Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of appropriately issuing a notification that an obstacle exists in the periphery of a vehicle including a manual transmission which can be at a neutral position as a shift position.SOLUTION: A control device 30 comprises a control section 32 to perform: determining whether existence of an obstacle is to be notified based on a detection result of the object by a front sonar group 14 and rear sonar group 15 included in a vehicle 1, a travel speed V of the vehicle 1, and a shift position of a manual transmission; and issuing a notification via a notification device 20 based on the determination to issue the notification. The control section 32 determines that the notification is not to be issued when the travel speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value and also the shift position is the neutral position in a case where the obstacle is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] One driving assistance technology is to use an ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles around the vehicle, and if such an obstacle is detected, to issue a warning to the occupants (for example, the driver).

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology in which when the shift position of the transmission is in the parking position, no ultrasonic sensor selection process is performed, when the shift position is in the reverse position, all ultrasonic sensors are selected as ultrasonic sensors to be controlled (in other words, ultrasonic sensors used to detect obstacles around the vehicle), and when the vehicle is moving forward, the ultrasonic sensors to be controlled do not include ultrasonic sensors at the rear of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-230366 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, the shift position may be set to a neutral position. In the prior art, there is room for improvement in terms of appropriately notifying the driver of the presence of an obstacle around the vehicle in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission that can assume such a neutral position.

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can appropriately warn a driver of a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission that can take a neutral position as a shift position, thereby further improving traffic safety and contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle and is configured to be able to notify the driver of the presence of an obstacle by a notification device provided in the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle by an external sensor provided in the vehicle, The vehicle is a manual transmission that can take a neutral position as a shift position. a power transmission device capable of transmitting power obtained by a drive source of the vehicle to wheels; Furthermore, the power transmission device is configured to be switchable between a transmission state in which the power is transmitted and a non-transmission state in which the power is not transmitted in response to an operation by a driver who drives the vehicle, The vehicle control device includes: the obstacle detection result, the vehicle traveling speed, and the shift position of the manual transmission; , the state of the power transmission device; and the state of the parking brake of the vehicle. and determining whether to issue the notification based on the and issuing the notification via the notification device based on the determination that the notification should be issued. A control unit for executing processing, The control unit When the obstacle is detected , the traveling speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state. In case, The aforementioned If the parking brake is in an applied state, it is determined that the notification is not to be made, and if the parking brake is in an inactivated state, the notification is made. and judge that A vehicle control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a vehicle control device can be provided that can appropriately notify the driver of the presence of an obstacle around the vehicle in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission that can take a neutral position as a shift position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of a vehicle 1 controlled by a control device 30 of this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification control executed by the control device 30. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

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

[0013] The vehicle 1 also has a manual transmission TM (see Figure 2) whose shift position can be switched, a power transmission device CL (see Figure 2) that can transmit power obtained from the drive source to wheels (more specifically, drive wheels), and a parking brake PB (see Figure 2).

[0014] The manual transmission TM can have shift positions such as a neutral position (hereinafter also referred to as "N"), a reverse position (hereinafter also referred to as "R"), and forward positions such as "1st gear" to "6th gear" (hereinafter also referred to as "D"), and is configured so that the shift positions can be switched in response to the operation of a shift lever by a driver (hereinafter also simply referred to as "driver") who drives the vehicle 1. The manual transmission TM is realized, for example, by a multi-speed transmission.

[0015] The power transmission device CL can be in a transmission state in which power is transmitted and a non-transmission state in which power is not transmitted, and is configured to be switchable between the transmission state and the non-transmission state in response to the driver's operation of the clutch pedal. For example, when the driver does not depress the clutch pedal, the power transmission device CL is in the transmission state, and power obtained by the drive source can be transmitted to the drive wheels. On the other hand, when the driver depresses the clutch pedal, the power transmission device CL is in the non-transmission state, and power obtained by the drive source is not transmitted to the drive wheels. The power transmission device CL is realized, for example, by a friction clutch disposed between the drive source and the manual transmission TM.

