Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

Abstract

This vehicle control device comprises: a wind ascertaining unit (27) that estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in a region around a host vehicle on the basis of sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a wind shielding control unit (31) that ascertains the presence or absence of a wind shielding object capable of shielding the wind, on the basis of object information obtained by a peripheral monitoring sensor (14) that detects an object present in a region ahead of the host vehicle, and determines execution of wind shielding control for reducing the influence of wind on the host vehicle on the basis of the presence or absence of a wind shielding object and the estimation result obtained by the wind ascertaining unit; and a control executing unit (32) that executes vehicle control determined by the wind shielding control unit. The wind shielding control is at least one of moving closer to the wind shielding object, changing lanes, changing the traveling position in the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and decelerating.

Description

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-149031, filed on August 30, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program for controlling a vehicle.

[0003] Conventionally, a vehicle control device is known that uses a camera and acoustic sensor mounted on the vehicle to grasp the crosswind conditions in two areas: the area ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle and the area around the vehicle, and issues a crosswind warning if there is a difference between these crosswind conditions (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 analyzes images obtained by capturing an image of the area in front of the vehicle using a camera to determine the crosswind conditions in the area in front of the vehicle, and determines the crosswind conditions in the area surrounding the vehicle using acoustic sensors mounted on the left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0005] JP 2008-254487 A

[0006] The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to issue a warning to the driver of the vehicle based on the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the vehicle, and there is a risk that appropriate vehicle control will not be possible in situations where there is no strong crosswind in the area ahead of the vehicle or where the vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that can provide appropriate driving assistance to allow a vehicle to travel safely when the vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds, regardless of the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device comprises: a wind detection unit that estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a wind protection control unit that determines whether or not there is a wind protection object that can provide a wind protection based on object information obtained by a peripheral monitoring sensor that detects objects present in the area ahead of the host vehicle, and decides to execute wind protection control to reduce the effect of wind on the host vehicle based on the presence or absence of the wind protection object and the estimation result by the wind detection unit; and a control execution unit that executes vehicle control decided by the wind protection control unit, wherein the wind protection control is at least one of vehicle control of moving closer to the wind protection object, changing lanes, changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and deceleration.

[0009] This vehicle control device estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the vehicle based on sound information from an acoustic sensor in the vehicle, and acquires detection information of objects that can be used as windbreaks from a perimeter monitoring sensor. Based on the estimation results of the presence or absence of a windbreak object and the magnitude and direction of the wind, this vehicle control device determines to execute at least one of the following vehicle control actions as windbreak control for the vehicle: moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the vehicle's driving position within the vehicle's driving lane, and decelerating. This enables the vehicle control device to provide appropriate driving assistance for safely driving the vehicle when the vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds, regardless of the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method is a vehicle control method that can be used in a vehicle, and includes: estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in a surrounding area of ​​the vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor that collects sounds around the vehicle; determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide wind protection based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor that detects objects present in a forward area of ​​the vehicle; and executing windbreak control to reduce the effect of wind on the vehicle based on the estimated presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area, wherein the windbreak control is at least one of vehicle control of moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the driving position within the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and deceleration.

[0011] This vehicle control method includes estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle based on sound information from an acoustic sensor, and determining the presence or absence of a windbreak object that can provide a windbreak based on object information from a perimeter monitoring sensor. This vehicle control method also includes executing at least one of the following vehicle controls as windbreak control based on the results of estimating the presence or absence of a windbreak object and wind strength: moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the vehicle's driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and decelerating. This vehicle control method provides appropriate driving assistance for safely driving the host vehicle when the host vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds, regardless of the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the host vehicle.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle control program is a vehicle control program used to control the driving state of the host vehicle, and causes at least one execution unit to execute processes including: a process of estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a process of determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide wind protection based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor that detects objects present in the area ahead of the host vehicle; and a process of executing at least one vehicle control of moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and deceleration as wind protection control to reduce the effect of wind on the host vehicle based on the estimation results of the presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area.

[0013] This vehicle control program causes a single execution unit to execute a process of estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle based on sound information from an acoustic sensor, a process of determining whether or not there is a windbreak object based on object information from a perimeter monitoring sensor, and a process of executing windbreak control. The windbreak control is at least one of vehicle control actions including moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the vehicle's driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and deceleration. This results in a vehicle control program that can provide appropriate driving assistance to safely drive the host vehicle when the host vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds, regardless of the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the host vehicle.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of installation of an acoustic sensor in a host vehicle; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control unit and related components; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for windshield control; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between vehicle speed, wind strength, and thresholds in windshield control; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of deceleration control executed when vehicle speed and wind strength are equal to or greater than a predetermined value; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for terminating windshield control; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of a process for terminating windshield control.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or equivalent parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0016] (Embodiment) A vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment will be described. The vehicle control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a general private passenger car, and various functions described below are executed by a vehicle control unit 23 shown in FIG. 1. For ease of explanation, the vehicle on which the vehicle control system 1 is mounted will be referred to as the "host vehicle." The vehicle control system 1 is preferably applied to a vehicle with an autonomous driving level of 2 or higher as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, for example.

[0017] The vehicle on which the vehicle control system 1 is installed is not limited to a passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc., and may be either a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, each vehicle control described below according to the present disclosure can be optimized as appropriate according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, as well as the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0018] [Basic Configuration] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle control system 1 includes an HMI system 100 mounted on the vehicle, various sensors such as a perimeter monitoring sensor 14, various devices such as an on-board communication device 19, a cruise control ECU 22, and a vehicle control unit 23, all connected via a communication bus 33. HMI and ECU are abbreviations for Human Machine Interface and Electronic Control Unit, respectively. The various sensors constituting the vehicle control system 1 are capable of communicating with each other via the communication bus 33, for example, but are not limited to this connection configuration, and some of the various sensors may be capable of communicating without the communication bus 33. Examples of the various sensors include the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 and a wheel speed sensor 18. Examples of the various devices include the on-board communication device 19, the cruise control ECU 22, a locator 20, a navigation device 21, and the like.

