Vehicle driving assistance device and vehicle driving assistance system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle driving support device and a vehicle driving support system that can actuate an automatic brake at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: A vehicle driving support device includes: a vehicle behavior computation section for computing a transition of behavior of a vehicle including speed of the vehicle traveling along a travel route, on the basis of the travel route of the vehicle, obstruction information and vehicle information; and a brake operation position computation section for calculating a brake operation position of an automatic brake for avoiding collision between the vehicle and an obstruction. If the vehicle behavior computation section determines that there is a possibility of collision and sudden braking, correction is made to a brake operation position that relaxes the sudden braking.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system. [Background technology]

[0002] An automatic braking device is known that determines the possibility of a collision with an obstacle in the path of the vehicle based on the distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle, and automatically activates brake control for the vehicle if there is a possibility of a collision (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to delay the timing of braking if the braking position will result in the vehicle stopping at a location where there is a high possibility of contact with another vehicle, such as at an intersection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-142903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The configuration of Patent Document 1 can reduce the possibility of collision with another vehicle by delaying the deceleration or stopping of the vehicle by braking. However, when there is a possibility of collision with an obstacle and a sudden stop is required by braking, the timing of braking cannot be delayed, making it difficult to avoid a collision with the obstacle and reduce the impact of the sudden stop on the vehicle.

[0006] The present application discloses technology for solving the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system that can activate automatic brakes at appropriate timing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle driving assistance device disclosed in the present application comprises: an information acquisition unit including a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including roads on which a vehicle is traveling, a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including a speed of the vehicle, and an obstacle information acquisition unit that acquires information about obstacles around the vehicle; a brake application position determination unit including: a route generation unit that generates a travel route for the vehicle based on the map information and the vehicle information; a vehicle behavior calculation unit that calculates a transition in the behavior of the vehicle, including the speed of the vehicle traveling along the travel route, based on the travel route of the vehicle, the obstacle information, and the vehicle information; and a brake application position calculation unit that calculates a brake application position for an automatic brake to avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle; A vehicle driving assistance device including a vehicle control device that controls a speed and a braking amount of the vehicle based on the brake application position determined by the brake application position determination unit, The vehicle behavior calculation unit determining whether the vehicle will collide with the obstacle and calculating an estimated collision position, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, calculating the braking amount to avoid the collision, and determining that sudden braking is necessary if the braking amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; The brake application position calculation unit When the vehicle behavior calculation unit determines that there is a possibility of a collision, the vehicle behavior calculation unit calculates the brake application position based on the braking amount, When the vehicle behavior calculation unit determines that sudden braking is necessary, the brake application position is corrected to a position that alleviates the sudden braking based on the map information, the estimated collision position, and the vehicle information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the driving assistance device disclosed in the present application, the behavior of the vehicle due to automatic braking is taken into consideration, so that automatic braking can be activated at an appropriate timing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle surrounding environment for explaining a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system including a vehicle driving assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the first embodiment on a curved road. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle surrounding environment for explaining a vehicle driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in the lateral acceleration of the other vehicle along the travel route until the other vehicle stops. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a procedure for stopping another vehicle at a lateral acceleration that does not exceed a threshold value. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a planned stopping position of another vehicle on a long curved road. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a detailed procedure for changing the position where the other vehicle is stopped in the flowchart of FIG. 6. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system according to a third embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining a planned stopping position of another vehicle on a long curved road. [Figure 12] 10 is a part of a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system disclosed in the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that a vehicle equipped with the vehicle driving assistance device disclosed in the present application is equipped with an automatic braking system. In addition, the same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0011] Embodiment 1 The vehicle driving assistance device and the vehicle driving assistance system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle's surrounding environment for explaining a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a vehicle 101 is traveling on a curved road in the direction of the arrow. On the roadside, a road surrounding information acquisition device 201 that acquires road surrounding information within a road region S and an information distribution device 202 that transmits the road surrounding information acquired by the road surrounding information acquisition device 201 to the vehicle 101 are disposed. While FIG. 1 shows an example in which one road surrounding information acquisition device 201 and one information distribution device 202 are disposed, a plurality of road surrounding information acquisition devices 201 may be present, and the information distribution device 202 may integrate information from the plurality of road surrounding information acquisition devices 201 and distribute surrounding object information to the vehicle 101. Furthermore, a plurality of pairs of road surrounding information acquisition devices 201 and information distribution devices 202 may be disposed.

