Vehicle driving assistance device

Abstract

To provide an operation support device of a vehicle which can clearly determine, when cross wind received by an own vehicle is estimated based on behavior change of a preceding vehicle, whether behavior change is caused by cross wind or by handle operation of an operator.SOLUTION: An operation support control unit 11 comprises: a cross wind estimation control calculation unit 11a; an ALKB control calculation unit 11b; and a cooperative control unit 11c. The cross wind estimation control calculation unit 11a detects an automobile rank (height, width) and behavior change (roll angle, lateral movement amount) based on information of a preceding vehicle P recognized by a forward recognition device 21, determines, when a roll direction is the same as a lateral movement direction, the behavior change caused by cross wind and obtains steering amount thereto based on the estimated wind speed of the cross wind received by the preceding vehicle P. The ALKB control calculation unit 11b obtains steering control amount to drive an own vehicle M along a target travel route. The cooperative control unit 11c corrects the steering control amount with the steering amount to set a new steering control amount including the cross wind.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving assistance device that examines the roll direction and lateral movement direction of a preceding vehicle from changes in the vehicle's behavior, and if the two directions are the same, estimates that the preceding vehicle is experiencing a lateral disturbance. [Background technology]

[0002] Various driving assistance systems have been proposed to reduce the burden on the driver and enable comfortable and safe driving. These types of driving assistance systems are equipped with an adaptive cruise control (ACC) function and an active lane keep bouncing (ALKB) control function, allowing the vehicle to automatically travel in its lane while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

[0003] When a vehicle is traveling autonomously, if it encounters a crosswind, it will sway and tend to move laterally downwind. ALKB control detects a lateral deviation in the vehicle's lane and corrects the amount of lateral deviation, or detects changes in the vehicle's behavior based on the yaw rate and yaw angle, and applies corrections through feedback control.

[0004] In this case, because control to correct a change in behavior of the host vehicle due to crosswind is only executed after the change is detected, there is a problem that a delay in control occurs, resulting in lateral deviation. As a countermeasure to this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2018-154304 A) discloses a technology that estimates the strength of a crosswind occurring ahead of the host vehicle from changes in behavior of other vehicles, such as a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle or an oncoming vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane, and predicts external disturbances that will be applied to the host vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-154304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 estimates the degree of crosswind from the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle, making it difficult to determine whether this lateral movement is due to an external disturbance such as a crosswind or a voluntary operation by the driver.

