JP2007125922A - Driving support system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that the present driving support system sometimes provides inappropriate control for a driver such as ABS on a compated snow road surface. <P>SOLUTION: A driving support system for supporting vehicle driving by a support means includes: a weather condition input means for inputting a weather condition from an occupant, a weather condition detection sensor for detecting the weather condition, a mode decision means for deciding a support mode based on either the input result to the weather condition input means or the output result of the weather condition detection sensor, and a bad weather mode input means being operated for input by the occupant. The mode decision means decides the support mode based on the output of the weather condition detection sensor when the input to the bad weather condition input means exists, and decides the support mode based on the input result of the weather condition input means when no input is provided to the bad weather condition input means. Based on the support mode, the support means implements support. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile driving support system.

  Systems that support driver's driving operations are being developed according to road surface conditions and weather conditions.

For example, the driving support system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-225619 uses various sensors such as a raindrop sensor provided in a vehicle, weather information obtained by road-to-vehicle communication, and the like, and the system needs assistance (driver) Is calculated by quantifying the degree of need for assistance), and the driver is supported by controlling the lamps, power transmission system and steering system of the vehicle according to the degree of assistance needed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-225619

  Although the necessity of assistance depends on the driver's feeling, in Patent Document 1, the assistance system determines the degree of assistance. For this reason, the necessity of assistance actually requested by the driver does not match the necessity calculated by the system, and the assistance system may not be able to implement the assistance desired by the driver.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a driving support system that can reliably perform the support requested by the driver.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is provided to support driving of a vehicle by a plurality of support means, and includes weather condition input means for inputting a weather condition by an occupant, the weather condition The plurality of support means implement support at the same time based on an input result to the input means.

  The weather condition input means is operated by the passenger according to the weather condition. The plurality of support means support traveling at the same time based on the weather condition input by the occupant.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the driving support system according to the first aspect, a weather condition detection sensor for detecting a weather condition, an input result to the weather condition input means, or a weather condition detection sensor Mode determining means for determining a support mode based on any of the output results, and bad weather mode input means for input operation by the occupant, and when there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, the mode determining means The mode is determined based on the output of the weather condition detection sensor, and in the non-input state to the bad weather mode input means, the mode is determined based on the input result of the weather condition input means.

  In addition to the configuration of claim 1, the present support system includes a bad weather mode input means (for example, a switch) and a weather condition detection sensor for detecting the weather condition. Then, when the occupant has set the bad weather mode by the bad weather mode input means, the assistance content desired by the driver is specified based on the weather condition detected by the weather condition detection sensor, and the assistance is performed.

  Thereby, if the bad weather mode is input from the bad weather mode input means, the occupant can receive assistance without inputting each weather condition.

  In addition to the driving support system according to claim 1, the invention described in claim 3 includes a weather condition receiving unit that receives a weather condition transmitted from outside the vehicle, and an input result to the weather condition input unit. Alternatively, there is provided a mode determination unit that determines a support mode based on any of the output results of the weather condition reception unit, and a bad weather mode input unit that is operated to be input by the occupant, and the presence of input to the bad weather mode input unit Sometimes the mode determining means determines the mode based on the output of the weather condition receiving means, and determines the mode based on the input result of the weather condition input means in the non-input state to the bad weather mode input means. Features.

  Similarly to the second aspect, if the bad weather mode is input from the bad weather mode input means, the occupant can receive assistance without inputting each weather condition.

  Further, for example, consider a case where this travel support system is installed as an option of a vehicle. At this time, the low-function option has only a manual mode in which the occupant individually inputs the weather condition and supports driving based on the weather condition, and the high-function option is based on the weather information received by the weather condition reception means. Suppose you have an auto mode that provides support. At this time, if the weather condition individually input by the occupant and the weather information received by the weather condition receiving means are in the same information format, the mode determination means and the support means are the high function options even if they are low function options. But it can be shared. For this reason, there is no need to construct a mode determination unit and a support unit for each option, and the option development cost can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 4 is to support the traveling of the vehicle by the support means, a plurality of weather condition input means for inputting the weather condition by the occupant, a weather condition detection sensor for detecting the weather condition, A mode determination means for determining a support mode based on either an input result to the weather condition input means or an output result of the weather condition detection sensor; and a bad weather mode input means to be input by the occupant, The mode determination means determines a support mode based on the output of the weather condition detection sensor when there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, and the weather condition input means when not input to the bad weather mode input means. The support mode is determined based on the input result, and the support means performs support based on the support mode.