[0016] The parking brake PB can be in an activated state where the wheels are locked to prevent rotation, and in an inactivated state where the wheels are not locked, and is configured to be switchable between the activated state and the inactivated state in response to the driver's operation of a parking brake lever (or a parking brake switch). When the parking brake PB is activated, the wheels of the vehicle 1 are locked and the vehicle 1 is kept stopped. The parking brake PB may be an electric parking brake.

[0017] 1, the vehicle 1 has a front sonar group 14 and a rear sonar group 15 that function as external sensors that detect obstacles around the vehicle 1. The front sonar group 14 is made up of, for example, four sonars 14a to 14d provided at the front end of the vehicle 1. The rear sonar group 15 is made up of, for example, four sonars 15a to 15d provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1.

[0018] The front sonar group 14 and the rear sonar group 15 emit sound waves around the vehicle 1 and receive the reflected sound to detect obstacles around the vehicle 1. The detection results by the front sonar group 14 and the rear sonar group 15 are sent to the control device 30, which will be described later, and are used for notification control, which will be described later.

[0019] In this embodiment, the front sonar group 14 and the rear sonar group 15 are provided as external sensors that detect obstacles around the vehicle 1, but this is not limiting. For example, instead of or in addition to the front sonar group 14 and the rear sonar group 15, the vehicle 1 may be provided with a radar device that emits radio waves or laser light around the vehicle 1, a camera that captures images of the area around the vehicle 1, or the like.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle 1. Note that Fig. 2 shows only the components necessary for explaining this embodiment.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a shift position sensor 11, a clutch switch 12, a parking brake switch 13, a front sonar group 14, a rear sonar group 15, a vehicle speed sensor 16, an alarm device 20, and a control device 30.

[0022] The shift position sensor 11 detects the shift position of the manual transmission TM and outputs the detection result (more specifically, a detection signal indicating the detection result) to the control device 30. As described above, the manual transmission TM can have shift positions such as "N", "R", and "D", for example.

[0023] For example, when the shift position is "N," the shift position sensor 11 outputs a detection result indicating that the shift position is "N" to the control device 30. When the shift position is "R," the shift position sensor 11 outputs a detection result indicating that the shift position is "R" to the control device 30. When the shift position is "D" (in other words, when the shift position is neither "N" nor "R"), the shift position sensor 11 outputs a detection result indicating that the shift position is "D" (more specifically, for example, when the shift position is "1st gear," the shift position sensor 11 outputs a detection result indicating that the shift position is "1st gear" to the control device 30).

[0024] The clutch switch 12 detects whether the power transmission device CL is in a transmission state or a non-transmission state, and outputs the detection result (more specifically, a detection signal indicating the detection result) to the control device 30.

[0025] For example, when the driver does not depress the clutch pedal and the power transmission device CL is in a transmitted state, the clutch switch 12 outputs a detection result indicating that the power transmission device CL is in a transmitted state to the control device 30. On the other hand, when the driver depresses the clutch pedal and the power transmission device CL is in a non-transmitted state, the clutch switch 12 outputs a detection result indicating that the power transmission device CL is in a non-transmitted state to the control device 30.

[0026] The parking brake switch 13 detects whether the parking brake PB is in an applied state or an inactivated state, and outputs the detection result (more specifically, a detection signal indicating the detection result) to the control device 30.

[0027] For example, when the driver pulls the parking brake lever to put the parking brake into an applied state, the parking brake switch 13 outputs a detection result indicating that the parking brake PB is in an applied state to the control device 30. Also, when the driver releases the parking brake lever to put the parking brake PB into a non-applied state, the parking brake switch 13 outputs a detection result indicating that the parking brake PB is in a non-applied state to the control device 30.