[0007] As a result, if a disturbance acting on the vehicle is predicted based on the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle caused by the driver's voluntary steering operation, the vehicle may end up swaying instead.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a vehicle driving assistance device that can, when estimating lateral disturbances received by a vehicle from changes in the behavior of a preceding vehicle, clearly determine whether the changes in the behavior of the preceding vehicle are due to external disturbances or voluntary steering by the driver, and can effectively suppress swaying that occurs in the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention includes a driving environment recognition unit that recognizes the driving environment ahead of the host vehicle, a preceding vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires preceding vehicle information based on the driving environment recognized by the driving environment recognition unit and detects the class and behavior change of the preceding vehicle from the acquired preceding vehicle information, a steering control amount calculation unit that determines a steering control amount for causing the host vehicle to travel along a target traveling path set for a lane, a disturbance estimation control calculation unit that estimates a lateral disturbance received by the preceding vehicle based on the class and behavior change of the preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit and determines a steering amount to counter the disturbance based on the estimated disturbance, and a new steering control amount is set by correcting the steering control amount set by the steering control amount calculation unit with the steering amount determined by the disturbance estimation control calculation unit. systemIn a driving assistance device for a vehicle equipped with a disturbance estimation control calculation unit, the disturbance estimation control calculation unit checks the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle from the behavior change of the preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit, and if the roll direction and the lateral movement direction are the same, determines that the behavior change is due to a disturbance and calculates the steering amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle are examined from the behavior change of the preceding vehicle, and if the roll direction and lateral movement direction are the same, it is determined that the behavior change is due to an external disturbance.Therefore, it is possible to set the steering amount of the host vehicle to counteract only the behavior change caused by the disturbance received by the preceding vehicle, and to effectively suppress swaying of the host vehicle when subjected to an external disturbance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Overall schematic diagram of the driving assistance device [Figure 2] Functional block diagram of the driving assistance control unit [Figure 3] Flowchart showing a crosswind steering assist control routine [Figure 4] Flowchart showing forward information gathering processing subroutine [Figure 5] Flowchart showing a preceding vehicle information collection processing subroutine [Figure 6] Flowchart showing a crosswind effect estimation processing subroutine [Figure 7] Flowchart showing crosswind response control processing subroutine [Figure 8] Flowchart showing ALKB cooperative control processing subroutine [Figure 9A] An explanatory diagram showing the change in rolling behavior during turning [Figure 9B] An explanatory diagram showing how the vehicle's rolling behavior changes when it is affected by crosswinds while driving. [Figure 10] A time chart showing how an estimated crosswind speed value is calculated from the roll angle and lateral movement amount of a preceding vehicle. [Figure 11]Time chart showing changes in feedforward steering amount set based on estimated wind speed value [Figure 12A] An explanatory diagram showing the state in which the ALKB control amount is corrected by the feedforward steering amount set based on the estimated wind speed value. [Figure 12B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the target course in a crosswind section is offset to the upwind direction. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram showing the lateral sway of a preceding vehicle captured by a camera unit. [Figure 14] A bird's-eye view showing the vehicle ahead passing through a crosswind section [Figure 15] A bird's-eye view showing a leading vehicle and an oncoming vehicle passing each other in a crosswind section DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1, the left and right front wheels FL, FR of a vehicle (host vehicle) M are steered wheels, and the drive wheels may be either the front wheels or all four wheels. Note that the steering direction and yaw rate of the front wheels FL, FR have different signs depending on whether they are steered left or right, but for convenience, they will be expressed as absolute values ​​below.

[0013] Also, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering system, in which a pinion shaft (not shown) is provided at the tip of a steering shaft 3 to which a steering wheel 2 is fixed at the base end, and this pinion shaft is connected to a steering mechanism 4, such as a rack-and-pinion mechanism. Furthermore, this steering mechanism 4 is connected to the left and right front wheels FL, FR via tie rods 5 and front knuckles 6. When the driver operates the steering wheel 2, the front wheels FL, FR are steered via the steering mechanism 4. Also, an electric power steering (EPS) motor 7 is connected to the steering shaft 3 as a steering drive unit.

[0014] The EPS motor 7 is subjected to steering control by a drive signal from a driving support control unit (DSS (Driving Support System)_ECU) 11, which serves as a steering support control section. Connected to the input side of this DSS_ECU 11 are various parameters required for behavior control by automatic steering, such as a vehicle speed sensor 16 that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M (host vehicle speed), an acceleration sensor 17 that detects the longitudinal acceleration acting on the host vehicle M, a yaw rate sensor 18 that detects the yaw angular velocity (yaw rate) acting on the host vehicle M, and a roll angle sensor 19 that detects the roll angle of the host vehicle M.

[0015] In addition, a forward recognition device 21 is provided as a driving environment recognition unit in the front of the vehicle interior of the vehicle M. This forward recognition device 21 has a stereo camera 22 consisting of a main camera 22a and a sub-camera 22b, and analog images of the surrounding environment in front of the vehicle M captured and acquired by each of these cameras 22a, 22b are subjected to predetermined image processing and transmitted as forward driving environment information.

[0016] The forward recognition device 21 and the DSS_ECU 11 are connected to each other for bidirectional communication via an in-vehicle communication line 23 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). The forward recognition device 21 and the DSS_ECU 11 are each configured with a microcontroller including a CPU, RAM, ROM, a rewritable non-volatile memory (flash memory or EEPROM), and peripheral devices. The ROM stores programs and fixed data required for the CPU to execute various processes. The RAM serves as a work area for the CPU, and temporarily stores various data for the CPU. The CPU is also called an MPU (Microprocessor) or a processor. A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a GSP (Graph Streaming Processor) may be used instead of the CPU. Alternatively, a CPU, a GPU, and a GSP may be selectively combined.

