Vehicle control device

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a vehicle control device capable of suppressing a driver from having a sense of discomfort when information on deceleration control is provided to the driver.SOLUTION: In a situation in which a first condition and a second condition for decelerating an own vehicle are established in an overlapping manner and deceleration control is preferentially executed in response to establishment of the first condition, when a first target involved in the establishment of the first condition is located outside a specific area that extends in front of the own vehicle among detection areas of a front sensor of the own vehicle and set as an area that a driver of an own vehicle is visible, and when a second target that is involved in the establishment of the second condition is located inside the specific region in the detection regions of the front sensor, a processor causes an image display device to display second information on the second target and no first information on the first target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that, while executing automatic braking control that automatically decelerates a vehicle when a predetermined condition is met, displays information about a target involved in the meeting of the condition. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle control device has been proposed that, when a predetermined condition is met, displays information related to the fulfillment of the condition while executing automatic braking control to automatically decelerate the host vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional device") includes a display device and a processor. When the processor recognizes that the light color of a traffic light ahead of the host vehicle is red, it determines that a condition for decelerating the host vehicle (first condition) is fulfilled. In this case, the processor initiates deceleration control to stop the host vehicle in front of the traffic light and causes the display device to display an image representing the traffic light, which is a target involved in the fulfillment of the first condition. Furthermore, when the processor recognizes that another vehicle (a preceding vehicle) is traveling ahead of the host vehicle, it determines that a condition for decelerating the host vehicle (second condition) is fulfilled. In this case, it initiates deceleration control to avoid a collision with the other vehicle and causes the display device to display an image (icon) representing the preceding vehicle, which is a target involved in the fulfillment of the second condition. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-133777 Summary of the Invention

[0004] When multiple conditions for executing deceleration control are defined in advance, as in conventional devices, a situation may arise in which two different conditions are met simultaneously. For example, a situation may be assumed in which the first condition is met when an onboard sensor detects a first target, and the second condition is met when an onboard sensor detects a second target. In such a situation, images showing the first target and the second target are displayed on the display device. However, if the driver can see the first target but cannot see the second target, the driver cannot understand the meaning of the displayed second target. This may cause the driver to feel uncomfortable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable when providing the driver with information related to deceleration control.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle control device (1) of the present invention includes a forward sensor (21, 22, 23) that acquires information about a target present in front of the host vehicle (V), a vehicle sensor (24) that acquires information about the traveling state of the host vehicle (vs), an image display device (40) that displays an image, and a processor (10) that, when it detects that predetermined deceleration conditions (X1, X1a, X2) for decelerating the host vehicle are met based on the information acquired from the forward sensor and the vehicle sensor, executes deceleration control to decelerate the host vehicle and executes image display control to display information about the target involved in the meeting of the deceleration conditions on the image display device. The processor is configured to: display second information about the second target on the image display device and not display first information about the first target on the image display device when, in a situation where a first condition and a second condition for decelerating the vehicle are simultaneously satisfied and deceleration control is being preferentially executed in response to the satisfaction of the first condition, a first target involved in the satisfaction of the first condition is located outside (A2) of a specific area (A1) that is set as an area visible to the driver of the vehicle and is a specific area extending forward of the vehicle within the detection area (A0) of the forward sensor; and a second target involved in the satisfaction of the second condition is located inside the specific area within the detection area of ​​the forward sensor.

[0007] A situation is assumed in which the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously satisfied, the processor is executing the first deceleration control with priority, and the first target is located outside the specific area and the second target is located within the specific area. Under this situation, it is likely that the driver has difficulty visually recognizing the first target but can easily visually recognize the second target. Therefore, the processor displays an image representing the second target involved in the second condition, rather than the image representing the first target involved in the first condition being satisfied. Thus, the vehicle control device according to the present invention can prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable when providing information regarding deceleration control to the driver. Furthermore, when the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously satisfied, a relatively large display area is required to simultaneously display images of the first and second targets. In contrast, the vehicle control device according to the present invention only displays one of the images (the image of the target that is easily visible to the driver), so a large display area is not required.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle control device, The processor: When the first condition is satisfied alone, a first target value (vdx1) of the speed of the host vehicle is determined, and a first deceleration control is executed to control the host vehicle so that the actual speed of the host vehicle coincides with the first target value; If the second condition is satisfied alone, a second target value (vdx2) of the speed of the host vehicle is determined, and a second deceleration control is executed to control the host vehicle so that the actual speed of the host vehicle coincides with the second target value; When the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously satisfied and the first target value is equal to or less than the second target value, the first deceleration control is executed.