[0028] The forward sonar group 14 detects obstacles ahead of the vehicle 1 and outputs the detection results (more specifically, detection signals indicating the detection results) to the control device 30. For example, the forward sonar group 14 is configured to be able to detect obstacles that exist ahead of the vehicle 1 and within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m) from the vehicle 1 (more specifically, the front end of the vehicle 1), and when such an obstacle is detected, the forward sonar group 14 outputs a detection result to the control device 30 indicating that an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 1 has been detected.

[0029] The rear sonar group 15 detects obstacles behind the vehicle 1 and outputs the detection results (more specifically, detection signals indicating the detection results) to the control device 30. For example, the rear sonar group 15 is configured to be able to detect obstacles that exist behind the vehicle 1 and within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m) from the rear end of the vehicle 1, and when it detects such an obstacle, it outputs a detection result to the control device 30 indicating that an obstacle behind the vehicle 1 has been detected.

[0030] The vehicle speed sensor 16 detects the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1 and outputs the detection result (more specifically, a detection signal indicating the detection result) to the control device 30. The vehicle speed sensor 16 detects the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, the rotation of the wheels. The vehicle speed sensor 16 may also detect the traveling speed V based on the rotation of a countershaft of the manual transmission TM instead of the rotation of the wheels.

[0031] The notification device 20 is a device configured to be able to issue predetermined notifications to the occupants of the vehicle 1, including the driver, under the control of the control device 30, and is configured to include, for example, a display 21 and a buzzer 22.

[0032] The display 21 displays predetermined images under the control of the control device 30. The images displayed by the display 21 include, for example, notification images for notifying the driver that there is an obstacle in front of or behind the vehicle 1. The notification images may include a first notification image for notifying the driver that there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1 and a second notification image for notifying the driver that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. More specifically, for example, in the first notification described below, the first notification image may be displayed on the display 21, and in the second notification described below, the second notification image may be displayed on the display 21. The display 21 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display. As an example, the display 21 may be realized by a multi-information display provided on the meter panel of the vehicle 1.

[0033] The buzzer 22 outputs a predetermined notification sound under the control of the control device 30. The notification sound output by the buzzer 22 includes, for example, a notification sound (in other words, an alarm sound) for notifying the driver that there is an obstacle in front of or behind the vehicle 1. This notification sound may also include a first notification sound that notifies that there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1 and a second notification sound that notifies that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. For example, the first notification sound may be output from the buzzer 22 for the first notification, and the second notification sound may be output from the buzzer 22 for the second notification. Furthermore, a speaker may be used instead of the buzzer 22. The notification device 20 may be configured with only one of the display 21 and the buzzer 22 (or the speaker).

[0034] [Control device] The control device 30 is a device (computer) that performs overall control of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an input / output unit 31, a control unit 32, and a storage unit 33. The input / output unit 31 is an interface that inputs and outputs data between the inside and outside of the control device 30 in accordance with the control of the control unit 32. The storage unit 33 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, and stores various information (for example, data and programs) for controlling the operation of the vehicle 1. The control unit 32 is configured, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each component included in the vehicle 1 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 33.

[0035] For example, the control unit 32 controls the alarm device 20 based on information obtained from the shift position sensor 11, clutch switch 12, parking brake switch 13, front sonar group 14, rear sonar group 15, vehicle speed sensor 16, etc.

[0036] Specifically, when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1 by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control unit 32 can notify the driver of the presence of the obstacle by the alarm device 20.

[0037] For example, when the front sonar group 14 detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1, the control unit 32 can issue a first notification by the notification device 20 that there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, when the rear sonar group 15 detects an obstacle behind the vehicle 1, the control unit 32 can issue a second notification by the notification device 20 that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. This configuration can make the driver aware of the presence of an obstacle around the vehicle 1 (more specifically, in front or behind), thereby preventing a collision between the vehicle 1 and the obstacle.