[0017] The DSS_ECU 11 executes, for example, lane keeping control with lane departure suppression function (ALKB) by steering assistance. The ALKB control first recognizes the dividing lines that divide the left and right of the driving lane based on forward traveling environment information from the forward recognition device 21, and determines the center between the dividing lines (lane center). Then, this lane center is set as a target traveling path, and center keeping dead zones are set on the left and right of this target traveling path (see FIG. 12A). Then, steering control is executed so that the host vehicle M travels along the target traveling path.

[0018] In addition, the DSS_ECU 11 monitors changes in lateral sway behavior due to crosswinds from changes in the behavior of vehicles traveling in front of the vehicle M, such as preceding vehicles, based on forward driving environment information from the forward recognition device 21, and estimates the crosswind speed and crosswind section as a disturbance section from these changes in lateral sway behavior, and performs steering assistance when the vehicle M enters a crosswind section.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the DSS_ECU 11 has a crosswind estimation control calculation unit 11a as a disturbance estimation control calculation unit, an ALKB control calculation unit 11b as a steering control amount calculation unit, and an ALKB cooperative control unit 11c as a steering assist control function against crosswinds.

[0020] When the crosswind estimation control calculation unit 11a recognizes a preceding vehicle P based on forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21, it checks whether the preceding vehicle P is being affected by a crosswind based on changes in the behavior of the preceding vehicle P, and if it determines that the preceding vehicle P is being affected by a crosswind, it estimates the crosswind speed and crosswind section from changes in the lateral sway behavior of the preceding vehicle P. Then, it calculates a feedforward correction value, which is a crosswind response steering amount that corrects the amount of lateral deviation due to the crosswind.

[0021] The ALKB control calculation unit 11b sets a target course at the center of the left and right lane markings based on the forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21, and sets an ALKB control amount as a steering control amount for traveling along the target course. Furthermore, this ALKB control calculation unit 11b calculates a steering amount (feedback steering amount) for correcting the lateral position deviation, which is the difference between the target course and the ALKB control amount, that occurs while the host vehicle M is traveling, and corrects the ALKB control amount (feedback control).

[0022] The ALKB cooperative control unit 11c corrects the ALKB control amount based on the feedforward steering amount set by the crosswind estimation control calculation unit 11a and the feedback steering amount set by the ALKB control calculation unit 11b, and sets a new ALKB control amount. As a result, the ALKB control amount takes into account a correction for the amount of lateral deviation that the vehicle M experiences when passing through a crosswind section, the feedback steering amount is relatively reduced, and wobbling when the vehicle M travels along the target traveling path is suppressed.

[0023] Specifically, the crosswind steering control in the crosswind estimation control calculation unit 11a is executed in accordance with a crosswind steering assist control routine shown in Fig. 3. In this routine, a forward information collection process is executed in step S1. This forward information collection process is executed in accordance with a forward information collection process subroutine shown in Fig. 4.

[0024] <Forward information gathering process> In this subroutine, first, in step S11, the forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21 is read. Then, the process proceeds to step S12, where it is determined based on the forward environment information whether a preceding vehicle P (see FIG. 14) has been captured within a predetermined area ahead, and if so, the process proceeds to step S13. If the preceding vehicle P has not been captured, the routine is exited.

[0025] If it is determined that the preceding vehicle P has been captured and the process proceeds to step S13, it is checked based on the forward driving environment information whether an oncoming vehicle F that will pass the preceding vehicle P has been captured in the adjacent oncoming lane. If the oncoming vehicle F (see FIG. 15) has not been captured, the process proceeds to step S14. If the oncoming vehicle F has been captured, the process branches to step S15. The processes in steps S11 and S13 correspond to the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit of the present invention.

[0026] Then, when the process proceeds to step S14, the oncoming vehicle flag Fo is cleared (Fo←0), and the process proceeds to step S2 in Fig. 3. When the process branches to step S15, the oncoming vehicle flag Fo is set (Fo←1), and the process proceeds to step S2 in Fig. 3.