  With the above configuration, the occupant can receive support in two ways. The first method is a method in which the occupant selects the weather from a plurality of weather conditions and inputs it. In this case, the mode determining means determines the support to be performed based on the weather condition selected by the occupant.

  The second method is a method in which the occupant sets the bad weather mode using the bad weather mode input means. In this case, the mode determination means determines the assistance to be implemented based on the weather condition detected by the weather condition detection sensor.

  In the case of the first method, since the occupant inputs the weather condition, the reliability of the weather condition is high. And since a support means supports by the assistance mode determined based on the input weather condition, possibility that the passenger | crew needs assistance will be high.

  On the other hand, in the case of the second method, the occupant can receive assistance only by operating the bad weather mode input means. For example, even if you do not know which weather condition to select or if it is troublesome to select the current weather condition from multiple weather conditions, only a simple operation of operating the bad weather mode input means You can get support at

  As described above, since both the first method and the second method are provided, the driving support system can perform support in accordance with the intention of the occupant.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is supported by the support means, and a plurality of weather condition input means for inputting the weather condition by the occupant and the weather condition transmitted from the outside of the vehicle are received. A weather condition receiving means, a mode determination means for determining a support mode based on either an input result to the weather condition input means or a weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means, and an input operation by the occupant Bad weather mode input means, wherein the mode determination means determines a support mode based on the weather condition received by the weather condition reception means when there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, and the bad weather mode input means In the non-input state, the support mode is determined based on the input result of the weather condition input means, and the support means is based on the support mode. Which comprises carrying out the assistance.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, one of the plurality of support means implements operation support related to a driving operation of a driver, and one of the plurality of support means recognizes the environment recognition of the occupant. It is characterized by providing support.

  Driving support and environmental recognition support can be performed at the same time to improve driving safety.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in one of the support means, a light on / off support for turning on / off a light, a wiper operation support for supporting a wiper operation, and a surrounding environment of the vehicle to an occupant The other of the support means can provide steering assistance for assisting steering torque, or suspension support for improving the running stability of the vehicle, and brake boosting. It is possible to implement changing brake support.

  It is assumed that the driving support system can control a light, for example. At this time, if it is assumed that the support mode is content for instructing support regarding fog, it is possible to support recognition of an obstacle or a traveling road surface by turning on a fog light.

  If the driving support system can control the wiper, and the support mode is to instruct the fog, the wiper is moved in the intermittent mode (intermittent time is long), and the support mode is to instruct the snow support. If the intermittent mode (intermittent time) is set, and if the support mode is to instruct support for heavy rain, the intermittent mode (low intermittent time) is set, and the driver needs to set the wiper switch according to the weather. Disappears.

  When the driving support system provides notification support (for example, navigation), the content to be notified can be changed according to the weather condition. As an example of this support, when the weather condition is snowing, a route to the chain exchange place is notified, and when the weather condition is snowy, information on curves and intersections is notified.

  When performing steering assistance for assisting steering torque, for example, on a snowy road with little road surface friction, if the driving assistance system reduces the power steering assist torque, the driver can be prevented from inadvertently operating the steering wheel suddenly.

  In addition, when the driving assistance system adjusts the suspension spring rate and damping ratio according to the weather conditions, for example, when the road surface friction is small, the driving assistance system increases the spring rate so that the vehicle spins. The limit of falling into a state can be increased.

  If the driving support system can change the boost of the brake, assuming that the assistance mode is to instruct the assistance related to fog, by increasing the brake pressure in preparation for the driver's panic brake, It is possible to prevent contact with an obstacle that suddenly appears from inside.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the mode determination unit includes the vehicle in the support unit when the weather state received by the weather state reception unit is different from the weather state input by the occupant. The support means capable of providing support for the short distance area of the vehicle performs support based on the weather condition input by the occupant.

  The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that the mode determination means includes the vehicle of the support means when the weather condition received by the weather condition reception means is different from the weather condition input by the occupant. The support means capable of providing support for a long-distance area is characterized by executing support based on the weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means.

  The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that the weather condition is snowfall, and / or snowfall, and / or fog and / or heavy rain.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using Example 1 and Example 5.

[Example 1]
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving support system (10). The driving support system (10) includes a weather SW group (11), an integrated determination unit (12), a wheel speed sensor (13), a brake control unit (14), a brake ECU (15), a brake booster (16), It consists of a light control unit (17) and a fog light (18). Hereinafter, the switch is represented as SW.