[0009] According to this, when the first condition and the second condition are both met and the first target value is equal to or less than the second target value, the first deceleration control can be executed with priority.

[0010] In a vehicle control device according to another aspect of the present invention, The first condition is met when the relative position and relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle (PV) satisfy a predetermined condition, The second condition is met when the relationship between the target speed value (vdx2) of the vehicle, which is determined based on the relative position between the vehicle and the curved road (C) and the curve radius of the curved road, and the actual speed (vs) of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0011] This makes it possible to avoid a collision (excessive approach) between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and also to allow the host vehicle to travel safely along curved roads.

[0012] In a vehicle control according to another aspect of the present invention, the first target is the preceding vehicle, The second target is the curved road.

[0013] This allows the driver to recognize that deceleration control is being executed in response to the presence of a preceding vehicle or a curved road.

[0014] In a vehicle control device according to another aspect of the present invention, the first information is an image representing the leading vehicle, The second target is an image representing the curved road.

[0015] This allows the driver to intuitively recognize the target as a trigger for deceleration control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a situation in which the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously satisfied, the first deceleration control is being executed preferentially, and the preceding vehicle is located within area A1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a situation in which the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously satisfied, the first deceleration control is being executed preferentially, and the preceding vehicle is located within area A2. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a table for selecting an image to be displayed when the condition X1 and the condition X2 are both met. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a program that realizes the automatic deceleration function. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a situation where the traffic light is located within area A2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (Summary) A vehicle control device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle V (hereinafter referred to as "host vehicle") equipped with an automatic driving function. The vehicle control device 1 has a function (automatic braking function) of executing automatic braking control to control the braking device of the host vehicle to decelerate the host vehicle when a predetermined condition is met in a situation where the automatic driving function is enabled or in a situation where the function is disabled (a situation where the driver is actively performing driving operations).

[0018] (Specific configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 1 includes a driving assistance ECU 10, an on-board sensor 20, a braking device 30, and a notification device 40.

[0019] The driving assistance ECU 10 includes a microcomputer equipped with a CPU 10a, a ROM 10b, a RAM 10c, a timer 10d, etc. The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to other ECUs provided in the vehicle via a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0020] The on-board sensor 20 includes a forward sensor that acquires information about an object (another vehicle, a guardrail, etc.) located in front of the vehicle. Specifically, the on-board sensor 20 includes a millimeter-wave radar 21, a sonar 22, and a forward camera 23 as forward sensors.

[0021] The millimeter-wave radar 21 includes a transmitter / receiver and a signal processor (not shown). The transmitter / receiver emits millimeter-wave band radio waves (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves") ahead of the vehicle and receives millimeter waves (reflected waves) reflected by three-dimensional objects located within the emission range. The emission range of millimeter waves is approximately fan-shaped in a plan view. The signal processor calculates the distance between the vehicle and a target, the speed of the target, and other information based on the time from when the transmitter / receiver emits the millimeter waves to when the reflected waves are received, the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter waves and the received reflected waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and other information, and transmits the calculation results to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0022] The sonar 22 intermittently emits ultrasonic waves in the area surrounding the vehicle and receives the ultrasonic waves (reflected waves) reflected by a three-dimensional object. The sonar 22 recognizes the distance between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object, the relative position (direction) of the three-dimensional object with respect to the vehicle, etc. based on the time from when the ultrasonic waves are transmitted until when the reflected waves are received, and transmits the recognition results to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0023] The forward camera 23 includes an imaging device and an image analysis device. The imaging device is, for example, a digital camera incorporating an imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS image sensor (CIS). The imaging device is positioned above the front windshield glass and faces forward. The imaging device captures images of the front view of the vehicle at a predetermined frame rate to acquire image data. The imaging device transmits the image data to the image analysis device. The image analysis device analyzes the acquired image data and acquires information about objects located in front of the vehicle from the images. For example, the image analysis device identifies (recognizes) the type of object located in front of the vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a guardrail, etc.) and transmits the identification result to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0024] Furthermore, the on-vehicle sensor 20 includes a vehicle sensor that acquires information about the running state (speed) of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the on-vehicle sensor 20 includes a speed sensor 24 as a vehicle sensor.