[0012] The road surroundings information acquisition device 201 includes, for example, an imaging device such as a camera, a distance measuring device such as a radar, a communication device, etc., and acquires in real time information about the road, such as the road width, number of lanes, curvature, etc., as well as information about the number of moving or stopped targets on the road and its surroundings, as well as the shape, position, and speed of the targets, etc. Furthermore, this information is transmitted to the information distribution device 202 as road surroundings information.

[0013] 1, target object 301 is an obstacle moving near the travel path of vehicle 101. When target object 301 moves in the direction of the arrow at the same time that vehicle 101 moves in the direction of the arrow and enters area S, which is a target area for which road surrounding information acquisition device 201 acquires information, or when it is determined from the direction of movement of target object 301 that it will enter area S, information distribution device 202 transmits information about target object 301 to vehicle 101 as an obstacle.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system including a vehicle driving assistance device according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 2, the vehicle driving assistance system 1 is made up of a vehicle driving assistance device 10 mounted on a vehicle and a vehicle external device including a road surroundings information acquisition device 201 and an information distribution device 202.

[0015] The vehicle driving assistance device includes a map information acquisition device 11 that acquires map information, a vehicle information acquisition device 12 that acquires vehicle information such as the speed of the vehicle and the steering angle, a vehicle surroundings information acquisition device 13 that is equipped with an imaging device and a distance measuring device and acquires target information such as the shape, position, and speed of targets around the vehicle, a wireless communication device 14 that communicates with devices outside the vehicle such as a road surroundings information acquisition device 201 and an information distribution device 202, a control unit 15, and a vehicle control device 16 that controls steering, braking operation, reducer, etc.

[0016] The control unit 15 includes an information acquisition unit 50, a brake application position determination unit 60, and a vehicle control unit 70. The information acquisition unit 50 includes a map information acquisition unit 51 that acquires map data from the map information acquisition device 11, a vehicle information acquisition unit 52 that acquires vehicle information such as the speed and steering angle of the host vehicle from the vehicle information acquisition device 12, a vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 53 that acquires target information around the host vehicle from the vehicle surroundings information acquisition device 13, a road surroundings information acquisition unit 54 that acquires road surroundings information acquired by the road surroundings information acquisition device 201 via the wireless communication device 14, and an obstacle information acquisition unit 55 that acquires targets present on the driving route of the host vehicle as obstacles based on the target information around the host vehicle acquired by the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 53 and / or the road surroundings information acquired by the road surroundings information acquisition device 201.

[0017] The brake application position determination unit 60 includes a route generation unit 61 that generates a route for the host vehicle to travel, a vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 that calculates the behavior of the host vehicle while traveling based on the host vehicle's travel route generated by the route generation unit 61, vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 52, and information about obstacles acquired by the obstacle information acquisition unit 55, and determines whether or not the host vehicle will collide with an obstacle present in the host vehicle's travel route, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision, determines whether or not sudden braking is required, and a brake application position calculation unit 63 that calculates a brake application position to avoid a collision if it is determined by the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 that sudden braking is required.

[0018] The brake application position determination unit 60 determines the timing of automatic braking, i.e., the brake application position, which is determined by TTC (Time to Collision). In the first embodiment, as will be described later, when sudden braking is required, the brake application position of the automatic brake is corrected.

[0019] The route generation unit 61 generates a route for the host vehicle to travel based on the map data acquired by the map information acquisition unit 51 and vehicle information such as the host vehicle's speed and steering angle acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 52. Furthermore, if the obstacle acquired by the obstacle information acquisition unit 55 is a moving object such as a vehicle, the route generation unit 61 generates a movement route for the obstacle based on information such as the position and speed of the obstacle.