  The weather SW group (11), which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, is operated by the driver and outputs the SW state to the integrated determination unit (12). The integrated determination unit (12) determines the weather based on the input SW state, and outputs the determination result to the brake control unit (14) and the light control unit (17) as a support command. The wheel speed sensor (13) outputs wheel speed information to the brake control unit (14). The brake control unit (14) calculates a brake control correction value based on the input assistance command and wheel speed information, and outputs the control correction value to the brake ECU (15). And brake ECU (15) controls a brake booster (16) using the input control correction value.

  On the other hand, the light control unit (17) outputs a turn-on / off command to the fog light (18) based on the input support command.

  The integrated determination unit (12), the brake control unit (14), the brake ECU (15), and the light control unit (17) are configured by a microcomputer and are installed on a floor in the vehicle. The brake booster (16) is provided in the engine room, and can change the brake pressurization by a control command from the brake ECU (15).

  The weather SW group (11) and the meter (21) will be described with reference to FIG. The weather SW group (11) is installed on the instrument panel around the steering column. This weather SW group (11) is composed of four types of SWs, a snow cover SW (11a), a snowfall SW (11b), a fog SW (11c), and a heavy rain SW (11d), and the driver operates any SW. Can do. Further, although the SW state is either ON or OFF, it is possible to simultaneously turn on a plurality of SWs (for example, the snowfall SW (11b) is ON and the snow cover SW (11a) is ON).

  The meter (21) is provided with an SW state indicator lamp (21a) for displaying each state of the weather SW (for example, when the heavy rain switch SW (11d) is ON, “heavy rain” appears in the SW indicator lamp (21a). Is displayed).

  The processing flow of the integrated determination unit (12), the brake control unit (14), the brake ECU (15), and the light control unit (17) will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  Steps S31 to S42 are processes performed by the integration determination unit (12). First, in step S31, a parameter w representing the weather is initialized (w = 0). In step S32 following step S31, the ON / OFF state of the weather SW group (11) is acquired. In step S33 following step S32, branch determination is performed on the condition that a plurality of SWs are turned on among the four SWs of the weather SW group (11). When it is determined that the plurality of SWs are ON, the process proceeds to step S34, and when it is determined that the plurality of SWs are not ON, the process proceeds to step S35. In step S34, the parameter w is set to w = 5, and the process proceeds to step S43. In step S35, a branch determination is made on the condition that the snowfall SW (11b) is ON. When it is determined that the snowfall SW (11b) is ON, the process proceeds to step S36, and when it is determined that the snowfall SW (11b) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S37. In step S36, the parameter w is set to w = 1, and the process proceeds to step S43. In step S37, a branch determination is made on the condition that the fog SW (11c) is ON. When it is determined that the fog SW (11c) is ON, the process proceeds to step S38, and when it is determined that the fog SW (11c) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S39. In step S38, the parameter w is set to w = 2, and the process proceeds to step S43. In step S39, a branch determination is made on the condition that the heavy rain SW (11d) is ON. If it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is ON, the process proceeds to step S40. If it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S41. In step S40, the parameter w is set to w = 3, and the process proceeds to step S43. In step S41, a branch determination is made on the condition that the snow cover SW (11a) is ON. If it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is ON, the process proceeds to step S42. If it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S43. In step S42, the parameter w is set to w = 4, and the process proceeds to step S43.

  Steps S43 and S44 are processes performed by the brake control unit (14). In step S43, wheel speed information v is acquired from the wheel speed sensor (13). In step S44 following step S43, the control correction value a is determined using the vw map shown in FIG. The brake pressure applied by the brake booster (16) decreases as the control correction value a decreases, and increases as it increases. For example, in a snowy state that requires the most brake assist and when the vehicle speed is fast, the vehicle is in a dangerous state, so it is necessary to generate a large pressure. Therefore, if w = 1 and v = high speed, the control correction value a is set to 6. Further, when a plurality of SWs are ON, the vehicle is considered to be in a very dangerous state such as snow and snowfall, so the control correction value a is a large value (5 to 7). The v-w map here is an example, and a control correction value a may be added for each SW combination.

  Step S45 following step S44 is executed by the brake ECU (15), and the brake pressurization is controlled using the control correction value a.

  Further, step S46 subsequent to step S45 is executed by the light control unit (17), and based on the table shown in FIG. 4B, a lighting / extinguishing command is output to the fog light (18), and the process is terminated.