[0019] The HMI system 100 has an input interface function that accepts operations by a vehicle occupant, such as a driver, and an output interface function that presents information to the occupant. The HMI system 100 is configured to include, for example, an HMI control device 10, an input device 11, a display device 12, and an audio device 13.

[0020] The HMI control device 10 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with, for example, a CPU, recording media such as ROM and RAM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The CPU, ROM, and RAM are abbreviations for Central Processing Unit, Read Only Memory, and Random Access Memory, respectively. The HMI control device 10 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively controls the presentation of information to occupants using the display device 12, audio device 13, etc. The HMI control device 10 presents information related to autonomous driving by the vehicle control system 1 in cooperation with the vehicle control unit 23.

[0021] The input device 11 is an input unit that accepts operations by a user such as a driver. Various user operations, such as operations related to setting a destination for route guidance and operations related to setting air conditioning, are input to the input device 11. The input device 11 includes, for example, a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operating lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes what the passengers are saying.

[0022] The display device 12 is a device that presents information to the occupant's vision by displaying an image or the like. Examples of the display device 12 include a meter display, a center information display (CID), and a head-up display (HUD). For example, in the case of a CID, the display device 12 has a touch panel function and is configured to allow the driver or the like to touch the display screen.

[0023] The audio device 13 has multiple speakers installed in the vehicle cabin and reproduces various sounds, such as notification sounds and voice messages associated with vehicle control by a vehicle control unit 23 (described later) and voice messages associated with user operations on the input device 11, through the speakers.

[0024] The perimeter monitoring sensor 14 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment around the vehicle and is composed of, for example, a camera unit 15, an acoustic sensor 16, and an object detection sensor 17 mounted on the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 14 detects, for example, targets such as moving objects and stationary objects around the vehicle, external vehicle sounds, etc., and outputs the detection information to the vehicle control unit 23, etc. The detection information by the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 includes, for example, when a target is detected, information on the direction of the target and the distance from the vehicle to the target, and when an external vehicle sound is detected, various information such as sound pressure, the interval between sound occurrences, and the time difference between sound collection by each acoustic sensor 16.

[0025] The camera unit 15 is an imaging device that captures images of the exterior of the vehicle. The camera unit 15 includes, for example, a front camera module, a rear camera module, a left side camera module, and a right side camera module, and is configured to capture images of the entire surroundings of the vehicle. The camera unit 15 analyzes image data captured by each camera module using known image analysis technology and outputs the analysis information as detection information to the communication bus 33. The detection information from the camera unit 15 includes, for example, information on other objects around the vehicle, such as vehicles, light vehicles, people, obstacles, buildings, road signs, and trees; road surface information such as white lines and road markings painted on the road; and traffic information such as traffic light displays. The camera unit 15 captures images of the areas in front of and to the sides of the vehicle and analyzes the captured image data to obtain information on objects (hereinafter referred to as "windbreak objects") that the vehicle can use to block wind when performing the windbreak control described below. Examples of windbreak objects include large vehicles that are larger than the vehicle itself, and windbreak panels such as windbreak fences installed along roads.

[0026] The acoustic sensor 16 is primarily composed of a microphone element that collects sound from outside the vehicle and converts the collected sound into an electrical signal. Examples of microphone elements include a capacitor microphone that outputs an electrical signal based on a change in capacitance caused by vibration of a thin diaphragm due to sound pressure, and a piezoelectric microphone that outputs sound as an electrical signal using a piezoelectric element. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , multiple acoustic sensors 16 are installed, one at each of the left and right ends of the front of the vehicle V, the left and right ends of the rear of the vehicle V, the center of the front windshield FW, and the center of the rear windshield RW, to collect the sound of wind blowing against the vehicle V. The collected sound data from the multiple acoustic sensors 16, along with object information from the camera unit 15 or the object detection sensor 17, is used for various processes in the windshield control. Details of the windshield control will be described later.

[0027] The object detection sensor 17 is a device that detects objects present around the vehicle by, for example, transmitting a transmission wave to the outside of the vehicle, receiving a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected from the outside, and analyzing the reflected wave. The object detection sensor 17 may be, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, or sonar that transmits laser light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves as a transmission wave. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging. The object detection sensor 17 is mounted, for example, on the front, rear, left, or right side of the vehicle, and outputs, as detection information, information on the presence or absence of objects such as other vehicles or obstacles present around the vehicle, as well as the distance and direction to the detected objects, to the communication bus 33.

[0028] The wheel speed sensors 18 are provided, for example, on each wheel of the vehicle, and output an electric signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the wheel to the communication bus 33. The output signal from the wheel speed sensors 18 is used, for example, in the cruise control ECU 22 to calculate the traveling speed of the vehicle, i.e., the vehicle speed.

[0029] The in-vehicle communication device 19 is an external communication unit mounted on the vehicle itself, and functions as, for example, a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 19 receives various types of information, such as congestion information, signal information indicating the lighting patterns of traffic signals, and detection information of stopped vehicles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, etc., by transmitting and receiving information via wireless communication with roadside devices installed on the side of the road. The in-vehicle communication device 19 provides the received various types of information to the HMI control device 10, the navigation device 21, the vehicle control unit 23, etc.

[0030] Locator 20 includes a GNSS receiver, an inertial sensor, and the like. GNSS is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. Locator 20 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of the vehicle by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results from the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to communication bus 33. Locator 20 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of the vehicle based on the positioning results to communication bus 33 as locator information.

[0031] Locator 20 further includes, for example, a map database storing map data. The map database is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium storing a large number of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving by vehicle control system 1. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional shape information of roads and detailed information about each lane. Locator 20 can update the three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication using on-board communication device 19. Locator 20, for example, reads map data around the current location from the map database and provides it to vehicle control unit 23, etc., along with locator information.