[0020] The vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 determines whether the host vehicle will collide with an obstacle and calculates an estimated collision position based on the host vehicle's travel path and the obstacle's movement path generated by the path generation unit 61, vehicle information such as the host vehicle's speed and steering angle acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 52, and map data. Furthermore, if it is determined that the host vehicle may collide with the obstacle, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the braking amount to avoid the collision, and determines that sudden braking is necessary if the braking amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The braking amount may be a physical quantity including, for example, the deceleration rate of the vehicle speed until the vehicle stops. Note that the behavior of the host vehicle while traveling calculated by the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 refers to the speed, steering angle, etc., and their transition when traveling along the travel path. The vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 also calculates the lateral acceleration received by the vehicle.

[0021] When the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 determines that there is a possibility of a collision and that sudden braking is necessary, the brake application position calculation unit 63 calculates a brake application position to avoid the collision using map data, the calculated estimated collision position, and vehicle information such as the speed of the vehicle and the steering angle acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 52.

[0022] The brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit 63 is output to the vehicle control unit 70, and braking, handling operation, and deceleration are performed by the vehicle control device 16. The vehicle control unit 70 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0023] Next, the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 in an example where the vehicle 101 equipped with the vehicle driving assistance device 10 travels on the road shown in FIG. First, in step ST101, vehicle information such as the speed and steering angle of the host vehicle is acquired from the vehicle information acquisition device 12, and targets existing on the travel route of the host vehicle are acquired as obstacles from target information around the host vehicle acquired by the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 53. The obstacle information may be acquired from road surroundings information acquired by the road surroundings information acquisition device 201 outside the vehicle.

[0024] In step ST102, map data including the road on which the vehicle 101 is traveling is acquired from the map information acquisition device 11.

[0025] In step ST103, the route generation unit 61 generates a travel route for the vehicle 101 based on the acquired vehicle information and map data.

[0026] In step ST104, the path generating unit 61 generates a movement path of the target 301, which is an obstacle.

[0027] In step ST105, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the traveling behavior of the host vehicle 101 and determines whether or not the host vehicle will collide with an obstacle. If there is no possibility of collision (No in step ST105), no change is made to vehicle control. If there is a possibility of collision (Yes in step ST105), the process proceeds to step ST106.

[0028] In step ST107, if it is determined that sudden braking is necessary, the brake application position calculation unit 63 calculates a brake application position for avoiding a collision.

[0029] In step ST108, the brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit 63 is output to the vehicle control unit 70, and the vehicle is decelerated by the vehicle control device 16.

[0030] According to this operating procedure, only when there is a possibility of collision between the vehicle 101 and the target object 301, which is an obstacle, and sudden braking is necessary, the brake application position is calculated to mitigate sudden braking, and the automatic brake application position is corrected, thereby making it possible to avoid collision with the obstacle and suppress sudden stopping.

[0031] Next, the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 when the road is curved as shown in Fig. 1 will be described using the flowchart of Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, steps ST101 to ST107 are the same as those in Fig. 3, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] In step ST109, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the behavior of the host vehicle at the brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit 63 in step ST107. On a curved road, centrifugal force according to the curvature of the road acts on the host vehicle 101, causing lateral acceleration. Therefore, in step ST109, the lateral acceleration is calculated as the behavior of the host vehicle 101 at the brake application position, taking into consideration the map data as well. The lateral acceleration can be calculated using the following equation. Lateral acceleration = (vehicle speed) 2 / Turning radius

[0033] In step ST110, it is determined whether the lateral acceleration of the host vehicle 101 at the brake application position is equal to or greater than a preset lateral acceleration threshold. If the calculated lateral acceleration is less than the lateral acceleration threshold (No in step ST110), the process proceeds to step ST108, where control is performed at the brake application position calculated in step ST107. If the calculated lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold (Yes in step ST110), the process proceeds to step ST111.

[0034] If the calculated lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold, sudden braking of the host vehicle 101 may result in poor running performance due to shaking, rollover, etc. Therefore, in step ST111, the brake application position is corrected so that the lateral acceleration does not exceed the lateral acceleration threshold. The point where it is determined that there is an obstacle ahead on the roadway of the host vehicle 101 is at a distance sufficient to avoid a collision. Therefore, based on the map data, the brake application position of the host vehicle 101 should be moved to a point where the lateral acceleration between the current position of the host vehicle 101 and the brake application position calculated in step ST107 becomes smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold value.