  As described in the processing of FIG. 3, the present support system determines the content to be supported based on the SW state of the weather SW group (11) operated by the driver. For this reason, even when urgent assistance is required, such as sudden heavy rain, the driver can receive a plurality of assistances by operating only one switch, and the driving safety can be improved.

  Furthermore, when a plurality of weather switches are turned ON, the driver thinks that the driver is confused by a very serious bad weather (for example, snowfall and snow on the road surface) due to the overlap of the weather conditions. It is done. Therefore, the driving safety can also be improved by increasing the degree of support (for example, increasing the brake pressurization pressure very high).

[Example 2]
Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The differences in configuration of the second embodiment from the first embodiment are the following two points. The first point is that the present embodiment uses the weather information received by the external weather information receiving means (51) when the integrated judgment unit (12) determines the support command. The second point is that the driver is supported by the navigation system (50). In addition, about the structure equivalent to Example 1, the code | symbol similar to Example 1 is attached | subjected, and description in this Example 2 is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving support system (10) using the navigation system (50). The navigation system (50) includes a navigation ECU (52), a GPS receiver (53), a monitor (54), and a speaker (55). Then, the navigation system (50) performs support based on the support command output by the integrated determination unit (12).

  The external weather information receiving means (51) receives weather information measured by a weather measurement base station outside the vehicle by road-to-vehicle communication. The weather information is created for each predetermined area, and is in any one of five states: a normal state, a snow cover state, a snowfall state, a fog state, and a heavy rain state.

  The navigation ECU (52) draws the position of the host vehicle and the surrounding map on the monitor (54) based on information from the GPS receiver (53), a gyro sensor (not shown), etc. To inform the driver of intersection and curve information.

  With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6, the flow of processing of the integrated determination unit (12) and the navigation ECU (52) will be described. In step S61, the state of each SW of the weather SW group (11) is acquired. In step S62 following step S61, external weather information is acquired from the external weather information receiving means (51). In step S63 following step S62, the vehicle's own position is estimated based on information obtained from a GPS receiver (53) or a gyro sensor (not shown). In step S64 following step S63, the host vehicle and the surrounding map are drawn based on the self-position estimation result obtained in the preceding step S63.

  In step S65 following step S64, when snow cover SW (11a) = ON, the process proceeds to step S66, and when snow cover SW (11a) = ON, the process proceeds to step S67. In step S66, information on all the latest curves including a gentle curve is notified to the driver by the sound of the monitor (54) and the speaker (55). If it is determined in step S67 that the external weather information is snowy, the process proceeds to step S68. If the external weather information is not snowy, the process proceeds to step S69. On the other hand, in step S68, the driver is notified of the latest sharp curve information by the monitor (54) and the speaker (55).

  Differences between steps S66 and S68 will be described in detail. The process of step S66 is performed when the snow cover SW (11a) = ON. In this state, since the driver himself turns on the snow cover SW (11a), the driver immediately wants support for the snowy road surface. Therefore, it is necessary to report information on all curves including a gentle curve. On the other hand, the process of step S68 is performed when the snow cover SW (11a) is OFF and the external weather information is in a snow cover state. In this case, it is considered that the driver does not want support for the snow condition, but since the external weather information is snow, it is necessary to notify only a sharp curve with a high degree of danger just in case.

  The process after step S69 is described. In step S69 following step S66 or step S67 or step S68, when snowfall SW (11b) = ON, the process proceeds to step S70, and when snow cover SW (11a) = ON, the process proceeds to step S71. In step S70, the distance and route to the nearest chain attachment location are notified by the sound of the monitor (54) and the speaker (55). If it is determined in step S71 that the external weather information is snowing, the process proceeds to step S72. If the external weather information is not snowing, the process proceeds to step S73. On the other hand, in step S72, the distance and route to the vacant chain attachment location are notified by the monitor (54) and speaker (55) voice.

  Differences between steps S70 and S72 will be described in detail. The process of step S70 is performed when the snowfall SW (11b) = ON. In this state, since the driver himself turns on the snowfall SW (11b), the driver immediately wants support for the snowfall environment. Therefore, it is necessary to notify information on a place where snow can be prepared immediately, that is, information on the nearest chain attachment place. On the other hand, the process of step S72 is performed when the snowfall SW (11b) is OFF and the external weather information is in a snowfall state. In this case, the driver may not want support for the snowfall environment, but since the external weather information is snowing, the chain attachment work can be done safely just in case, instead of teaching the nearest chain attachment location. Announce the location of the empty chain.