[0038] In this configuration, for example, when waiting at a traffic light, if a vehicle behind the stopped vehicle 1 stops without leaving a sufficient distance between them, or if the vehicle 1 stops without leaving a sufficient distance between it and a stopped vehicle in front of it, it is possible that the system will continue to issue an alert that an obstacle is present, even though the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 1 and the vehicles in front and behind it is low. If such an excessive alert is issued, it may be annoying to the driver, reducing the marketability of the vehicle 1, or causing the driver to turn off the function that alerts the driver to the presence of an obstacle around the vehicle 1 (i.e., driving assistance may not be provided appropriately).

[0039] Therefore, the control unit 32 determines whether to issue a warning that an obstacle is present based on the detection result of the obstacle by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15 (i.e., the external sensors), the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1 (i.e., the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 16), and the shift position of the manual transmission TM (i.e., the detection result of the shift position sensor 11). Then, based on the determination that an obstacle is present, the control unit 32 issues a warning that an obstacle is present via the warning device 20. In other words, when the control unit 32 determines not to issue a warning that an obstacle is present, the control unit 32 does not issue a warning that an obstacle is present.

[0040] For example, when an obstacle is detected by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, if the driving speed V is below a predetermined value and the shift position is "N", the control unit 32 determines not to issue an alert (for example, a first alert or a second alert) indicating the presence of an obstacle.

[0041] Here, "the running speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value" can mean, for example, "the vehicle 1 is stopped (i.e., the running speed V is 0 [km / h])" or "the vehicle 1 is almost stopped (e.g., the running speed V is 2 [km / h] or less)."

[0042] As an example, from the time when vehicle 1 is traveling until vehicle 1 stops (when traveling speed V becomes 0 [km / h]), even if an obstacle is detected by front sonar group 14 or rear sonar group 15, control unit 32 may decide not to issue an alert (e.g., first alert or second alert) indicating the presence of an obstacle.

[0043] With this configuration, even if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1, if the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1 is equal to or less than a predetermined value and the shift position is "N", it is possible to prevent a notification of the presence of an obstacle from being issued. As a result, in a vehicle 1 equipped with a manual transmission TM in which the shift position can be set to "N" while stopped, it is possible to prevent a notification of the presence of an obstacle from being issued in a situation in which the possibility of a collision with a nearby obstacle is low. Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive notifications of the presence of an obstacle and to issue the notification appropriately.

[0044] The control unit 32 (in other words, the control device 30) may perform notification control, such as issuing a first or second notification based on the detection results of the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, only when the traveling speed V is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (e.g., 10 km / h). In this case, when the traveling speed V is higher than the predetermined value, the control unit 32 may perform collision prevention control (also referred to as a "Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS)") instead of this notification control. In this collision prevention control, when the control unit 32 determines, for example, based on information obtained by an external sensor such as a radar device or a camera, that there is a possibility that the vehicle 1 will collide with an obstacle, the control unit 32 performs deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle 1 and / or issues a predetermined warning to the driver via the notification device 20.

[0045] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may determine whether to issue a warning that an obstacle is present based on the state of the power transmission CL (i.e., the detection result of the clutch switch 12) in addition to the result of obstacle detection, the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1, and the shift position of the manual transmission TM. In this case, for example, when an obstacle is detected by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control unit 32 determines to issue a warning that an obstacle is present if the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is "N," and the power transmission CL is in a disengaged state (i.e., the clutch pedal is depressed).

[0046] That is, if the power transmission device CL is put into a disengaged state when the shift position is "N," it is assumed that the vehicle 1 is about to start moving. Therefore, if an obstacle is detected by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, and the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the shift position is "N," and the power transmission device CL is put into a disengaged state, it is determined that an alert will be issued to the effect that an obstacle is present. If it is assumed that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle in its vicinity as the vehicle 1 starts moving, an alert will be issued to the effect that an obstacle is present, thereby making it possible to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle in the vicinity of the vehicle 1.