[0035] If the position of the host vehicle 101 is changed, that is, if the travel route is changed, the operations from step ST101 may be repeated. Also, if the brake application position is moved and the planned stopping position by the automatic brake is significantly separated from the position to the obstacle, the deceleration by the brake may be reduced to reduce the centrifugal force generated by lowering the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 101 so as to prevent sudden braking.

[0036] In step ST108, the vehicle is decelerated in the same manner as in FIG. 3 in a state in which the vehicle's running behavior is predicted in which the lateral acceleration is less than the lateral acceleration threshold.

[0037] According to the operational procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, only when there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle 101 and the target object 301, which is an obstacle, and sudden braking is required, the brake application position is calculated and the automatic brake setting is switched to sudden braking; if further sudden braking is required, the lateral acceleration at the brake application position is calculated, and the brake application position is set to a position where the lateral acceleration does not exceed a preset lateral acceleration threshold, thereby avoiding a collision with an obstacle and reducing sudden stops.

[0038] As described above, according to the first embodiment, when sudden braking is required due to a possibility of collision between the host vehicle 101 and the target object 301 that is an obstacle, the brake application position is calculated and the automatic brake setting is switched to sudden braking, and if further sudden braking is required, the lateral acceleration at the brake application position is calculated and the brake application position is set to a position where the lateral acceleration does not exceed a preset lateral acceleration threshold. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle driving assistance device that does not interfere with the application of the automatic brake even on curved roads, avoids collision with an obstacle, and suppresses the impact of sudden stopping on the host vehicle.

[0039] Embodiment 2 The vehicle driving assistance device and the vehicle driving assistance system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle surrounding environment for explaining a vehicle driving assistance device and a vehicle driving assistance system according to embodiment 2. Fig. 5 shows a state in which a host vehicle 101 is traveling on a curved road in the direction of the arrow, and a target object 302 is an obstacle present ahead of the traveling path of the host vehicle 101. Behind the host vehicle 101, another vehicle 105 is traveling in the same lane. Note that the configuration of the vehicle driving assistance device and the vehicle driving assistance system according to embodiment 2 is the same as that shown in Fig. 2 of embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] 5, it is assumed that the vehicle driving assistance device 10 shown in the first embodiment determines the braking position and stopping position for the host vehicle 101, and that the host vehicle 101 stops suddenly at the host vehicle's planned stopping position 101S to avoid a collision with the target object 302. If the following vehicle 105 suddenly stops at the other vehicle's planned stopping position 105S to avoid a collision with the host vehicle 101, there is a risk that the following vehicle 105 will stop at a position where it will be subjected to a large centrifugal force of the curved road. This shows that the braking operation of the host vehicle 101 affects the braking of the following vehicle 105.

[0041] Therefore, control is performed to correct the planned stop position of the host vehicle 101 so that the position at which the following other vehicle 105 applies the brakes does not exceed a preset lateral acceleration threshold. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , when a target object 302 that serves as an obstacle is present ahead of the host vehicle 101, a second virtual obstacle is present at the planned stop position 101S of the host vehicle, and the following other vehicle 105 is assumed to be the host vehicle 101, and the brake application position is calculated (hereinafter, the host vehicle 101 replaced with the other vehicle is referred to as a virtual host vehicle). The centrifugal force and lateral acceleration acting on the virtual host vehicle at the calculated brake application position are calculated. If the calculated lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than a preset lateral acceleration threshold, the mode of the brake application, i.e., the brake application position, is changed because a brake application to stop the host vehicle at the planned stop position 101S would affect the other vehicle 105. The method of calculating the lateral acceleration of the host vehicle 101 and the virtual host vehicle is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0042] Next, the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the flowchart of Fig. 6, the process is the same up to step ST107 in Fig. 3 or step ST111 in Fig. 4. That is, a brake application position for the host vehicle 101 to avoid collision with the target 302 is calculated.