  The processing after step S73 will be described. In step S73 following step S70 or step S71 or step S72, when fog SW (11c) = ON, the process proceeds to step S74. When fog SW (11c) = ON is not ON, the process proceeds to step S75. In step S74, the driver is notified of the approach to the intersection and the speed limit of the traveling road by using the sound of the monitor (54) and the speaker (55). If it is determined in step S75 that the external weather information is fog, the process proceeds to step S76. If the external weather information is not fog, the process proceeds to step S77. In step S76, only the approach to the intersection is notified by the sound of the monitor (54) and the speaker (55).

  The difference between the processing of step S74 and step S76 will be described in detail. The process of step S74 is performed when fog SW (11c) = ON. In this state, since the driver himself turns on the fog SW (11c), the driver immediately wants support for the fog environment. From this, it is expected that the driver's field of view is largely blocked by fog, and there is a high possibility that the driver does not see not only the intersection but also the sign indicating the speed limit of the traveling road. For this reason, the approach to the intersection and the speed limit of the traveling road are notified by the sound of the monitor (54) and the speaker (55). On the other hand, the process of step S76 is performed when the fog SW (11c) is OFF and the external weather information is in a fog state. In this case, it is considered that the driver does not want support for the fog environment, but since the external weather information is fog, only the approach to the intersection is notified just in case.

  The processing after step S77 will be described. In step S77 following step S74 or step S75 or step S76, when heavy rain SW (11d) = ON, the process proceeds to step S78, and when heavy rain SW (11d) = ON is not present, the process proceeds to step S79. In step S78, the driver is informed of the information of all the latest curves including a gentle curve to the driver through the monitor (54) and the speaker (55) sound, and the luminance of the monitor (54) is lowered. If it is determined in step S79 that the external weather information is heavy rain, the process proceeds to step S80, and if the external weather information is not heavy rain, the process is terminated. In step S80, the driver is notified of the information on the most recent sharp curve by using the monitor (54) and the speaker (55).

  The difference between the processing in step S78 and step S80 will be described in detail. The process of step S78 is performed when heavy rain SW (11d) = ON. In this state, since the driver himself turns on the heavy rain SW (11d), the driver immediately wants support for heavy rain. For this reason, it is necessary to notify the driver of information on all the curves including a gentle curve. Moreover, since the driver has turned on the heavy rain SW (11d), it is certain that heavy rain is falling, and it is expected that the outside of the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle will be dark even during the daytime. For this reason, by reducing the brightness of the monitor (54) screen, it is possible to reduce eyestrain of the occupants including the driver. On the other hand, the process of step S80 is performed when the heavy rain SW (11d) is OFF and the external weather information is heavy rain. In this case, it is considered that the driver does not want support for heavy rain, but only a sharp curve with a high degree of danger is notified just in case.

  As shown in the processing of FIG. 6 described above, the driving support system (10) immediately provides support corresponding to the input weather condition when the driver turns on one of the weather SW groups (11). It is a configuration to execute. Thereby, the same effect as Example 1 can be acquired.

  Furthermore, by using the weather SW group (11) operated by the driver together with the external weather information, when the driver does not need assistance, the assistance can be implemented to the extent that the driver's driving is not disturbed. Compared with the configuration of Example 1, the affinity can be increased.

  In general, since the weather information uniquely represents the weather in the entire predetermined area, the weather information does not necessarily represent the weather around the driver. Therefore, if the weather SW group (11) and the external weather information are used in combination, the weather near the vehicle is determined from the SW state of the weather SW group (11), and the weather in the area away from the vehicle is determined from the external weather information. It is also possible to improve the accuracy of weather determination.

Example 3
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The first difference in configuration of the third embodiment from the above-described embodiments is that, in this embodiment, the snow that is obtained by integrating the snow cover SW (11a) and the snowfall SW (11b) in the integrated determination unit (12). The output of SW (11e) and the output of fog + heavy rain SW (11f) obtained by integrating fog SW (11c) and heavy rain SW (11d) are input. Further, the second difference is that the output of the integrated determination unit (12) is the suspension control unit (71), the light control unit (17), the wiper control unit (72), and the power steering control unit (73). This is the point that is input to. In addition, about the structure equivalent to the above-mentioned Example, the code | symbol similar to each Example is attached | subjected, and description in this Example 3 is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system (10).

  The weather SW group (11) obtained by adding the snow SW (11e) and the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) to each weather SW (11a to d) of the first embodiment is operated by the driver, and the output thereof is an integrated determination unit ( 12). And an integrated judgment part (12) performs the process mentioned later in the flowchart of FIG. 9, and outputs a support instruction | command.