[0032] The navigation device 21 acquires information about a destination specified by a passenger such as a driver based on operation information acquired from the HMI control device 10. The navigation device 21 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 20, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation device 21 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the HMI control device 10, the vehicle control unit 23, etc. The navigation device 21 works in conjunction with the HMI system 100 to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays and voice messages, etc., and notifying the driver of the direction in which the vehicle should travel at intersections, branching points, etc.

[0033] The cruise control ECU 22 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. For example, the cruise control ECU 22 calculates the vehicle's traveling speed based on output signals from the wheel speed sensors 18, generates vehicle speed information indicating the calculated traveling speed, and outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 33. The cruise control ECU 22 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The cruise control ECU 22 continuously controls the braking force of each wheel, the output of the powertrain, and the steering based on either an operation command based on the driver's driving operation or a control command from the vehicle control unit 23. The powertrain is an engine that generates power for propelling the vehicle, and may be, for example, an internal combustion engine that burns fuel such as gasoline, a drive motor / generator, or a hybrid power unit including multiple power sources.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 23 is a computer mainly including a control circuit including, for example, a CPU, recording media such as ROM and RAM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The vehicle control unit 23 receives output data from the above-mentioned various sensors and on-board devices via a communication bus 33. The vehicle control unit 23 then reads and executes a computer program, i.e., a vehicle control program, stored in a non-transitory physical recording medium such as a ROM or non-volatile rewritable memory (not shown). Execution of this computer program executes a method corresponding to the computer program, i.e., a vehicle control method. In other words, the vehicle control unit 23 corresponds to a vehicle control device that executes various vehicle controls of the vehicle in accordance with the computer program and is configured as a functional unit for realizing the windscreen control described below. In vehicle control, the vehicle control unit 23 controls various devices, such as the display device 12, the audio device 13, the navigation device 21, and the cruise control ECU 22.

[0035] The above is the basic configuration of the vehicle control system 1. The vehicle control system 1 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include other known in-vehicle devices such as an air conditioner, an exterior alarm, and an ambient light, as needed.

[0036] 3, the vehicle control unit 23 includes an environment recognition unit 24, a device linkage unit 28, a control decision unit 30, and a control execution unit 32. The vehicle control unit 23 corresponds to an execution unit that reads and executes a vehicle control program for executing vehicle control, which will be described later.

[0037] The environment recognition unit 24 recognizes the environment around and inside the vehicle based on, for example, output data from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14, the wheel speed sensor 18, and the locator 20, and provides the results to the device linkage unit 28 and the control decision unit 30. The environment recognition unit 24 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle by, for example, combining locator information and map data acquired from the locator 20 with detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The environment recognition unit 24 may acquire detection information received by the in-vehicle communication device 19 from the device linkage unit 28 and use it for recognition of the driving environment. The environment recognition unit 24 recognizes the wind environment, including the magnitude and direction of wind in the area around the vehicle, based on, for example, wind sound information acquired from the multiple acoustic sensors 16. The environment recognition unit 24 acquires, for example, vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the vehicle from the wheel speed sensor 18. The environment recognition unit 24 includes, for example, a target recognition unit 25, a road recognition unit 26, and a wind recognition unit 27. The environment recognition unit 24 sequentially provides the control decision unit 30 with the information recognized by the target recognition unit 25, road recognition unit 26, and wind recognition unit 27, that is, the recognition results of the environment around the vehicle and the driving environment.

[0038] The target recognition unit 25 recognizes the size, relative position, relative speed, etc. of various targets such as other vehicles, people, obstacles, etc. that exist around the vehicle, based on, for example, analysis information of image data captured by the camera unit 15 and detection information from the object detection sensor 17. For example, when the target recognition unit 25 acquires information on a target that is equal to or larger than a predetermined size, that is, a target that can serve as a windbreak object, it provides the information on the target to a windbreak control unit 31, which will be described later.

[0039] The road recognition unit 26 acquires road information related to the road on which the vehicle is traveling or the road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel, for example, based on the locator information and map data. The road information includes whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling has multiple lanes on each side, whether the lane on which the vehicle is traveling is a shoulder lane adjacent to the shoulder, and the like.

[0040] The wind assessment unit 27 acquires wind sound collection data from the multiple acoustic sensors 16 and assesses the wind environment, such as the wind strength and direction, in the area surrounding the vehicle V based on the sound collection data. The wind assessment unit 27 estimates the strength of the wind blowing against the vehicle V, for example, based on the sound pressure level of the wind collected by the multiple acoustic sensors 16 installed on the vehicle V. For example, the wind strength is changed and the acoustic sensors 16 collect wind sound, and data on the relationship between the wind strength and the sound pressure level is collected in advance and stored in a recording medium (not shown) of the vehicle control unit 23 in the form of a data table or the like. The wind assessment unit 27 can then estimate the wind strength based on, for example, the sound pressure level of the wind collected by the acoustic sensors 16 and the data table. The wind strength is, for example, wind speed (unit: m / s).

[0041] The wind detection unit 27 also estimates the direction of the wind blowing against the vehicle, for example, based on the difference in sound pressure levels of the wind collected by the multiple acoustic sensors 16 and the time difference between the collection of the sounds. For example, when the multiple acoustic sensors 16 collect wind sound, the wind sound is collected earliest at the right edge of the front of the vehicle, where the sound pressure level is the highest, and the difference in sound pressure level and the time difference between the right edge of the front and the left edge of the rear are large. In such a case, the wind detection unit 27 estimates that the right front of the vehicle is the upwind side, and that the wind is blowing from the front right to the rear left in the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle. For example, as described above, the wind detection unit 27 estimates the magnitude and direction of the wind in the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle based on the sound pressure levels, sound pressure level differences, and time differences between the wind collected by the multiple acoustic sensors 16, and sequentially provides the estimation results to the windshield control unit 31.