[0043] In step ST201, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the planned stopping position 101S of the host vehicle based on the calculated brake application position, vehicle information of the host vehicle 101, map data, etc., and assumes that this position is the position of the second obstacle.

[0044] In step ST202, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the collision position between the host vehicle 101 and the second obstacle. As described above, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the collision position between the virtual host vehicle and the second obstacle, assuming that the following other vehicle 105 is the host vehicle 101.

[0045] In step ST203, the brake application position calculation unit 63 calculates a brake application position for avoiding a collision between the virtual host vehicle and the second obstacle.

[0046] In step ST204, the vehicle behavior calculation unit 62 calculates the running behavior of the hypothetical host vehicle at the brake application position calculated in step ST203, that is, the centrifugal force and lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle.

[0047] In step ST205, it is determined whether the lateral acceleration of the virtual subject vehicle at the brake application position is equal to or greater than a preset lateral acceleration threshold. If the calculated lateral acceleration is smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold (No in step ST205), it is determined that the following vehicle 105, which is the virtual subject vehicle, is not subjected to a large centrifugal force, the lateral acceleration is within an allowable range, and is not affected by the braking of the subject vehicle 101. If the calculated lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold (Yes in step ST205), the process proceeds to step ST206.

[0048] In step ST205, if the calculated lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold, it is determined that the following other vehicle 105, which is the virtual own vehicle, is being affected by the braking of the own vehicle 101, and the planned stopping position is changed to a position where the centrifugal force at the braking position of the other vehicle 105 is reduced. In other words, the braking operation of the own vehicle 101, etc. is corrected.

[0049] The operations of the host vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 105 in steps ST205 and ST206 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 is a diagram showing changes in lateral acceleration along the travel route of other vehicle 105 until it stops at planned stopping position 105S, assuming in step ST201 that there is a second obstacle at planned stopping position 101S of the host vehicle. Looking at the changes in lateral acceleration at points A, B, C, D, and E in FIG. 7, the lateral acceleration reaches a maximum at point D, and when braking is applied at point D, other vehicle 105 stops at planned stopping position 105S. Therefore, it is necessary to set the brake application position at a position (point C) where the lateral acceleration is smaller than a preset lateral acceleration threshold.

[0050] 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting the brake application position at point C in FIG. 7, where the lateral acceleration is smaller than a preset lateral acceleration threshold. To stop the other vehicle 105 at planned stopping position 105SR when the brake is applied at point C, the brake application position of the host vehicle 101 can be changed so that planned stopping position 101SR is a distance d back from planned stopping position 101S of the host vehicle, which is assumed to be the second obstacle. Since the distance difference d between the brake application positions is roughly the difference in stopping positions, as shown in FIG. 7, the stopping position of the host vehicle 101 can be moved back by distance d.

[0051] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the lateral acceleration and stopping position of another vehicle on a long curved road, i.e., a driving route with a long curve section. In FIG. 9, when the host vehicle 101 stops at the planned stopping position 101S to avoid a collision with the target object 302, the other vehicle 105 must apply the brakes at point K to stop at the planned stopping position 105S to avoid a collision with the host vehicle 101. At point K, the lateral acceleration of the other vehicle 105 is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold, so the host vehicle 101 must be reversed. However, on a driving route with a long curve section as shown in FIG. 9, the reverse distance of the host vehicle must be long. If the lateral acceleration of the other vehicle does not become smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold while the reverse distance d is within a predetermined correction distance threshold dth, the original planned stopping position 101S of the host vehicle 101 is not changed. That is, the point where the lateral acceleration of the other vehicle 105 becomes smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold is calculated, and if the distance exceeds the corrected distance threshold dth, the original planned stopping position 101S of the host vehicle 101 is not changed. This is because if the retreat distance of the host vehicle 101 becomes too long, the distance between the host vehicle 101 and the target 302 becomes long.