[0025] The speed sensor 24 detects the rotation speed (wheel speed) of each wheel and calculates the speed vs (actual vehicle speed) of the host vehicle based on the wheel speed of each wheel. The speed sensor 24 transmits data representing the speed vs to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0026] Additionally, the on-board sensor 20 includes a navigation system 25. The navigation system 25 acquires the position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle based on a GPS signal. The navigation system 25 also stores map information including information about roads (for example, the curvature (curve radius) of a curved road C), the positions of traffic lights, the positions of stop lines, etc. The navigation system 25 transmits the position information of the vehicle and the map information to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0027] The braking device 30 applies braking force to the wheels (brake discs). The braking device 30 includes a brake ECU, a brake caliper, etc. The brake caliper includes an actuator that presses brake pads against the brake discs. The brake ECU acquires information (control signal) indicating a target braking force from another ECU, and drives the actuator of the brake caliper based on that information. In this way, the braking force applied to the wheels (brake discs) is controlled.

[0028] The notification device 40 includes an image display device. The notification device 40 is incorporated in, for example, an instrument panel of the vehicle. As will be described later, while the driving assistance ECU 10 is executing automatic braking control, the notification device 40 displays an image representing a target involved in the establishment of a condition for executing automatic braking control (first deceleration control and second deceleration control, which will be described later) in accordance with an image display command obtained from the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0029] (Automatic braking function) The driving assistance ECU 10 executes automatic braking control when it detects that at least one of a plurality of conditions X (for example, the following conditions X1 and X2) for decelerating the host vehicle is satisfied based on information acquired from forward sensors (millimeter-wave radar 21, sonar 22, and forward camera 23), speed sensor 24, navigation system 25, etc. In automatic braking control, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines a target value vd of the host vehicle's speed vs, and controls the braking device 30 so that the host vehicle's speed vs (actual measured value) matches the target value vd. As will be described in detail later, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines the target value vd according to the satisfied condition X (condition X1 and / or condition X2). <Condition X1> The distance Δd1 between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle PV traveling in the same traveling lane as the host vehicle is less than or equal to a threshold value Δd1th, and the speed vs of the host vehicle is greater than the speed v0 of the preceding vehicle PV. <Condition X2> The host vehicle is traveling on a curved road C (or is about to enter the curved road C), and the host vehicle speed vs is greater than the target value vdx2. Here, "immediately before the host vehicle enters the curved road C" refers to a situation where the curved road C is present ahead of the host vehicle and the distance Δd2 between the start of the curved road C and the host vehicle is equal to or less than the threshold Δd2th. The driving assistance ECU 10 also obtains (calculates) the target value vdx2 based on the curve radius R. For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines the target value vdx2 by referring to a table (not shown) that indicates the relationship between the curve radius and the target value vdx2. Note that the larger the curve radius, the larger the target value vdx2.

[0030] When condition X1 is satisfied alone, the driving assistance ECU 10 adopts a speed value lower than the speed v0 of the preceding vehicle PV as the target value vdx1. For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 adopts a speed value lower than the speed v0 by a predetermined value Δdv as the target value vdx1 (= v0 - Δdv). The driving assistance ECU 10 then controls the braking device 30 to decelerate the host vehicle so that the speed vs (actual measured value) of the host vehicle matches the target value vdx1. More specifically, the driving assistance ECU 10 controls the braking device 30 so that the acceleration G (deceleration) of the host vehicle matches a predetermined target value (acceleration that does not cause discomfort to the occupants). Note that this acceleration (deceleration) is determined based on the distance between the preceding vehicle PV and the host vehicle, the speed vs of the host vehicle, and the like. This automatically brakes the host vehicle. Therefore, the distance Δd1 between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle PV gradually increases, thereby avoiding a collision (excessive approach) between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle PV. In the following description, the above control (control for avoiding a collision (excessive approach) between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle PV) is referred to as "first deceleration control."

[0031] As described above, when condition X1 is satisfied alone, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes the first deceleration control. At this time, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image (icon) representing the preceding vehicle PV, which is the target involved in the satisfaction of condition X1. This allows the driver to recognize that "the host vehicle is approaching the preceding vehicle and is therefore being automatically braked."

[0032] When condition X2 is satisfied alone, the driving assistance ECU 10 controls the braking device 30 to decelerate the host vehicle so that the speed vs (measured value) of the host vehicle matches the target value vdx2. This allows the host vehicle to travel safely along the curved road C. In the following description, the above control (control for allowing the host vehicle to travel safely along the curved road C) is referred to as "second deceleration control."