[0027] <Preceding vehicle information collection process> 3, a preceding vehicle information collection process is executed, and the process proceeds to step S3. The process in step S2 corresponds to the forward information acquisition unit of the present invention.

[0028] This preceding vehicle information collection process is executed according to a preceding vehicle information collection process subroutine shown in Fig. 5. In this subroutine, first, in step S21, information on the preceding vehicle P is acquired from the forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21. The information on this preceding vehicle P includes the vehicle class, the inter-vehicle distance from the host vehicle M, and the vehicle speed calculated from the relative vehicle speed with respect to the host vehicle. Here, the vehicle class is the height H and width W of the vehicle body from the ground level calculated by enclosing the rear edge of the preceding vehicle in a rectangular frame (see Figs. 9A, 9B, and 13).

[0029] Next, the process proceeds to step S22, where changes in the behavior of the preceding vehicle P are monitored, and the roll angle φ of the preceding vehicle P and the direction of movement of the vehicle body due to the roll are examined. Then, the process proceeds to step S23, where it is examined whether the roll angle φ equal to or greater than a preset threshold value φo continues for a set threshold time τo or more (see FIG. 10). The processes in steps S21 and S22 correspond to the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit of the present invention.

[0030] If the roll angle φ equal to or greater than the threshold value φo continues for the set threshold time τo or longer, the routine proceeds to step S24. If the roll angle φ is equal to or less than the threshold value φo, or if the roll angle φ is equal to or greater than the threshold value φo but the duration is shorter than the set threshold time τo, the routine is exited.

[0031] In step S24, the direction of lateral movement is examined based on changes in the behavior of the preceding vehicle P. That is, the direction of lateral movement relative to the roll direction acting on the vehicle body differs when the preceding vehicle P is traveling on a curved road and when it is traveling on a straight road and is subjected to a disturbance such as a crosswind. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the preceding vehicle P is traveling on a left curve, it rolls in the clockwise direction indicated by the outline arrow, but the lateral movement acts in the opposite direction as indicated by the hatched arrow. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the preceding vehicle P is traveling on a straight road and an external disturbance such as a crosswind is applied to its side (left side), the roll indicated by the outline arrow and the lateral movement indicated by the hatched arrow both act in the same direction. Note that symbol O indicates the center of a frame surrounding the back of the preceding vehicle P, and Δy indicates the amount of lateral movement.

[0032] If the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle P are the same, it is determined that the preceding vehicle P is being affected by a crosswind, and the process proceeds to step S25. If the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle P are different, it is determined that the preceding vehicle P is moving laterally due to steering operation, such as when traveling on a curved road, and the routine ends.

[0033] In step S25, the value of the oncoming vehicle flag Fo is referenced. This oncoming vehicle flag Fo is set when an oncoming vehicle F passing the preceding vehicle P is detected, and is cleared when an oncoming vehicle F passing the preceding vehicle P is not detected. If Fo=1, the process proceeds to step S26. If Fo=0, the process jumps to step S29.

[0034] When the process proceeds to step S26, it is checked whether the preceding vehicle P has passed the oncoming vehicle F. Whether the preceding vehicle P has passed the oncoming vehicle F is determined based on the relative distances between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle F, which is based on the forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21. If the preceding vehicle P has passed the oncoming vehicle F, the process proceeds to step S27, where the passing flag Fp is set (Fp←1), and the process proceeds to step S29. On the other hand, if the oncoming vehicle F has not yet passed the preceding vehicle P, the process branches to step S28, where the passing flag Fp is cleared (Fp←0), and the process proceeds to step S29.

[0035] When the process proceeds from step S25, S27, or S28 to step S29, a crosswind section estimation process is executed, and the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG.

[0036] The crosswind section is estimated by measuring the time during which the roll angle φ of the preceding vehicle P remains above a predetermined threshold (crosswind section passage time: see Figure 10), and estimating the crosswind section (see Figures 14 and 15) based on the crosswind passage time and the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle P.

[0037] 3, the process proceeds to step S3, where a process is executed to estimate the influence of a crosswind on the host vehicle M. The influence of the crosswind on the host vehicle M is estimated according to a crosswind influence estimation process subroutine shown in FIG.