[0042] The device linking unit 28 enables information linking between the vehicle control unit 23 and various in-vehicle devices, such as the display device 12, the audio device 13, the in-vehicle communication device 19, the navigation device 21, and the HMI control device 10, and executes control of the various in-vehicle devices. The device linking unit 28, for example, acquires detection information received by the in-vehicle communication device 19, acquires route information from the navigation device 21, and provides the acquired information to the environment recognition unit 24 and the control decision unit 30. The device linking unit 28 requests the various in-vehicle devices to operate, for example, by means of a vehicle control command signal determined by the control decision unit 30. The device linking unit 28, for example, has a device control unit 29 that outputs an operation signal to the various in-vehicle devices.

[0043] The device control unit 29 requests various in-vehicle devices to perform predetermined processing corresponding to the vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 30. The device control unit 29 executes, for example, a request to the display device 12 and / or the audio device 13 to notify the user inside the vehicle, a request to the navigation device 21 to perform reroute control, etc. The device control unit 29 corresponds to an execution unit that executes the vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 30.

[0044] The control decision unit 30 determines the content of vehicle control for the host vehicle based on the recognition results of the traveling environment of the host vehicle and the wind environment in the surrounding area from the environment recognition unit 24. When it is determined that there is wind that will affect the traveling of the host vehicle based on the information on the wind environment from the wind grasping unit 27, the control decision unit 30 decides to execute at least one of vehicle controls: moving closer to a windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the traveling position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and deceleration. The control decision unit 30 outputs, for example, a request signal for the vehicle control that has been decided to be executed to the equipment control unit 29 or the control execution unit 32. The control decision unit 30 includes, for example, a windbreak control unit 31.

[0045] In this specification, "moving to the vicinity of a windbreak object" refers to the host vehicle moving to a position near the windbreak object, downwind of the windbreak object, and at a distance less than a predetermined distance where the wind strength hitting the host vehicle is reduced by the windbreak object. "Lane change" refers to changing the host vehicle's driving position from the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling to the upwind lane or driving lane when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with two or more lanes. "Changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling" refers to changing the driving position by shifting the driving position from the center position of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling to the upwind side. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, "changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling" may be referred to as "offset driving."

[0046] The windshield control unit 31 executes windshield control to reduce the impact of wind on the host vehicle, for example, depending on the presence, strength, and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle, the vehicle speed, and the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. Windshield control includes not only control to reduce the strength of wind hitting the host vehicle by moving the host vehicle near a windshield object, but also control to reduce the impact of wind by changing the vehicle's traveling position or decelerating the vehicle. The windshield control unit 31 performs a process of determining whether there is wind that will affect the traveling of the host vehicle, for example, based on information about the wind environment in the area surrounding the host vehicle from the wind grasping unit 27. The windshield control unit 31 performs a process of determining whether there is a windshield object among the detected objects, based on the wind environment information and object information from the target grasping unit 25, for example. If the windshield control unit 31 determines that there are multiple windshield objects, it performs a process of determining the optimal windshield object. The results of various processes performed by the windshield control unit 31 are used by the control determination unit 30 to determine vehicle control.

[0047] For example, when the control decision unit 30 requests any one of moving closer to a windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the vehicle's running position within the lane in which the vehicle is running, and deceleration, the control execution unit 32 generates a corresponding control command signal and outputs it to the cruise control ECU 22. When it is determined that the vehicle should move closer to a windbreak object, change lanes, or change the vehicle's running position within the lane in which the vehicle is running, the control execution unit 32 outputs a command signal for steering control to the cruise control ECU 22. When it is determined that the vehicle should decelerate, the control execution unit 32 outputs a command signal for deceleration control to the cruise control ECU 22. Similar to the device control unit 29, the control execution unit 32 corresponds to an execution unit that executes the vehicle control determined by the control decision unit 30.

[0048] The basic configuration of the vehicle control unit 23 has been described above.

[0049] [Wind Shield Control] Next, the wind shield control executed by the vehicle control system 1 will be described.

[0050] The vehicle control system 1 executes the control flow shown in FIG. 4 when a predetermined start condition is met, for example, when the ignition of the vehicle is turned on.

[0051] In step S110, external sounds are collected by the multiple acoustic sensors 16 mounted on the vehicle. The acoustic sensors 16 output sound data corresponding to the collected external sounds as sound information to the vehicle control unit 23 via the communication bus 33.

[0052] In step S120, for example, the wind grasping unit 27 estimates the magnitude and direction of the wind in the area surrounding the vehicle, as described above, based on the sound data acquired in step S110 and the data table stored in the recording medium in the vehicle control unit 23. Then, the wind grasping unit 27 outputs information on the estimated wind environment to the control determination unit 30.

[0053] In step S130, for example, the environment recognition unit 24 acquires object information, vehicle speed information, and road information around the vehicle from various on-board sensors such as the periphery monitoring sensor 14 and the wheel speed sensor 18, and various on-board devices such as the locator 20 and the navigation device 21. The environment recognition unit 24 then grasps the driving environment, such as the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle, the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and provides the grasped driving environment to the control decision unit 30.

[0054] In step S140, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether or not there is a lateral wind that may affect the running of the host vehicle, i.e., a crosswind, based on the information on the wind environment from the wind detection unit 27. The crosswind here refers to a wind that runs in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the host vehicle, i.e., a wind that may cause the host vehicle to stagger in the vehicle width direction, and is not limited to a wind that runs directly beside the host vehicle. The crosswind determination process in step S140 is performed, for example, based on whether the estimated wind direction is intersecting the traveling direction of the host vehicle and whether the estimated wind strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Then, for example, if the determination in step S140 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S150, and if the determination in step S140 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 returns to step S110.