[0047] Furthermore, the control unit 32 may determine whether to issue a warning that an obstacle is present based on the state of the parking brake PB (i.e., the detection result of the parking brake switch 13) in addition to the result of obstacle detection, the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1, the shift position of the manual transmission TM, and the state of the power transmission CL. In this case, for example, when an obstacle is detected by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control unit 32 determines not to issue a warning that an obstacle is present if the traveling speed V of the vehicle 1 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is "N," the power transmission CL is in a disengaged state, and the parking brake PB is in an actuated state.

[0048] Even if the power transmission device CL is disengaged when the shift position is "N," it is assumed that the vehicle 1 will not yet start moving if the parking brake PB is engaged. Therefore, if an obstacle is detected by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the vehicle 1's traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is "N," the power transmission device CL is disengaged, and the parking brake PB is engaged, it is determined that an alert to the presence of an obstacle will not be issued. This makes it possible to suppress an alert to the presence of an obstacle when there is a low possibility of a collision between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle in its vicinity. Therefore, excessive alerts to the presence of an obstacle can be suppressed, and the alert can be issued appropriately.

[0049] [Alarm control by control device] An example of notification control by the control device 30 will be described in more detail below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of notification control by the control device 30. Fig. 3 shows notification control that can be performed when the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, the traveling speed V is 0 [km / h]).

[0050] In FIG. 3, "ON" of the parking brake PB means "activated" and "OFF" means "deactivated." Also, "ON" of the shift position "R" means that the shift position is "R," "ON" of the shift position "N" means that the shift position is "N," and "OFF" of both the shift positions "R" and "N" means that the shift position is "D." Furthermore, "ON" of the clutch means that "the power transmission device CL is in a non-transmitting state," and "OFF" means that "the power transmission device CL is in a transmitting state."

[0051] When the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control device 30 can perform notification control taking into account 12 cases, Case 1 to Case 12, as shown in FIG.

[0052] Cases 1 to 4 are cases where the conditions are met, such as the parking brake PB being "ON" and the shift position not being "R." In these cases, even if an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle 1, the control device 30 determines not to issue a first notification that there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1, and even if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle 1, the control device 30 determines not to issue a second notification that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. In other words, in these cases, even if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1 by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control device 30 does not issue a notification that there is an obstacle.

[0053] For example, in Case 3, since the shift position is "N" and the clutch is "ON," it is considered that the vehicle 1 is close to starting. However, since the parking brake PB is "ON," it is considered that the vehicle 1 will not start immediately. Therefore, in this case, even if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1 by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control device 30 determines not to issue an alert that an obstacle is present. In this way, when the parking brake PB is "ON," even if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1, by not issuing an alert that an obstacle is present, excessive alerts that an obstacle is present can be prevented and the alert can be issued appropriately.

[0054] Case 5 is a case where the conditions are met, such as the shift position being "N" and the clutch being "OFF." In this case, too, even if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1 by the front sonar group 14 or the rear sonar group 15, the control device 30 determines not to issue a warning that an obstacle is present.

[0055] That is, in this case, since the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is "N", and the clutch is "OFF", the vehicle 1 is almost stopped, and it is considered that there is a low possibility that the vehicle 1 will collide with an obstacle in its vicinity. Therefore, when the shift position is "N" and the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, even if an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle 1, by not issuing a notification that an obstacle is present, it is possible to prevent excessive notifications of the presence of an obstacle and to issue the notification appropriately.

[0056] Cases 6 to 9 correspond to cases where the shift position is in "R." When the shift position is in "R," the vehicle 1 moves backward, and therefore it is considered that there is a low possibility of a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1. Therefore, in these cases, the control device 30 determines to issue the second notification if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle 1, but determines not to issue the first notification even if an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle 1. This makes it possible to prevent the first notification from being issued in situations where there is a low possibility of a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle 1, and to prevent excessive first notifications from being issued, making it possible to issue the first notification appropriately.

[0057] Moreover, Case 10 is a case where the conditions are met, such as the shift position being "N" and the clutch being "ON." In this case, it is expected that the vehicle 1 will soon start moving, and therefore the control device 30 determines to issue an alert to the presence of an obstacle if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1. That is, in this case, the control device 30 determines to issue a first alert if an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle 1 by the front sonar group 14, and determines to issue a second alert if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle 1 by the rear sonar group 15.