[0038] In this subroutine, first, in step S31, an estimated wind speed value Sw of the crosswind received as an external disturbance in the crosswind section is set. This estimated wind speed value Sw of the crosswind is calculated from the vehicle class (height H, width W) and behavior change (roll angle φ, lateral movement amount Δy) of the preceding vehicle P obtained based on forward traveling environment information recognized by the forward recognition device 21. The crosswind received by the preceding vehicle P is greatly affected by the height H. That is, when the height H of the preceding vehicle P is high, behavior changes in the roll angle and lateral movement amount due to the crosswind are greater compared to vehicles with low vehicle heights such as passenger cars. Therefore, a pre-stored map is searched based on the vehicle class and behavior change to set the estimated wind speed value Sw.

[0039] Next, the process proceeds to step S32, where the influence X of the estimated wind speed value Sw on the vehicle class of the host vehicle M is estimated. This influence X is the amount of movement taking into account the roll angle of the host vehicle M, and is set based on the estimated wind speed value Sw and the vehicle class of the host vehicle M by referring to a pre-set map.

[0040] Next, the process proceeds to step S33, where the value of the oncoming vehicle flag Fp is checked. If Fp=0, i.e., an oncoming vehicle F to be passed has not been recognized, the process proceeds to step S34, where the control execution threshold value Xt is set to the preceding vehicle-reference threshold value D (Xt←D), and the process proceeds to step S36. If Fp=1, i.e., an oncoming vehicle F to be passed has been recognized, the process branches to step S35, where the control execution threshold value Xt is set to the passing-reference threshold value E (Xt←E), and the process proceeds to step S36. Note that the preceding vehicle-reference threshold value D and the passing-reference threshold value E are set so that D>E. As a result, if an oncoming vehicle F to be passed has been recognized, the threshold value is lowered, and the timing to start the control execution is advanced.

[0041] That is, when a preceding vehicle P passes an oncoming vehicle F, if the preceding vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle F are close to each other laterally, a vortex will be generated between them. As a result, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 15, wind pressure such as suction or push is generated between the preceding vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle F, which makes the preceding vehicle P more likely to sway. For this reason, some drivers of the preceding vehicle P may voluntarily steer the steering wheel in a direction away from the oncoming vehicle F when passing the oncoming vehicle F to avoid this wind pressure.

[0042] If the driver operates the steering wheel voluntarily, the roll direction and the lateral movement direction will be opposite to each other, resulting in an erroneous determination, as shown in Fig. 9A. In addition, because the time it takes for the preceding vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle F to pass each other is short, lowering the control execution threshold Xt advances the timing at which control using the feedforward steering amount is started, thereby suppressing the wobble that occurs when the host vehicle M passes the oncoming vehicle F.

[0043] Next, when proceeding from step S34 or from step S35 to step S36, the influence degree X is compared with the control execution threshold value Xt. If X ≥ Xt, the process proceeds to step S4 in FIG. 3. Also, if X < Xt, it is determined that steering control is not necessary and the routine is exited. At that time, if an oncoming vehicle F passing by the preceding vehicle P is recognized, since the control execution threshold value Xt is set to a passing reference threshold value E lower than the preceding vehicle reference threshold value D, the steering control is carried out earlier.

[0044] When proceeding to step S4 in FIG. 3, it is checked whether the roll angle φ of the preceding vehicle P and the crosswind duration exceed the threshold values φo, τo. And when the roll angle φ and the crosswind duration exceed the threshold values φo, τo, the process proceeds to step S5, and the crosswind response control process of the host vehicle M is executed, and the routine is exited. Also, if at least one of the roll angle φ and the crosswind duration does not exceed the threshold values φo, τo, the routine is exited.

[0045] The crosswind response control process in step S5 is executed according to the crosswind response control process subroutine shown in FIG. 7. In this subroutine, first, the slope α is calculated based on the elapsed time from the rise of the estimated wind speed value Sw set based on the vehicle type and behavior change of the preceding vehicle P in step S41 until reaching the initial peak value P1 (FIG. 11).