[0055] In step S150, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether the estimated wind strength is equal to or greater than a threshold based on the wind and vehicle speed information acquired in steps S120 and S130 and a threshold for determining whether to execute windshield control. The threshold used for the determination in step S150 is an indicator of a state in which windshield control is necessary, i.e., a state in which the host vehicle is likely to sway in the vehicle width direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , this threshold is a value that varies depending on the host vehicle speed and is set in advance based on test results such as a simulation using a vehicle body model equipped with the vehicle control system 1. The threshold value decreases as the host vehicle speed increases. This is because, even if the wind strength is constant, the vehicle body becomes more susceptible to wind as the host vehicle speed increases, which may cause the driver to lose control of the steering wheel. The threshold value is not limited to a value that varies linearly with vehicle speed as shown in FIG. 5 . It may also be a value that varies stepwise depending on a plurality of vehicle speed ranges. Then, for example, if the determination in step S150 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S160, and if the determination in step S150 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S180.

[0056] In step S160, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether or not a windshield object is present in front of or to the side of the vehicle in the traveling direction, based on the wind and object information acquired before this step. Then, for example, if the determination in step S160 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S170, and if the determination in step S160 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S180.

[0057] In step S170, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether both the estimated wind magnitude and the acquired vehicle speed are equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined values ​​in step S170 are set, for example, as A for wind magnitude and B for vehicle speed, as shown in FIG. 6 , and are different from the thresholds in step S150. When both the wind magnitude and vehicle speed are large, moving the host vehicle near a windshield object may cause the host vehicle to sway due to a secondary wind flow caused by the wind hitting the windshield object, which may actually make the vehicle unstable. The predetermined values ​​in step S170 are set in advance, for example, by simulation similar to that used for the thresholds in step S150. Then, for example, if the vehicle control unit 23 makes a positive determination in step S170, the process proceeds to step S171. If the vehicle control unit 23 makes a negative determination in step S170, the process proceeds to step S172.

[0058] In step S171, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute deceleration control and requests the control execution unit 32 to execute deceleration control. The control execution unit 32 then outputs a command to execute deceleration control to the cruise control ECU 22 to reduce the vehicle speed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , for example, in a coordinate system with two axes of wind magnitude and vehicle speed, the position coordinate of the wind magnitude and vehicle speed acquired in steps S120 and S130 is set to P1. The deceleration control in step S171 reduces the vehicle speed to at least a predetermined value B and moves the position coordinate in the coordinate system to P2. As a result, when the wind magnitude is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the vehicle control system 1 can prevent unintended swaying of the vehicle due to moving the vehicle near a windshield object, while relatively reducing the effect of wind on the vehicle, thereby improving driving safety.

[0059] In step S172, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines one windshield object from among the objects detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. If multiple objects that can serve as windshield objects are detected, the windshield control unit 31 determines, for example, one of the multiple objects that is the largest in size as the windshield object. In this case, the windshield control unit 31 may change the windshield object depending on the strength of the wind, and may determine a larger object as the windshield object as the strength of the wind increases. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S173.

[0060] In step S173, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines to move the host vehicle to a position near a windshield object. For example, based on the locator information, the position information of the determined windshield object, and the information on the wind environment, the windshield control unit 31 requests the control execution unit 32 to perform steering control to move the host vehicle to a position near the windshield object determined in step S172 and downwind of the windshield object. The control execution unit 32 then outputs a command to execute steering control to the cruise control ECU 22. As a result, when there is a crosswind that affects the traveling of the host vehicle and a windshield object is present near the host vehicle, the vehicle control system 1 moves the host vehicle to a position near the windshield object to reduce the influence of the crosswind, thereby improving the traveling safety of the host vehicle.

[0061] In step S180, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling has one lane, based on the road information acquired in step S130. Then, for example, if the determination in step S180 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S181, and if the determination in step S180 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S182.

[0062] In step S181, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines to change the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, i.e., to perform offset driving. Then, for example, the windshield control unit 31 requests the control execution unit 32 to perform steering control so that the host vehicle travels at a position shifted upwind from the center of the road based on the locator information and wind environment information. The control execution unit 32 then outputs a command to execute steering control to the cruise control ECU 22. As a result, when there is a crosswind that affects the traveling of the host vehicle but no windshield object is present near the host vehicle and the host vehicle cannot change lanes, the vehicle control system 1 causes the host vehicle to travel offset upwind to reduce the effects of the crosswind, thereby improving the traveling safety of the host vehicle.

[0063] In step S182, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether the lane upwind of the lane the host vehicle is traveling in is an overtaking lane, based on the locator information and wind environment information. Then, for example, if the determination in step S182 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S183, and if the determination in step S182 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S184.

[0064] In step S183, for example, similar to step S171, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute deceleration control, and the control execution unit 32 outputs a command to execute steering control to the cruise control ECU 22 in response to a request from the windshield control unit 31. As a result, when there is a crosswind that affects the traveling of the host vehicle but no windshield object is present near the host vehicle and the lane upwind of the host vehicle is an overtaking lane, the vehicle control system 1 reduces the influence of the crosswind by decelerating the host vehicle without changing lanes, thereby improving the traveling safety of the host vehicle.

[0065] In step S184, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute a lane change to move the host vehicle to the upwind lane. Then, for example, the windshield control unit 31 requests the control execution unit 32 to perform steering control so that the host vehicle travels in the upwind lane based on the locator information and the wind environment information. In this case, the upwind lane becomes, for example, the driving lane. As a result, if there is a crosswind that affects the travel of the host vehicle but no windshield object is present near the host vehicle and the lane upwind of the host vehicle is not an overtaking lane, the vehicle control system 1 changes the host vehicle to the upwind lane, thereby reducing the influence of the crosswind and improving the travel safety of the host vehicle.