  The suspension control unit (71) adjusts the damping force of the suspension based on the support command output by the integration determination unit (12). For example, in a state where the frictional force on the road surface is low (snow, rain, etc.), the damping force is increased.

  The light control unit (17) turns on / off the fog light (18) based on the support command output by the integration determination unit (12). Specifically, when the integrated determination unit (12) determines that fog is generated, the fog light (18) is turned on, and when it is determined that the weather is other than fog, the fog light (18) is turned on. Turn off the light.

  The wiper control unit (72) operates the wiper when the support command output by the integrated determination unit (12) is heavy rain or snowfall.

  The power steering control unit (73) adjusts the assist torque based on the support command output by the integration determination unit (12). Specifically, the assist torque is reduced when the integrated determination unit (12) determines that it is in a snowy state.

  FIG. 8 shows the structure around the meter (21) and the instrument panel. The meter (21) includes a suspension control status indicator lamp (21b) that is turned on when the suspension control section (71) is adjusting the damping force of the suspension, and a light control section (17) that provides a fog light (18). The fog light indicator lamp (21c) that is lit when it is lit and the power steering control status indicator lamp (21d) that is lit when the power steering control unit (73) is reducing the assist torque are added from the state of FIG. Is done. Further, the snow SW (11e) and the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) are arranged around the steering column.

  Using the flowchart of FIG. 9, the integration determination unit (12), the suspension control unit (71), the light control unit (17), the wiper control unit (72), and the power steering control unit (73) are executed. The processing will be described.

  In step S91, the ON / OFF state of the weather SW group (11) including the snow SW (11e) and the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is acquired.

  In step S92 following step S91, branch determination is performed on condition that the snow SW (11e) is in the ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the snow SW (11e) is ON, the process proceeds to step S93. If it is determined that the snow SW (11e) is OFF, the process proceeds to step S96. In step S93, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S94 following step S93, a support command is sent to the power steering control unit (73) to reduce the power steering assist torque. In step S95 following step S94, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper.

  In step S96 following step S92 or step S94, branch determination is performed on condition that the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is ON, the process proceeds to step S97. If it is determined to be OFF, the process proceeds to step S100. In step S97, a support command is sent to the light control unit (17) to turn on the fog light (18). In step S98 following step S97, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S99 following step S98, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper.

  In step S100 following step S96 or step S99, branch determination is performed on the condition that the snow SW (11e) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the snow SW (11e) is ON, the process proceeds to step S106, and if it is determined to be OFF, the process proceeds to step S101. In step 101, branch determination is performed on condition that the snow cover SW (11a) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is ON, the process proceeds to step S102. If it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is OFF, the process proceeds to step S104. In step S102, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S103 following step S102, a support command is sent to the power steering control unit (73) to reduce the power steering assist torque.

  In step 104, branch determination is performed on condition that the snowfall SW (11b) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the snowfall SW (11b) is ON, the process proceeds to step S105, and if it is determined to be OFF, the process proceeds to step S106. In step S105, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper.

  In step S106 following step S100, step S104, or step S105, branch determination is performed on the condition that the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is ON, the process is terminated, and if it is determined OFF, the process proceeds to step S107. In step 107, branch determination is performed on condition that the fog SW (11c) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the fog SW (11c) is ON, the process proceeds to step S108, and if it is determined to be OFF, the process proceeds to step S109. In step S108, a support command is sent to the light control unit (17) to turn on the fog light (18).

  In step 109 following step S107 or step S108, branch determination is performed on condition that the heavy rain SW (11d) is in an ON-OFF state. If it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is ON, the process proceeds to step S110, and if it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is OFF, the process ends. In step S110, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S111 following step S110, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper, and then the process ends.

  The effect of each step will be described. The processing from step S92 to step S95 is executed when the snow SW (11e) is ON. The content of support provided by this processing is that the snow accumulation SW (11a) and the snowfall SW (11b) are simultaneously used. It is equal to the support content when it is ON. Similarly, the processing from step S96 to step S99 is executed when fog + heavy rain SW (11f) is ON. The contents of support provided by this processing are fog SW (11c) and heavy rain SW ( 11d) is the same as the support content when ON is simultaneously ON.

  In this way, by providing the SW that can input the weather SW (11a-d) together, for example, the snow SW (11e) that collects the snow cover SW (11a) and the snowfall SW (11b), the driver can Support can be received without individually operating SW (11a-d).