[0046] Next, the process proceeds to step S42, and from the initial peak value P1 and the slope α, the slope of the initial steering control amount and the arrival point corresponding to the initial peak value P1 are predicted. Then, the process proceeds to step S43, and the change in the estimated wind speed value Sw of the crosswind set for each calculation cycle based on the behavior change of the preceding vehicle P passing through the crosswind section is estimated. Next, in step S44, based on the change in the estimated wind speed value Sw, a feedforward steering amount that counteracts the estimated wind speed value Sw is obtained (see FIG. 11).

[0047] Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S45, where it is determined whether the host vehicle M has reached a crosswind section, and if not, the process waits until the host vehicle M has reached the crosswind section. If the host vehicle M has reached the crosswind section, the process proceeds to step S46, where the crosswind section arrival flag Fs1 is set (Fs1←1), and the process exits the routine.

[0048] This crosswind section arrival flag Fs1 is read by the ALKB coordination control unit 11c of the DSS_ECU 11. The ALKB coordination control processing in this ALKB coordination control unit 11c is specifically executed according to an ALKB coordination control processing subroutine shown in FIG.

[0049] In this subroutine, first, the value of the crosswind section arrival flag Fs1 is referenced in step S51. to If it has reached the target point, the process proceeds to step S52, where control is started. First, counter steering control is executed (see FIG. 12A), and the process proceeds to step S53. This counter steering control is performed by steering the vehicle M into the upwind direction of the crosswind, thereby suppressing the turning of the vehicle M due to the crosswind when the vehicle M enters a crosswind section. The feedforward steering amount at this time is set based on the initial peak value P1 and the gradient α set in step S42 of the subroutine shown in FIG. 7. This suppresses wobbling when the vehicle M enters a crosswind section, and ensures driving stability.

[0050] Next, the process proceeds to step S53, where the crosswind section passage flag Fs2 is set (Fs2←1), and the process proceeds to step S54, where the crosswind section arrival flag Fs1 is cleared (Fs1←0), and the routine is exited.

[0051] If it is determined in step S51 that the crosswind section has been reached (Fs1=0) and the process proceeds to step S55, the value of the crosswind section passage flag Fs2 is referenced, and if it is determined that the crosswind section is being passed (Fs2=1), the process proceeds to step S56. If it is determined that the crosswind has been passed (F2=0), the process jumps to step S61.

[0052] In step S56, the ALKB control amount set in the ALKB control calculation unit 11b is read in. Next, in step S57, this ALKB control amount is corrected by the feedforward steering amount set in the crosswind estimation control calculation unit 11a, and then in step S58, ALKB cooperative control is executed, and then in step S59.

[0053] As a result, the ALKB cooperative control unit 11c outputs a steering signal to the EPS motor 7 to suppress in advance the roll and lateral movement of the host vehicle M caused by the influence of a crosswind. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12A, the conventional ALKB control amount compensates for the influence of the crosswind by feedback control of the difference between the lateral position of the host vehicle M and the target traveling path, resulting in a control delay. In contrast, in this embodiment, the influence of the crosswind on the host vehicle M is predicted based on the size and behavioral changes of the preceding vehicle P, and the ALKB control amount is compensated for by a feedforward steering amount. As shown by the solid line in the figure, this reduces the control delay when the host vehicle M is subjected to a crosswind. As a result, wobbling is suppressed, and good driving stability can be achieved.

[0054] In this case, the ALKB cooperative control unit 11c may be configured to offset the target traveling path in the crosswind section toward the upwind direction, as shown in Fig. 12B. This prevents the host vehicle M from deviating toward the downwind direction when entering the crosswind section, and more effectively suppresses swaying of the vehicle body.

[0055] Furthermore, when the process proceeds from step S58 to step S59, it is checked whether or not the host vehicle M is passing through a crosswind section. Whether or not the host vehicle M has passed through a crosswind section is determined based on the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle P, the distance from the control start position to the crosswind section estimated from the inter-vehicle distance to the host vehicle M, and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M. If the host vehicle M is currently in a crosswind section, the routine is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle M has passed through a crosswind section, the process branches to step S60, the crosswind section passage flag Fs2 is cleared (Fs2←0), and the process proceeds to step S61. When the process proceeds from step S55 or step S60 to step S61, the process transitions to normal ALKB control and the routine is terminated.