[0058] Therefore, when it is assumed that there is a possibility of collision between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle in front of it as the vehicle 1 starts moving, a first notification that there is an obstacle in front is issued, making it possible to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle in front. Also, when it is assumed that there is a possibility of collision between the vehicle 1 and an obstacle behind it as the vehicle 1 starts moving, a second notification that there is an obstacle behind it is issued, making it possible to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle behind.

[0059] Furthermore, Case 11 and Case 12 are cases where the conditions are met, such as the parking brake PB being "OFF" and the shift position being neither "R" nor "N" (in other words, the shift position being "D"). When the shift position is "D," the vehicle 1 moves forward, and therefore it is considered that there is a low possibility of a collision with an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. Therefore, in these cases, the control device 30 issues a first notification if an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle 1, but does not issue a second notification even if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle 1. This makes it possible to prevent the second notification from being issued in situations where there is a low possibility of a collision with an obstacle behind the vehicle 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second notification from being issued excessively and to issue the second notification appropriately.

[0060] As described above, when the traveling speed V is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control device 30 performs notification control based on the shift position. On the other hand, when the traveling speed V is higher than the predetermined value, the control device 30 may issue a notification that an obstacle is present when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle 1, regardless of the shift position.

[0061] For example, when an obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 moves forward at a traveling speed V higher than a predetermined value, the control device 30 may issue the first notification regardless of the shift position. This makes it possible to issue the first notification to alert the driver to the obstacle ahead when it is assumed that the vehicle 1 may move forward unintentionally due to the influence of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle 1 is located, and that there is a possibility of the vehicle 1 colliding with the obstacle ahead.

[0062] Similarly, when an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 moves backward at a traveling speed V higher than a predetermined value, the control device 30 may issue the second notification regardless of the shift position. This makes it possible to issue the second notification to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle ahead when the vehicle 1 moves backward unintentionally due to the influence of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle 1 is located, and it is assumed that there is a possibility of the vehicle 1 colliding with the obstacle behind it.

[0063] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0064] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a four-wheeled automobile is used as an example of a vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. A vehicle to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied may also be a two-wheeled automobile (a so-called motorcycle).

[0065] This specification describes at least the following: Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiments, but are not limited to these.

[0066] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) for controlling a vehicle (vehicle 1) configured to be able to notify the presence of an obstacle by an alarm device (alarm device 20, display 21, buzzer 22) provided in the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle by external sensors (front sonar group 14, rear sonar group 15) provided in the vehicle, The vehicle further includes a manual transmission (manual transmission TM) that can take a neutral position as a shift position, The vehicle control device includes: determining whether to issue the notification based on the result of the obstacle detection, the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the shift position of the manual transmission; and issuing the notification via the notification device based on the determination that the notification should be issued. A control unit (control unit 32) that executes processing is provided, The control unit When the obstacle is detected, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value and the shift position is the neutral position, it is determined that the notification should not be made. Vehicle control device.

[0067] In a vehicle that is configured to be able to issue an alert that an obstacle is present based on the detection of an obstacle around the vehicle, for example, when waiting at a traffic light, if a vehicle behind the vehicle stops without leaving a sufficient distance from the stopped vehicle, or if the vehicle stops without leaving a sufficient distance from a stopped vehicle in front of it, there is a risk that the driver of the vehicle will continue to be alerted that there is an obstacle, even though the situation is unlikely to result in a collision between the vehicle and the vehicles in front of or behind it.

[0068] According to (1), when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, if the vehicle's traveling speed is below a predetermined value and the shift position is in neutral, it is possible to determine not to issue an obstacle notification. This makes it possible to suppress the issuance of an obstacle notification when the possibility of a collision with a nearby obstacle is low in a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission that can be placed in neutral while stopped. Therefore, excessive obstacle notification can be suppressed, and the notification can be issued appropriately.