[0066] After executing any one of the vehicle controls in steps S171, S173, S181, S183, and S184, the vehicle control unit 23 proceeds to step S190, for example, to determine whether a predetermined termination condition is met. If the determination in step S190 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 terminates the windshield control, and if the determination in step S190 is negative, the vehicle control unit 23 repeats the process of step S190. The termination condition in step S190 can be set to any condition, such as the wind strength reaching a level that does not affect the driving of the vehicle or the shift lever of the vehicle being in park.

[0067] Here, when the host vehicle is near a windshield object and continues to travel in a position on the downwind side (hereinafter referred to as "windshield travel"), the crosswind hitting the host vehicle is reduced by the windshield object, and the actual strength of the wind cannot be estimated using the acoustic sensor 16. Therefore, it is preferable that the termination condition of step S190 when the windshield travel control of step S173 is continuing is set separately from the termination condition when the windshield control of steps S171, S181, S183, and S184 is continuing.

[0068] Therefore, when step S173 is executed, for example, the vehicle control unit 23 may execute the control flow shown in FIG. 7 in step S190.

[0069] In step S191, for example, the vehicle control unit 23 acquires information about the strength of the wind in the area in which the vehicle is traveling from various on-board devices other than the acoustic sensor 16, such as the camera unit 15 and the on-board communication device 19. For example, when the camera unit 15 is used, the camera unit 15 captures an image of the area in front of the vehicle, and the strength of the wind can be estimated by analyzing the degree of swaying of objects in the area in front of the vehicle that are swaying due to the wind using a known image analysis technique. For example, when the on-board communication device 19 is used, information about strong wind areas or information about wind speeds in the area in which the vehicle is traveling can be acquired.

[0070] In the following step S192, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether the strength of the wind is equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the information acquired in step S191. The predetermined value used in step S192 may be the same as the threshold value used in step S150, or may be a different value. Then, for example, if the determination in step S192 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 23 terminates the windshield control, and if the determination in step S192 is negative, the process returns to step S191. This enables the vehicle control system 1 to appropriately terminate windshield traveling when the wind weakens during windshield traveling.

[0071] Furthermore, when step S173 is executed, for example, the vehicle control unit 23 may execute the control flow shown in FIG. 8 in step S190 instead of the termination determination process using on-board equipment other than the acoustic sensor 16 described above.

[0072] For example, the windshield control unit 31 executes the process of step S193 when a predetermined time has elapsed after executing windshield traveling in step S173. In step S193, for example, the control decision unit 30 decides to execute departure from the position in windshield traveling in step S173, and outputs a request command to the control execution unit 32. Then, for example, in response to the request from the control decision unit 30, the control execution unit 32 outputs a command to the cruise control ECU 22 to execute steering control for deceleration or lane change in order to increase the distance between the host vehicle and the windshield object to a predetermined value or more.

[0073] In the following step S194, similar to steps S110 and S120, for example, the environment recognition unit 24 acquires collected sound data from the multiple acoustic sensors 16, and the wind grasping unit 27 estimates the magnitude and direction of the wind based on the collected sound data to grasp the wind environment.

[0074] Next, in step S195, for example, the windshield control unit 31 determines whether the strength of the wind is equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the information about the wind environment estimated in step S194. The predetermined value used in step S195 may be the same as the threshold value used in step S150, or may be a different value. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 23 terminates the windshield control if the determination in step S195 is affirmative, or proceeds to step S196 if the determination in step S195 is negative. This allows the vehicle control system 1 to appropriately terminate windshield traveling if the wind weakens during windshield traveling.

[0075] In step S196, for example, similar to step S173, the windshield control unit 31 determines to perform windshield driving, and the control execution unit 32 outputs a command to execute steering control to the driving control ECU 22. This causes the host vehicle to return to a state in which it travels near the windshield object, thereby reducing the effect of crosswinds on the host vehicle. Then, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since execution of step S196, the vehicle control unit 23 returns the process to step S193.

[0076] The above windshield control is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4, and the order of the processes and the determination contents may be changed as appropriate within the possible range.

[0077] Through the above-described windbreak control, the vehicle control system 1 detects the presence or absence of a crosswind and a windbreak object that affect the traveling of the host vehicle, and performs one of the following actions depending on the strength of the wind and the vehicle speed: moving closer to the windbreak object, offset traveling, changing lanes to the windward side, and deceleration. As a result, when there is a crosswind that affects the traveling of the host vehicle, the vehicle control system 1 performs appropriate vehicle control depending on the strength of the wind, the vehicle speed, the presence or absence of a windbreak object, and the traveling position of the host vehicle, thereby reducing the effects of the crosswind and improving the traveling safety of the host vehicle.

[0078] The vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment includes a wind detection unit 27 that estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the vehicle based on sound information from multiple acoustic sensors 16, and a windshield control unit 31 that detects the presence or absence of a windshield object based on object information from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The windshield control unit 31 determines whether or not a windshield object exists based on the presence or absence of a windshield object and the estimation result from the wind detection unit 27. The windshield control to be executed is at least one of moving closer to the windshield object, changing lanes, offset driving, and deceleration. This enables the vehicle control system 1 to detect crosswinds facing the vehicle using sound information from the acoustic sensors 16 and to execute appropriate vehicle control according to the magnitude of the wind, vehicle speed, and the presence or absence of a windshield object. Therefore, the vehicle control system 1 can provide appropriate driving assistance to safely drive the vehicle when the vehicle is directly exposed to strong winds, regardless of the crosswind conditions in the area ahead of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 also achieves the following effects.

[0079] (1) When the wind grasping unit 27 determines that the strength of the wind from the side of the host vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute windshield control by moving the host vehicle to a position near a windshield object. This moves the host vehicle to a position near the windshield object but downwind, reducing the influence of crosswinds and improving the safety of the host vehicle's travel.