[0056] In this way, in this embodiment, whether the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle P is due to a crosswind or a voluntary operation by the driver is determined based on the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle P, and an estimated wind speed value of the crosswind is set only if the preceding vehicle P is moving laterally due to the influence of the crosswind, and the feedforward steering amount is set based on this.Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the wobbling caused by the crosswind in the host vehicle M, and high reliability can be achieved.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the forward recognition device 21 may be an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or the like, instead of a stereo camera, as long as it can recognize at least a preceding vehicle P and an oncoming vehicle F, or may be configured as a combination of these with a monocular camera. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...Steering system, 2...Handle, 3...Steering shaft, 4...Steering mechanism, 5...tie rod, 6...Front knuckle, 7... Electric power steering motor (EPS motor), 11...Driver assistance control unit, 11a...crosswind estimation control calculation unit, 11b...ALKB control calculation unit, 11c...ALKB cooperative control unit, 16... Vehicle speed sensor, 17...acceleration sensor, 18...Yaw rate sensor, 19...Roll angle sensor, 21...Forward recognition device, 22...Stereo camera, 22a...Main camera, 22b...Sub camera, 23...In-vehicle communication line, D... Leading vehicle reference threshold, E: Passing threshold, F...oncoming vehicles, FL, FR…Left and right front wheels, Fo...Oncoming vehicle flag, Fp...Passing flag, Fs1...crosswind section arrival flag, Fs2...crosswind section passing flag, M...own vehicle, P... Leading vehicle, P1: Initial peak value, O...center (of vehicle class), Sw: Estimated wind speed value, W...width, X...Influence, Xt: control implementation threshold, Δy…lateral movement amount, α...tilt, τo...threshold time, φ...roll angle, φo...threshold

Claims

1. a driving environment recognition unit that recognizes the driving environment ahead of the vehicle; a preceding vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires preceding vehicle information based on the traveling environment recognized by the traveling environment recognition unit and detects a vehicle class and behavior change of the preceding vehicle from the acquired preceding vehicle information; a steering control amount calculation unit that calculates a steering control amount for driving the host vehicle along a target travel path set on a lane; a disturbance estimation control calculation unit that estimates a lateral disturbance that the preceding vehicle has received based on the vehicle class and the behavior change of the preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit, and determines a steering amount to counter the disturbance based on the estimated disturbance; a control unit that corrects the steering control amount set by the steering control amount calculation unit with the steering amount calculated by the disturbance estimation control calculation unit to set a new steering control amount; A driving assistance device for a vehicle comprising: The disturbance estimation control calculation unit checks the roll direction and lateral movement direction of the preceding vehicle from the behavior change of the preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit, and if the roll direction and the lateral movement direction are the same, determines that the behavior change is due to a disturbance and calculates the steering amount. A vehicle driving assistance device characterized by:

2. The disturbance estimation control calculation unit estimates a disturbance section where the disturbance occurs based on the vehicle class and the behavior change of the preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit, and calculates the steering amount in the estimated disturbance section.

2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1.

3. The disturbance estimation control calculation unit detects a roll angle and a lateral movement amount of the preceding vehicle based on the behavior change acquired by the preceding vehicle information acquisition unit, and calculates the steering amount when the roll angle exceeds a predetermined threshold value and the lateral movement amount continues for a predetermined threshold time.

3. A vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The disturbance estimation control calculation unit calculates the degree of influence on the host vehicle based on the estimated disturbance, and calculates the steering amount when the degree of influence exceeds a predetermined control execution threshold value.

4. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the driving assistance device is a vehicle driving assistance device.

5. When an oncoming vehicle passing the preceding vehicle is recognized based on the traveling environment acquired by the traveling environment recognition unit, the disturbance estimation control calculation unit sets the control execution threshold to a lower value compared to when the oncoming vehicle is not recognized.

5. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4.

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