[0033] As described above, when condition X2 is satisfied alone, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes the second deceleration control. At this time, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image (icon) representing the curved road C, which is the target involved in the satisfaction of condition X2. This allows the driver to recognize that "the vehicle is being automatically braked because the vehicle is traveling on the curved road C (or is about to enter the curved road C)."

[0034] In a situation where the condition X1 and the condition X2 are both satisfied, the driving assistance ECU 10 controls the braking device 30 and the notification device 40 as follows.

[0035] The driving assist ECU 10 acquires (calculates) the target values ​​vdx1 and vdx2 in the same manner as in a situation where the condition X1 and the condition X2 are each satisfied independently. The driving assist ECU 10 adopts the smaller of the target values ​​vdx1 and vdx2 as the target value vdx12. The driving assist ECU 10 then controls the braking device 30 to decelerate the host vehicle so that the speed vs (actual measured value) of the host vehicle matches the target value vdx12. For example, when the target value vdx1 is smaller than the target value vdx2, the driving assist ECU 10 controls the braking device 30 so that the speed vs of the host vehicle matches the target value vdx1. In this case, the driving assist ECU 10 preferentially executes the first deceleration control to decelerate the host vehicle in order to avoid a collision (excessive approach) between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle PV. On the other hand, if the target value vdx2 is smaller than the target value vdx1, the driving assist ECU 10 controls the braking device 30 so that the speed vs of the host vehicle coincides with the target value vdx2. In this case, the driving assist ECU 10 preferentially executes the second deceleration control to decelerate the host vehicle so that the host vehicle can travel safely along the curved road C. Note that if the target value vdx1 and the target value vdx2 are the same value, the driving assist ECU 10 executes the first deceleration control.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the area A0 in which the forward sensor (e.g., the millimeter-wave radar 21) can detect a target with high accuracy has a sector shape in a plan view, with the position of the forward sensor as its apex and extending from the apex to the front of the vehicle. A line segment connecting the apex (the position of the forward sensor) of the sector defining the area A0 to the midpoint of the arc substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The central angle of the sector defining the area A0 (i.e., the field of view of the forward sensor) is, for example, 120°. The area visible to the driver (a range that is easy to see) is area A1, which has the position of the driver as its apex and extends from the apex to the front of the vehicle. A line segment connecting the apex of the sector defining the area A1 to the midpoint of the arc substantially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The central angle of the sector defining the area A1 (i.e., the driver's field of view angle) is smaller than the central angle of the sector defining the area A0 (the angle of view of the forward sensor). For example, the central angle of the sector defining area A1 is 30°. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, area A1 is contained within area A0. Area A1 is set in advance as a specific area within area A0. Furthermore, the area of ​​area A0 excluding area A1 is area A2. In other words, area A0 is composed of area A1 and area A2.

[0037] In a situation where the driving assistance ECU 10 is executing the first deceleration control as a priority when the conditions X1 and X2 are both satisfied, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines the image to be displayed on the notification device 40 depending on the position (area A1 or area A2) of the preceding vehicle PV, which is the target involved in the satisfaction of the condition X1.

[0038] Specifically, when the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1 as shown in Fig. 2A, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image (icon) representing the preceding vehicle PV. On the other hand, when the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A2 as shown in Fig. 2B, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image (icon) representing a curved road C. Whether the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1 can be determined based on information relating to the position of the preceding vehicle PV obtained from a forward sensor.

[0039] 2A and 2B, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes a first deceleration control to decelerate the host vehicle so that the distance Δd1 between the preceding vehicle PV and the host vehicle increases and exceeds a threshold value Δd1th. In the situation shown in Fig. 2A, the preceding vehicle PV is located within a range (within area A1) that is easily visible to the driver. Therefore, when an image representing the preceding vehicle PV is displayed on the notification device 40, the driver can recognize that deceleration control is being executed in response to the presence of the preceding vehicle PV.

[0040] On the other hand, in the situation shown in Fig. 2B, the preceding vehicle PV is located in an area (area A2) outside the range easily visible to the driver (outside area A1). In such a case, if an image representing the preceding vehicle PV is displayed on the notification device 40, the driver may not be able to determine what the displayed image means. Therefore, in the situation shown in Fig. 2B, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image (icon) representing the curved road C (the object involved in the satisfaction of the second condition) located within the range easily visible to the driver.