[0080] (2) The windshield control unit 31 determines whether to execute windshield control based on a threshold determined according to the vehicle speed and wind strength of the host vehicle. The threshold is set to a smaller value as the vehicle speed increases. This makes it possible to execute windshield control appropriately when a crosswind affects the running of the host vehicle.

[0081] (3) When the vehicle speed and wind strength are equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute deceleration as windshield control. This prevents the vehicle from becoming unstable when the vehicle is moved closer to a windshield object, reduces the impact of crosswinds on the vehicle, and improves the safety of the vehicle.

[0082] (4) The windshield control unit 31 changes the object to be used as a windshield object from among the objects detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor 14, depending on the strength of the wind estimated by the wind grasping unit 27. This allows the windshield object to be appropriately determined, and improves the safety of the vehicle when traveling while shielding from the wind.

[0083] (5) When multiple objects are detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor, the windshield control unit 31 determines the largest object as the windshield object. This allows the windshield object to be appropriately determined, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle when traveling while shielding from the wind.

[0084] (6) When the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 does not detect an object that can be used as a windbreak, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute a lane change to move the host vehicle to a lane on the windward side as windshield control. In addition, in this case, when the lane on the windward side is an overtaking lane, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute deceleration as windshield control instead of a lane change. As a result, when there is no windshield object, vehicle control is executed to either change lanes on the windward side or decelerate, thereby reducing the impact of crosswinds on the host vehicle and improving the safety of the host vehicle's travel.

[0085] (7) When the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 does not detect an object that can be used as a windbreak, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute a lane change to move the host vehicle into the driving lane as windshield control. In this case, when the host vehicle is traveling on a single-lane road, the windshield control unit 31 determines to execute vehicle control to change the traveling position of the host vehicle to an upwind side within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling as windshield control. As a result, when there is no windshield object, vehicle control is executed to either change the lane into the driving lane or to drive offset, thereby reducing the effect of crosswinds on the host vehicle and improving the safety of the host vehicle.

[0086] (8) The vehicle control system 1 includes on-board devices 15, 19 that acquire information about wind strength in the area where the vehicle is traveling. When the windshield control unit 31 determines that the local wind strength is equal to or less than a predetermined level based on the information acquired by the on-board devices while windshield control is being performed, it decides to terminate the windshield control. This allows the windshield control to be appropriately terminated when the wind strength in the area around the vehicle falls below a predetermined level during windshield travel control.

[0087] (9) When the wind detection unit 27 determines that the wind strength is equal to or less than a predetermined value when the host vehicle moves away from the vicinity of the windshield object while the windshield control unit 31 is executing the windshield control, the windshield control unit 31 determines to end the windshield control. This makes it possible to appropriately end the windshield control when the wind strength in the area around the host vehicle becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value during windshield traveling control.

[0088] (Other Embodiments) While the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those examples or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one, or less than one, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0089] Each processing unit in the above embodiment is, for example, hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to a RAM, and includes at least one arithmetic core, such as a CPU and a GPU. GPU is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit. Each processing unit may further include an FPGA, an NPU, and an IP core with other dedicated functions. FPGA and NPU are abbreviations for Field-Programmable Gate Array and Neural Network Processing Unit, respectively. Each processing unit may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an ASIC, FPGA, or the like. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. In this way, the hardware configuration of each processing unit can be changed as appropriate.

[0090] The form of the recording medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) on which various programs, including the vehicle control program corresponding to the vehicle control in the above embodiment, are recorded may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the recording medium is not limited to a configuration provided on a circuit board, but may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as the vehicle control unit 23. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk, hard disk drive, solid state drive, or the like, from which the program is copied or distributed to the vehicle control unit 23 or the like.

[0091] The vehicle control system 1 according to the above embodiment may execute vehicle control to notify the driver of the detection results of crosswinds and windshield objects and the details of the windshield control to be executed in response to the detection results when executing windshield control. For example, in this case, the vehicle control system 1 notifies the driver of the detection results and the details of the windshield control via the display device 12, the audio device 13, or both. This allows the driver to understand the wind environment and the execution of windshield control in advance. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 may execute control to activate the turn signal when executing a lane change as windshield control, thereby notifying the outside of the vehicle of the direction of movement of the vehicle. In this way, the vehicle control system 1 may execute control to notify the outside of the vehicle that windshield control is being executed.

[0092] The vehicle control unit 23 and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 23 and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 23 and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium.

