.

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