[0052] Fig. 10 shows the details of step ST206 in Fig. 6. If the lateral acceleration at the brake application position of the hypothetical host vehicle, which assumes that the other vehicle 105 is the host vehicle 101, is equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold in step ST205, the brake application position calculation unit 63 calculates, as a corrected position, a brake application position where the lateral acceleration becomes smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold in step ST2061. This means calculating point C in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0053] In step ST2062, if the braking position of the hypothetical host vehicle is corrected from the braking position calculated in step ST203 to a braking position where the lateral acceleration is smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold, it is determined whether the corrected distance d is equal to or smaller than a preset corrected distance threshold dth. If the corrected distance d is equal to or smaller than the preset corrected distance threshold dth (Yes in step ST2062), the process proceeds to step ST2063. In step ST2063, the planned stopping position 105S of the other vehicle 105 becomes the new planned stopping position 105SR, a new planned stopping position 101SR of the host vehicle 101 is set, and the brake operation is corrected so that the host vehicle 101 stops at the planned stopping position 101SR, as described in FIG.

[0054] In step ST2062, if the correction distance d exceeds a preset correction distance threshold dth (No in step ST2062), that is, if the road has a long curve section as shown in Fig. 9, the process proceeds to step ST108. That is, the vehicle control device initially decelerates and stops the host vehicle 101 so as to avoid the target 302 and stop the host vehicle 101 at the planned stopping position 101S without changing the planned stopping position.

[0055] As described above, the second embodiment achieves the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, when the host vehicle 101 performs a braking operation to avoid an obstacle ahead while traveling on a curved road, the effect on the other vehicle 105 can be predicted by calculating the effect on the other vehicle. That is, when the host vehicle 101 performs a sudden braking operation and there is another vehicle 105 behind the host vehicle, the system assumes that a virtual obstacle exists at the position 101S where the host vehicle 101 is scheduled to stop, and calculates the lateral acceleration at the position where the automatic brake will be applied to the virtual obstacle. By changing the planned stop position 101S of the host vehicle based on the calculated lateral acceleration, the other vehicle 105 behind the host vehicle is prevented from suddenly braking on a curved road, making it possible to prevent a collision on a curved road, wobbling due to centrifugal force, and the like. Operations that differ from normal automatic braking are limited, thereby reducing the sense of discomfort. Furthermore, by preventing the automatic brake operation from being suppressed, a rear-end collision with a vehicle behind can be prevented when the host vehicle is stopped by the automatic brake.

[0056] Embodiment 3 The vehicle driving assistance device and the vehicle driving assistance system according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which a road surrounding information acquisition device 201 and an information distribution device 202 are arranged in the second embodiment.

[0057] Fig. 11 corresponds to Fig. 9 of the second embodiment and is a diagram for explaining the lateral acceleration and stopping position of another vehicle on a long curved road, i.e., a driving route with a long curve section. In Fig. 11, a road surrounding information acquisition device 201 and an information distribution device 202 are arranged to acquire road surrounding information for at least a part of the curve section, and the hatched area S in the figure is the area from which road surrounding information can be acquired.

[0058] In the second embodiment, when the brake application position calculated for the other vehicle 105 is corrected to a brake application position where the lateral acceleration is less than the lateral acceleration threshold, if the correction distance d exceeds a preset correction distance threshold dth, the planned stop position 101S of the host vehicle 101 is not changed. In the third embodiment, the planned stop position 101SRa of the host vehicle 101 is changed. When the planned stop position 101SRa of the host vehicle 101 is changed, the brake application position for the other vehicle 105 to stop and avoid a collision is point M, which remains in an area equal to or greater than the lateral acceleration threshold even if the host vehicle 101 retreats from point N. However, since the planned stop position 101SRa of the host vehicle 101 is within area S where the road periphery information acquisition device 201 can acquire road periphery information, the following other vehicle 105 can acquire information that the host vehicle 101 has stopped via the road periphery information acquisition device 201 and the information distribution device 202. By stopping at planned stopping position 101Sa within area S rather than stopping at planned stopping position 101S outside area S, other vehicle 105 can obtain information about the vehicle ahead, making it possible to control collision avoidance, etc.