[0069] (2) The vehicle control device according to (1), The vehicle further includes a power transmission device (power transmission device CL) capable of transmitting power obtained by a drive source of the vehicle to wheels, the power transmission device is configured to be switchable between a transmission state in which the power is transmitted and a non-transmission state in which the power is not transmitted in response to an operation by a driver who drives the vehicle, The control unit Furthermore, it is determined whether or not to issue the notification based on the state of the power transmission device. When the obstacle is detected, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, it is determined that the notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

[0070] When the shift position is in the neutral position and the power transmission device is in the disengaged state, it is assumed that the vehicle is about to start moving. According to (2), if an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, if the vehicle's traveling speed is below a predetermined value, the shift position is in the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the disengaged state, it is possible to determine that an alert should be issued to notify the driver of the presence of an obstacle. As a result, when it is assumed that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle in the vicinity as the vehicle starts moving, an alert to the presence of an obstacle can be issued to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[0071] (3) The vehicle control device according to (2), The control unit Furthermore, the system determines whether to issue the notification based on the state of the parking brake (parking brake PB) of the vehicle, When the obstacle is detected, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, the power transmission device is in the non-transmitted state, and the parking brake is in an activated state, it is determined that the notification will not be made. Vehicle control device.

[0072] Even if the power transmission device is disengaged when the shift position is in neutral, if the parking brake is engaged, it is assumed that the vehicle will not yet start moving. According to (3), when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, if the vehicle's traveling speed is below a predetermined value, the shift position is in neutral, the power transmission device is disengaged, and the parking brake is engaged, it can be determined not to issue an obstacle notification. This makes it possible to suppress the issuance of an obstacle notification when there is a low possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the surrounding obstacle. Therefore, excessive obstacle notification can be suppressed, and the notification can be issued appropriately.

[0073] (4) The vehicle control device according to (1), The vehicle is When the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle and in front of the vehicle, a first notification is given to the effect that an obstacle is present in front of the vehicle; When the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle and behind the vehicle, a second notification that an obstacle is present behind the vehicle can be given, The control unit When the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, a determination is made as to whether or not to issue the first notification based on the traveling speed and the shift position, and the first notification is issued based on the determination that the first notification should be issued; When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, it is determined whether or not to issue the second notification based on the traveling speed and the shift position, and the second notification is issued based on the determination that the second notification should be issued. Vehicle control device.

[0074] According to (4), when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, a first notification that there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle is issued, and when an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, a second notification that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle is issued. This makes it possible to issue appropriate notifications depending on the positional relationship between the vehicle and surrounding obstacles.

[0075] (5) The vehicle control device according to (4), The vehicle further includes a power transmission device (power transmission device CL) capable of transmitting power obtained by a drive source of the vehicle to wheels, the power transmission device is configured to be switchable between a transmission state in which the power is transmitted and a non-transmission state in which the power is not transmitted in response to an operation by a driver who drives the vehicle, The control unit Furthermore, it is determined whether or not to issue the first notification and the second notification based on the state of the power transmission device, when the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, it is determined that the first notification should be made, When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, it is determined that the second notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

[0076] When the power transmission device is disengaged while the shift position is in neutral, it is assumed that the vehicle is about to start moving. According to (5), if an obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the vehicle's traveling speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is in neutral, and the power transmission device is disengaged, it can be determined that a first notification that there is an obstacle ahead of the vehicle should be issued. As a result, when it is assumed that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle ahead as the vehicle starts moving, it is possible to issue a first notification that there is an obstacle ahead to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle ahead.

[0077] Furthermore, according to (5), when an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the vehicle's traveling speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is in the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the disengaged state, it is possible to determine that a second notification that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle is to be issued. As a result, when it is assumed that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle behind it as the vehicle starts moving, it is possible to issue a second notification that there is an obstacle behind the vehicle to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle behind.