[0041] 3 is a table used by the driving assistance ECU 10 to select an image to be displayed on the notification device 40 when condition X1 and condition X2 are both met. According to FIG. 3, when the deceleration control that has priority is the first deceleration control and the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1 (as shown in FIG. 2A), the driving assistance ECU 10 selects the preceding vehicle as the display image. When the deceleration control that has priority is the first deceleration control and the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A2 (as shown in FIG. 2B), the driving assistance ECU 10 selects a curved road as the display image. When the deceleration control that has priority is the second deceleration control, the driving assistance ECU 10 selects a curved road C as the display image, regardless of the position of the preceding vehicle PV.

[0042] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a program PR1 executed by the CPU 10a (hereinafter simply referred to as "CPU") to realize the above-mentioned automatic braking function will be described.

[0043] When the ignition switch of the host vehicle is in the ON state, the CPU starts executing the program PR1 at a predetermined cycle. The CPU starts executing the program PR1 from step 100 and proceeds to step 101.

[0044] The CPU determines whether or not condition X1 is independently satisfied in step 101. If the CPU determines that condition X1 is independently satisfied (101: Yes), the process proceeds to step 102. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that condition X1 is independently satisfied (101: No), the process proceeds to step 104, which will be described later.

[0045] The CPU acquires the target value vdx1 and starts the execution of the first deceleration control based on the acquired target value vdx1 in step 102. Next, the CPU proceeds to step 103.

[0046] In step 103, the CPU causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the preceding vehicle PV. Subsequently, the CPU proceeds to step 114, which will be described later.

[0047] When the CPU proceeds from step 101 to step 104, it determines whether or not condition X2 is independently satisfied in step 104. If the CPU determines that condition X2 is independently satisfied (104: Yes), it proceeds to step 105. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that condition X2 is independently satisfied (104: No), it proceeds to step 107, which will be described later.

[0048] The CPU acquires the target value vdx2 and starts the execution of the second deceleration control based on the acquired target value vdx2 in step 105. Subsequently, the CPU proceeds to step .

[0049] In step 106, the CPU causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the curved road C. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 114, which will be described later.

[0050] When the CPU proceeds from step 104 to step 107, it determines whether or not the conditions X1 and X2 are both fulfilled in step 107. If the CPU determines that the conditions X1 and X2 are both fulfilled in a redundant manner (107: Yes), it proceeds to step 108. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the conditions X1 and X2 are both fulfilled in a redundant manner (107: No), it proceeds to step 116 and ends execution of the program PR1.

[0051] In step 108, the CPU acquires the target value vdx1 and the target value vdx2, and determines whether the acquired target value vdx1 is equal to or less than the target value vdx2. If the CPU determines that the target value vdx1 is equal to or less than the target value vdx2 (108: Yes), the CPU proceeds to step 109. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the target value vdx1 is equal to or less than the target value vdx2 (108: No), the CPU proceeds to step 112, which will be described later.

[0052] When the CPU proceeds to step 109, it starts executing the first deceleration control based on the target value vdx1. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 110.

[0053] In step 110, the CPU determines whether the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1. If the CPU determines that the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1 (110: Yes), the CPU proceeds to step 111. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A1 (110: No), the CPU proceeds to step 113, which will be described later.

[0054] In step 111, the CPU causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the preceding vehicle PV. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 114, which will be described later.

[0055] When the CPU advances the process from step 108 to step 112, the CPU starts the execution of the second deceleration control based on the target value vdx2 in step 112. Next, the CPU advances the process to step 113.

[0056] In step 113, the CPU causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the curved road C. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 114, which will be described later.

[0057] In step 114, the CPU determines whether the speed vs has reached the target value (target value vdx1 or target value vdx2) (whether deceleration has been completed). If the CPU determines that the speed vs has reached the target value (114: Yes), the CPU proceeds to step 115. On the other hand, if the CPU does not determine that the speed vs has reached the target value (114: No), the CPU returns to step 114.

[0058] In step 115, the CPU ends the execution of the deceleration control and terminates the image display by the notification device 40. Then, the CPU proceeds to step 116 and ends the execution of the program PR1.