[0059] FIG. 12 shows the flowchart of FIG. 10 of the second embodiment, in which step ST2064 is added to determine whether the road surrounding information acquisition device can acquire information about the vehicle 101 when it is determined in step ST2062 that the corrected distance d exceeds the preset corrected distance threshold dth (NO in step ST2062).

[0060] That is, in this embodiment 3, even if it is determined that the corrected distance d exceeds a predetermined corrected distance threshold dth, if the position of the corrected distance that is less than the corrected distance threshold dth is within the area S where the road surrounding information acquisition device 201 can acquire road surrounding information, the braking operation of the vehicle 101 is corrected in step ST2063 so as to change the planned stopping position 101SRa of the vehicle 101.

[0061] If the road surrounding information acquisition device 201 and the information distribution device 202 are not installed, or if the position at the corrected distance equal to or less than the corrected distance threshold dth is not within the area S where the road surrounding information acquisition device 201 can acquire road surrounding information, the process proceeds to step ST108. That is, the host vehicle 101 is initially decelerated and stopped by the vehicle control device without changing the planned stopping position so that the host vehicle 101 avoids the target object 302 and stops at the planned stopping position 101S.

[0062] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the vehicle 101 is stopped within the area S where the road surroundings information can be acquired by the road surroundings information acquisition device 201. It is possible to acquire information about a vehicle ahead (the vehicle itself) via the road surroundings information acquisition device 201 and the information distribution device 202. As a result, even if the vehicle itself 101 is in a position where visibility from behind is poor or the vehicle is parked in a position that is in a blind spot for various sensors mounted on the other vehicle 105, the information distribution device 202 can increase the number of means by which the other vehicle 105 can acquire position information about the vehicle itself 101, thereby increasing the possibility that the vehicle behind will be able to recognize the vehicle itself from a sufficiently long distance, thereby preventing a rear-end collision from the vehicle behind.

[0063] In this embodiment, at least the control unit 15 is configured with a processor 1000 and a storage device 2000, as shown in FIG. 13, which is an example of hardware. Although the storage device is not shown, it includes a volatile storage device such as a random access memory and a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory. Alternatively, a hard disk auxiliary storage device may be used instead of the flash memory. The processor 1000 executes a program input from the storage device 2000. In this case, the program is input to the processor 1000 from the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device. The processor 1000 may output data such as calculation results to the volatile storage device of the storage device 2000, or may store the data in the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device. Furthermore, the vehicle control device 16 and the road surrounding information acquisition device 201 may have the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0064] Although the present application describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to application to a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are conceivable within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification, including, for example, cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, and cases where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1: Vehicle driving assistance system, 10: Vehicle driving assistance device, 11: Map information acquisition device, 12: Vehicle information acquisition device, 13: Vehicle surroundings information acquisition device, 14: Wireless communication device, 15: Control unit, 16: Vehicle control device, 50: Information acquisition unit, 51: Map information acquisition unit, 52: Vehicle information acquisition unit, 53: Vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit, 54: Road surroundings information acquisition unit, 55: Obstacle information acquisition unit, 60: Brake application position determination unit, 61: Route generation unit, 62: Vehicle behavior calculation unit, 63: Brake application position calculation unit, 70: Vehicle control unit, 101: Host vehicle, 101S, 101SR, 101SRa: Planned stopping position of host vehicle, 105: Other vehicles, 105S, 105SR: Planned stopping positions of other vehicles, 201: Road surroundings information acquisition device, 202: Information distribution device, 301, 302: target, 1000: processor, 2000: storage device.