  Moreover, since it is also possible to operate each weather SW (11a-d) separately similarly to Example 1, the effect similar to Example 1 can also be acquired.

  In the present embodiment, the support provided when the SW that can input all the weather SWs (11a to d), such as the snow SW (11e), is turned on is the weather SW (11a to 11e). It is the same as the support provided when combining d). However, the support provided when the SWs that can input the weather SWs (11a to 11d) collectively are ON and the support provided when the weather SWs (11a to 11d) are combined are not the same. May be. For example, it is assumed that power assist assist torque is supported when snow cover SW (11a) is ON, and wiper operation is supported when snow fall SW (11b) is ON. On the other hand, the snow SW (11e), which is a combination of the snow cover SW (11a) and the snowfall SW (11b), is likely to be turned on when the driver needs emergency assistance. Therefore, when the snow SW (11e) is ON, safer driving is possible by providing assistance for increasing the brake pressure in addition to assistance of the assist torque and wiper.

Example 4
Example 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. The first difference in configuration of the fourth embodiment from the above-described third embodiment is that in this embodiment, the output of the weather detection sensor (101) and the output of the bad weather SW (11g) are output to the integrated determination unit (12). And are input points. The second difference is that a brake control unit (14) to which the output of the integrated determination unit (12) is input is added. In addition, about the structure equivalent to the above-mentioned Example, the code | symbol similar to each Example is attached | subjected, and description in this Example 4 is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system (10). The weather detection sensor (101) is a sensor that detects weather by performing image processing on an image captured by a vehicle-mounted camera and outputs the weather information. This weather information includes at least one state among five states of “snow cover”, “snowfall”, “fog”, “heavy rain”, and “none”. For four types of “snowfall”, “snowfall”, “fog”, and “heavy rain”, a plurality of states may be simultaneously included in the weather information. For example, when there is snow on the road surface and it is snowing, the weather information includes both “snowfall” and “snowfall”. However, the weather information does not include the “none” state and the four states such as “snow cover” at the same time.

  The weather SW group (11) composed of the bad weather SW (11g) and the weather SW (11a to f) of the third embodiment is operated by the driver, and the output of the weather SW group (11) is the integrated judgment unit (12). Is input. And the integrated judgment part (12) performs the process mentioned later with the flowchart of FIG. 12, and outputs assistance instruction | command to each control part including a brake control part (14). Based on this support command, the suspension controller (71) adjusts the damping force of the suspension, the light controller (17) turns on and off the fog light (18), and the wiper controller (72) turns off the wiper. The power steering control unit (73) adjusts the assist torque, and the brake control unit (14) controls the brake pressure.

  FIG. 11 shows the structure around the meter (21) and the instrument panel. In contrast to the configuration of FIG. 8, the meter (21) is provided with a brake pressure indicator lamp (21e) that is turned on when the brake controller (14) increases the brake pressure, and the instrument panel has a bad weather SW. (11g) is added.

  Processing executed by the integrated determination unit (12) and each control unit when the bad weather SW (11g) is turned on will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 12 and a part of the flowchart of FIG. The process of the flowchart of FIG. 12 is inserted between step S91 and step S92 in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S91 in FIG. 9, the state of all SWs including bad weather SW (11g) is acquired. In step S121 of FIG. 12 following step S91, branching determination is performed on the condition of the bad weather SW (11g). If it is determined that the bad weather SW (11g) is ON, the process proceeds to step S122, and if it is determined to be OFF, the process proceeds to step S92 in FIG. The processing after step S92 is as described in the third embodiment.

  In step S122, weather information is acquired from the weather detection sensor (101). In step S123 following step S122, branch determination is performed on the condition that “snow cover” is included in the weather information. If the snow information is included in the weather information, the process proceeds to step S124. If not included, the process proceeds to step S126. In step S124, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S125 following step S124, a support command is sent to the power steering control unit (73) to reduce the power steering assist torque.

  In step S126 following step S123 or step S125, a branch determination is made on the condition that “snowfall” is included in the weather information. If “snowfall” is included in the weather information, the process proceeds to step S127. If not included, the process proceeds to step S128. In step S127, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper.

  In step S128 following step S126 or step S127, branch determination is performed on the condition that “fog” is included in the weather information. If “mist” is included in the weather information, the process proceeds to step S129. If not included, the process proceeds to step S131. In step S129, a support command is sent to the light control unit (17) to turn on the fog light (18). In step S130 following step S129, a support command is sent to the brake control unit (14) to increase the brake pressure.