[0059] (effect) As described above, a situation is assumed in which condition X1 and condition X2 are simultaneously satisfied, causing the driving assistance ECU 10 to prioritize executing the first deceleration control. The preceding vehicle PV, which is a target involved in the satisfaction of condition X1, is located within area A2, and (part of) the curved road C, which is a target involved in the satisfaction of condition X2, is located within area A1 (FIG. 2B). Under this situation, the driving assistance ECU 10 prioritizes executing the first deceleration control to decelerate the host vehicle to avoid a collision between the preceding vehicle PV and the host vehicle. However, because the preceding vehicle PV is located within area A2, it is likely that the driver will have difficulty visually recognizing the preceding vehicle PV. In contrast, because (part of) the curved road C is located within area A1, it is easy for the driver to visually recognize the curved road C. Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 displays an image representing the curved road C, which is involved in the satisfaction of condition X2, rather than displaying an image representing the preceding vehicle PV, which is involved in the satisfaction of condition X1. Therefore, the vehicle control device 1 can prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable when providing the driver with information related to deceleration control. Furthermore, when the conditions X1 and X2 are both satisfied, a relatively wide display area is required to simultaneously display images of the preceding vehicle PV and the curved road C. In contrast, in this embodiment, only one of the images (the image of the target that is easily visible to the driver) is displayed, so a wide display area is not required.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention.

[0061] (Variation 1) The conditions under which the driving assistance ECU 10 starts deceleration control are not limited to those in the above embodiment. For example, instead of the condition X1, the deceleration control may be executed when the following condition X1a is met. <Condition X1a> The light color of the traffic light S ahead of the vehicle is "red."

[0062] When the condition X1a is satisfied, the target value vdx1a of the speed vs is "0." That is, the driving assistance ECU 10 decelerates the host vehicle so that the host vehicle can be stopped in front of the traffic light S. When the condition X1a is satisfied alone, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the traffic light S. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the condition X1a and the condition X2 are satisfied in a overlapping manner and the traffic light S is located within the area A2, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the curved road C, but does not display an image representing the traffic light S.

[0063] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, area A1 corresponds to the central portion of area A0. That is, area A1 has a sector shape. Alternatively, an overlapping portion of area A0 and a rectangular area extending forward of the vehicle may be used as area A1.

[0064] (Variation 3) As described above, when the condition X1 and the condition X2 are both satisfied and the driving assist ECU 10 is executing the first deceleration control with priority, if the preceding vehicle PV is located within the area A1, the driving assist ECU 10 causes the notification device 40 to display an image representing the preceding vehicle PV. Even if the preceding vehicle PV moves from the area A1 to the area A2 in this situation, the driving assist ECU 10 may continue to display the image of the preceding vehicle PV as long as the driving assist ECU 10 is executing the first deceleration control with priority.

[0065] (Variation 4) In the above embodiment, the size of the area A1 is constant (unchangeable). Alternatively, the size of the area A1 may be changed depending on, for example, the speed vs of the vehicle. For example, the area A1 may be configured to become narrower as the speed vs increases.

[0066] 1... vehicle control device, 10... driving assistance ECU, 20... in-vehicle sensor, 30... braking device, 40... notification device 40

Claims

1. a forward sensor that acquires information about a target present in front of the host vehicle; a vehicle sensor that acquires information about the running state of the vehicle; an image display device that displays an image; a processor that, when detecting that a predetermined deceleration condition for decelerating the host vehicle is satisfied based on information acquired from the forward sensor and the vehicle sensor, executes deceleration control for decelerating the host vehicle and executes image display control for displaying, on the image display device, information about a target involved in the satisfaction of the deceleration condition; A vehicle control device comprising: When a first condition and a second condition for decelerating the host vehicle are simultaneously satisfied and deceleration control is being preferentially executed in response to the satisfaction of the first condition, and a first target involved in the satisfaction of the first condition is located outside a specific area set as an area visible to the driver of the host vehicle within a detection area of ​​the forward sensor, and a second target involved in the satisfaction of the second condition is located inside the specific area, the processor causes the image display device to display second information about the second target and does not cause the image display device to display first information about the first target. A vehicle control device configured as follows.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The processor: When the first condition is satisfied alone, a first target value for the speed of the host vehicle is determined, and a first deceleration control is executed to control the host vehicle so that the actual speed of the host vehicle coincides with the first target value; When the second condition is satisfied alone, a second target value for the speed of the host vehicle is determined, and a second deceleration control is executed to control the host vehicle so that the actual speed of the host vehicle coincides with the second target value; A vehicle control device configured to execute the first deceleration control when the first condition and the second condition are both met and the first target value is less than or equal to the second target value.

3. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, the first condition is met when the relative position and relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle satisfy a predetermined condition; the second condition is met when a relationship between a target value of the speed of the host vehicle, which is determined based on the relative position of the host vehicle and the curved road and the curve radius of the curved road, and an actual speed of the host vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition. Vehicle control device.

4. 4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, the first target is the preceding vehicle, The second target is the curved road. Vehicle control device.

5. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, the first information is an image representing the leading vehicle, The second target is an image representing the curved road. Vehicle control device.

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