Claims

1. an information acquisition unit including a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including roads on which a vehicle is traveling, a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including a speed of the vehicle, and an obstacle information acquisition unit that acquires information about obstacles around the vehicle; a brake application position determination unit including: a route generation unit that generates a travel route for the vehicle based on the map information and the vehicle information; a vehicle behavior calculation unit that calculates a transition in the behavior of the vehicle, including the speed of the vehicle traveling along the travel route, based on the travel route of the vehicle, the obstacle information, and the vehicle information; and a brake application position calculation unit that calculates a brake application position for an automatic brake to avoid a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle; A vehicle driving assistance device including a vehicle control device that controls a speed and a braking amount of the vehicle based on the brake application position determined by the brake application position determination unit, The vehicle behavior calculation unit determining whether the vehicle will collide with the obstacle and calculating an estimated collision position, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, calculating the braking amount to avoid the collision, and determining that sudden braking is necessary if the braking amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; The brake application position calculation unit When the vehicle behavior calculation unit determines that there is a possibility of a collision, the vehicle behavior calculation unit calculates the brake application position based on the braking amount, a vehicle behavior calculation unit that, when it is determined that sudden braking is necessary, corrects the brake application position to a position that alleviates the sudden braking based on the map information, the estimated collision position, and the vehicle information;

2. The vehicle behavior calculation unit When it is determined that sudden braking is necessary, a lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit is calculated, The brake application position calculation unit 2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, when the lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than a preset lateral acceleration threshold, the brake application position is corrected to a position where the lateral acceleration is smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold.

3. The information acquisition unit has a vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit that acquires obstacle information around the vehicle and the presence of other vehicles in the vicinity, and when the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit acquires the presence of the other vehicle following the vehicle, the vehicle behavior calculation unit calculates a planned stopping position of the vehicle based on the brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit, assumes that a second obstacle is present at the planned stopping position, assumes that the other vehicle is a virtual vehicle, calculates the behavior of the other vehicle as the behavior of the vehicle, calculates a second braking amount to avoid a collision between the second obstacle and the other vehicle, and determines that sudden braking is necessary when the second braking amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; The brake application position calculation unit when it is determined in the vehicle behavior calculation unit that there is a possibility of collision with the second obstacle, calculating a second brake application position of the other vehicle based on the second braking amount calculated to avoid the collision; when it is determined in the vehicle behavior calculation unit that sudden braking is necessary, calculating a second lateral acceleration of the other vehicle at the second brake application position calculated by the brake application position calculation unit; The brake application position calculation unit 3. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein, when the second lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined lateral acceleration threshold, the brake application position of the other vehicle is corrected so that the brake application position of the other vehicle is set to a position where the second lateral acceleration is smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold.

4. The brake application position calculation unit 4. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 3, wherein, when the second lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than the predetermined lateral acceleration threshold, the brake application position of the other vehicle where the second lateral acceleration is less than the lateral acceleration threshold is calculated as a corrected position, and when a correction distance of the brake application position due to the correction is equal to or less than the predetermined correction distance threshold, the brake application position of the vehicle is corrected, but when the correction distance exceeds the correction distance threshold, the correction is not performed.

5. The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a road surroundings information acquisition device disposed on the side of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the road surroundings information acquisition device acquires information about the shape of the road and information about obstacles on the road and around the road; The obstacle information acquisition unit acquires obstacle information based on obstacle information acquired by the road surroundings information acquisition device or obstacle information acquired by a vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit that is mounted on the vehicle and acquires obstacle information around the vehicle.

6. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4; a road surroundings information acquisition device disposed on the side of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the road surroundings information acquisition device acquires information about the shape of the road, information about the road and obstacles around the road, and information about vehicles traveling on the road; the obstacle information acquisition unit acquires obstacle information using the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit or the road surroundings information acquisition device, the information acquisition unit acquires the presence of another vehicle following the vehicle using the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit or the road surroundings information acquisition device, The brake application position calculation unit When the second lateral acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined lateral acceleration threshold, the brake application position of the other vehicle at which the second lateral acceleration becomes smaller than the lateral acceleration threshold is calculated as a corrected position, and when a correction distance of the brake application position due to the correction is equal to or less than a predetermined correction distance threshold, the brake application position of the other vehicle is corrected; If the modified distance threshold is exceeded, If the position where the vehicle is to stop is moved back by a distance equal to or less than the correction distance threshold value and is within an information acquisition area of ​​the road surroundings information acquisition device, a correction is made to the brake application position of the vehicle; A vehicle driving assistance system that does not perform correction if the position where the vehicle is scheduled to stop is moved back by a distance equal to or less than the correction distance threshold value and is not within the information acquisition area of ​​the road surrounding information acquisition device.

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