[0078] (6) The vehicle control device according to (5), The control unit When the obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, if the shift position is a reverse position, it is determined that the first notification will not be made, When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the shift position is a forward position, it is determined that the second notification should not be made. Vehicle control device.

[0079] According to (6), when an obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the shift position is in the reverse position, it can be determined that the first notification of the presence of an obstacle ahead will not be issued. This makes it possible to suppress the first notification when the vehicle is moving backward and it is assumed that there is a low possibility of a collision with an obstacle ahead of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the first notification from being issued excessively and to issue the first notification appropriately.

[0080] (7) The vehicle control device according to (4), The control unit When the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the vehicle moves forward at a traveling speed higher than the predetermined value, it is determined that the first notification should be made, When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the vehicle moves backward at a traveling speed higher than the predetermined value, it is determined that the second notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

[0081] According to (7), if an obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle and the vehicle moves forward at a speed higher than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the first alert should be issued regardless of the shift position. As a result, when it is assumed that the vehicle may move forward unintentionally due to the influence of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is located, and that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle ahead, the first alert can be issued to alert the driver to the obstacle ahead.

[0082] Furthermore, according to (7), if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle and the vehicle moves backward at a speed higher than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the second alert should be issued regardless of the shift position. As a result, when it is assumed that the vehicle moves backward unintentionally due to the influence of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is located and there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle behind it, the second alert can be issued to draw the driver's attention to the obstacle behind. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 vehicle 11 Shift position sensor 12 Clutch switch 13 Parking brake switch 14 Forward sonar group (external sensors) 15 Rear sonar group (external sensors) 20. Alarm device 30 Control device (vehicle control device) 32 Control section CL power transmission TM manual transmission PB Parking Brake

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle and is configured to be able to notify the driver of the presence of an obstacle by a notification device provided in the vehicle when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle by an external sensor provided in the vehicle, The vehicle further includes a manual transmission that can take a neutral position as a shift position, and a power transmission device that can transmit power obtained by a drive source of the vehicle to wheels, the power transmission device is configured to be switchable between a transmission state in which the power is transmitted and a non-transmission state in which the power is not transmitted in response to an operation by a driver who drives the vehicle, The vehicle control device includes: determining whether to issue the notification based on the obstacle detection result, the vehicle traveling speed, the shift position of the manual transmission, the state of the power transmission device, and the state of the parking brake of the vehicle; and issuing the notification via the notification device based on the determination that the notification should be issued. A control unit for executing processing, The control unit When the obstacle is detected, the traveling speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, When the parking brake is in an applied state, it is determined that the notification should not be made, and when the parking brake is in a non-applied state, it is determined that the notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle is When the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle and in front of the vehicle, a first notification is given to the effect that an obstacle is present in front of the vehicle; When the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle and behind the vehicle, a second notification that an obstacle is present behind the vehicle can be given, The control unit When the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, a determination is made as to whether or not to issue the first notification based on the traveling speed and the shift position, and the first notification is issued based on the determination that the first notification should be issued; When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, it is determined whether or not to issue the second notification based on the traveling speed and the shift position, and the second notification is issued based on the determination that the second notification should be issued. Vehicle control device.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The control unit Furthermore, it is determined whether or not to issue the first notification and the second notification based on the state of the power transmission device, when the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, it is determined that the first notification should be made, When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the traveling speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the shift position is the neutral position, and the power transmission device is in the non-transmission state, it is determined that the second notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, The control unit When the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the shift position is a reverse position, it is determined that the first notification will not be made, When the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle, if the shift position is a forward position, it is determined that the second notification should not be made. Vehicle control device.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The control unit When the obstacle is detected ahead of the vehicle, if the vehicle moves forward at a traveling speed higher than the predetermined value, it is determined that the first notification should be made, when the obstacle is detected behind the vehicle and the vehicle moves backward at a traveling speed higher than the predetermined value, it is determined that the second notification should be made. Vehicle control device.

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