[0093] It goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, values, amounts, and ranges of the components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the shapes, positional relationships, etc. of the components are mentioned, they are not limited to the shapes, positional relationships, etc., unless they are specifically stated or are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0094] (Aspects of the Present Disclosure) The above-described present disclosure can be understood from the following perspectives, for example: [First Aspect] A vehicle control device comprising: a wind detection unit (27) that estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in a surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a windshield control unit (31) that detects the presence or absence of a windshield object that can provide a windshield based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects present in a forward area of ​​the host vehicle, and determines whether or not there is a windshield object that can provide a windshield, and based on the presence or absence of the windshield object and the estimation result by the wind detection unit, decides to execute windshield control to reduce the effect of the wind on the host vehicle; and a control execution unit (32) that executes vehicle control decided by the windshield control unit, wherein the windshield control is at least one of vehicle control of moving closer to the windshield object, changing lanes, changing the traveling position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and decelerating. [Second Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the first aspect, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute the windshield control by moving the vehicle closer to the windshield object when it is determined that the strength of the wind from a lateral direction of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. [Third Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the windshield control unit determines whether to execute the windshield control based on a threshold determined according to the speed of the vehicle and the strength of the wind. [Fourth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the third aspect, wherein the threshold in the windshield control unit is set to a smaller value as the vehicle speed is higher. [Fifth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first, third, and fourth aspects, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute deceleration as the windshield control when the speed of the vehicle and the strength of the wind are equal to or greater than a predetermined value. [Sixth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the windshield control unit changes the object to be used as the windshield object from among the objects detected by the periphery monitoring sensor in accordance with the magnitude of the wind estimated by the wind grasping unit. [Seventh Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first to fourth and sixth aspects, wherein the windshield control unit determines a larger object as the windshield object when multiple objects are detected by the periphery monitoring sensor.[Eighth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first, third, and fourth aspects, wherein the windshield control unit determines, as the windshield control, to execute a lane change to move the host vehicle into a windward lane when the periphery monitoring sensor does not detect an object that can be used as the windshield object. [Ninth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the eighth aspect, wherein, as the windshield control, the windshield control unit determines, as the windshield control, to execute deceleration instead of changing lanes when the windward lane is an overtaking lane. [Tenth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first, third, and fourth aspects, wherein, as the windshield control, the windshield control unit determines, as the windshield control, to execute a lane change to move the host vehicle into a driving lane when the periphery monitoring sensor does not detect an object that can be used as the windshield object. [Eleventh Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first, third, and fourth aspects, wherein, when the host vehicle is traveling on a single-lane road, the windshield control unit determines to execute vehicle control to change the traveling position of the host vehicle to an upwind side within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, as the windshield control. [Twelfth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising an on-board device (15, 19) that acquires information on wind strength in an area in which the host vehicle is traveling, and when executing the windshield control, the windshield control unit determines, based on the information acquired by the on-board device, that the windshield control unit determines, when executing the windshield control, that the wind strength in the area is equal to or less than a predetermined value. [Thirteenth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein, when executing the windshield control, the windshield control unit determines, when determining, when the host vehicle has moved away from the vicinity of the windshield object, that the windshield control unit determines, when executing the windshield control, that the wind strength is equal to or less than a predetermined value.[Fourteenth Aspect] A vehicle control method usable in a vehicle, comprising: estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in a surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the host vehicle; determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide a windbreak based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects present in a forward area of ​​the host vehicle; and executing windbreak control to reduce the effect of the wind on the host vehicle based on the estimation results of the presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area, wherein the windbreak control is at least one of vehicle control of moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the running position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and deceleration. [Fifteenth Aspect] A vehicle control program used for controlling the driving state of the host vehicle, the vehicle control program causing at least one execution unit (23) to execute processes including: a process of estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in a surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a process of determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide wind protection based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects present in a forward area of ​​the host vehicle; and a process of executing at least one vehicle control of moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and decelerating, as wind protection control for reducing the effect of the wind on the host vehicle, based on the estimation results of the presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a wind detection unit (27) that estimates the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the vehicle; a wind protection control unit (31) that determines whether or not there is a wind protection object that can provide a wind protection based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects in the area ahead of the vehicle, and determines whether or not there is a wind protection object that can provide a wind protection, based on the presence or absence of the wind protection object and the estimation result by the wind detection unit; and a control execution unit (32) that executes the vehicle control determined by the wind protection control unit, wherein the wind protection control is at least one of vehicle control of moving closer to the wind protection object, changing lanes, changing the running position within the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and deceleration.

2. The vehicle control device described in claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines to perform the windshield control by moving closer to the windshield object when it determines that the strength of the wind from the side of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines whether to execute the windshield control based on a threshold determined according to the speed of the host vehicle and the strength of the wind.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the threshold value in the windshield control unit is set to a smaller value as the vehicle speed increases.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute deceleration as the windshield control when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the strength of the wind are equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

6. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit changes the object to be used as the windshield object from among the objects detected by the surrounding monitoring sensor depending on the strength of the wind estimated by the wind grasping unit.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines a larger object as the windshield object when a plurality of objects are detected by the periphery monitoring sensor.

8. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute a lane change to move the vehicle to an upwind lane as the windshield control when the surrounding monitoring sensor does not detect an object that can be used as the windshield object.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the windbreak control unit determines to execute deceleration instead of lane change as the windbreak control when the upwind lane is an overtaking lane.

10. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute a lane change to move the vehicle into a driving lane as the windshield control when the surrounding monitoring sensor does not detect an object that can be used as the windshield object.

11. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the windshield control unit determines to execute vehicle control to change the driving position of the vehicle to an upwind side within the lane in which the vehicle is traveling when the vehicle is traveling on a single-lane road, as the windshield control.

12. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising an on-board device (15, 19) that acquires information on wind strength in the area in which the vehicle is traveling, and wherein the wind protection control unit, when performing the wind protection control, determines that the wind strength in the area is equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the information acquired by the on-board device, and decides to terminate the wind protection control.

13. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the windshield control unit, while executing the windshield control, determines that the strength of the wind is equal to or less than a predetermined value when the vehicle moves away from the vicinity of the windshield object, and decides to terminate the windshield control.

14. A vehicle control method usable in a vehicle, comprising: estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in an area surrounding the vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the vehicle; determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide a windbreak based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects in an area ahead of the vehicle; and executing windbreak control to reduce the effect of the wind on the vehicle based on the estimated presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area, wherein the windbreak control is at least one of vehicle control actions including moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the vehicle's driving position within the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and deceleration.

15. A vehicle control program used to control the driving state of the host vehicle, which causes at least one execution unit (23) to execute processes including: a process of estimating the magnitude and direction of wind in the area surrounding the host vehicle based on sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor (16) that collects sounds around the host vehicle; a process of determining whether or not there is a windbreak object that can provide wind protection based on object information obtained by a periphery monitoring sensor (14) that detects objects in the area ahead of the host vehicle; and a process of executing at least one vehicle control of moving closer to the windbreak object, changing lanes, changing the driving position within the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and decelerating as wind protection control to reduce the effect of the wind on the host vehicle based on the estimated results of the presence or absence of the windbreak object and the magnitude of the wind in the surrounding area.

Images