  In step S131 following step S128 or step S130, a branch determination is performed on the condition that the weather information includes “heavy rain”. If “heavy rain” is included in the weather information, the process proceeds to step S132; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S92 in FIG. In step S132, a support command is sent to the suspension controller (71) to increase the damping force of the suspension. In step S133 following step S132, a support command is sent to the wiper control unit (72) to operate the wiper, and the process proceeds to step S92 in FIG.

  As described above, the bad weather SW (11g) and the weather detection sensor (101) are provided, and the driver operates each weather SW (11a to f) individually by executing the processing shown in FIGS. You can get help without having to. In particular, when the weather changes suddenly or when it is difficult to judge the weather, the driver can receive assistance without having to worry about which SW of each weather SW (11a to f) should be turned on, Driving safety can be improved.

Example 5
Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. In addition, about the structure equivalent to the above-mentioned Example, the code | symbol similar to each Example is attached | subjected, and description in this Example 5 is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system (10). This system includes a snow cover SW (11a) and a heavy rain SW (11d) as weather SW and a bad weather SW (11g). The SW state of the snow cover SW (11a), heavy rain SW (11d), and bad weather SW (11g) is input to the integrated determination unit (12). Further, the weather condition received by the external weather information receiving means (51) used in the second embodiment is also input to the integrated judgment unit (12). The support command output from the integrated determination unit (12) is input to the navigation system (50) as in the second embodiment.

  The process performed in the integrated judgment part (12) is described using the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S141, the SW state of snow cover SW (11a), heavy rain SW (11d), and bad weather SW (11g) is acquired. In step S142 following step S141, branch determination is performed on the condition that the bad weather SW (11g) is ON. If it is determined that the bad weather SW (11g) is ON, the process proceeds to step S143. If it is determined that the bad weather SW (11g) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S144. In step S143, the weather information received by the external weather information receiving means (51) is acquired. In step S145 subsequent to step S143, branch determination is performed on the condition that the external weather information is snow. If it is determined that the external weather information is snowy, the process proceeds to step S146. If the external weather information is determined not to be snowy, the process proceeds to step S147. In step S146, all the curves are notified using the monitor (54) and the speaker (55).

  In step S147 following step S145 or step S146, branch determination is performed on the condition that the external weather information is heavy rain. If it is determined that the external weather information is heavy rain, the process proceeds to step S148, and if it is determined that the external weather information is not heavy rain, the process is terminated. In step S148, the brightness of the monitor (54) is lowered, and the process ends.

  In step S144 following the branch in step S142, branch determination is performed on the condition that the snow cover SW (11a) is ON. If it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is ON, the process proceeds to step S149, and if it is determined that the snow cover SW (11a) is not ON, the process proceeds to step S150. In step S149, all the curves are notified using the monitor (54) and the speaker (55).

  In step S150 subsequent to step S144 or step S149, a branch determination is made on the condition that the heavy rain SW (11d) is ON. If it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is ON, the process proceeds to step S151. If it is determined that the heavy rain SW (11d) is not ON, the process ends. In step S151, the brightness of the monitor (54) is lowered and the process is terminated.

  By adopting such a configuration, the driver operates the snowy SW (11a) or the heavy rain SW (11d) to input the weather condition, or presses the bad weather SW (11g). You can receive regular support. In the case of the method of operating the snow cover SW (11a) or the heavy rain SW (11d), the driver judges the surrounding weather condition and selects the weather condition that he / she needs assistance, so the reliability of the weather condition is high. . Furthermore, since the integrated determination unit (12) determines a support command based on this weather condition, there is a high possibility that the determined support command matches the support required by the driver.

  On the other hand, in the case of the method of operating the bad weather SW (11g), the driver can receive support only by operating the bad weather SW (11g). Even when it is troublesome to select the current weather condition from among the weather conditions, it is possible to receive support with a simple operation simply by operating the bad weather SW (11g).

[Other Examples]
In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the weather SW has been described as the snow cover SW (11a), the snowfall SW (11b), the fog SW (11c), and the heavy rain SW (11d), but all these four types of SW are available. It may not be necessary, and SWs with other names may be used. For example, when the rain condition is divided into rain SW and heavy rain SW (11d), only the wiper is automatically controlled in the case of rain SW, and in addition to the automatic control of the wiper in the case of heavy rain SW (11d), It is possible to increase the attenuation ratio.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the weather SW state is binary ON-OFF, but the state may be binary or more. For example, apart from the rain SW, four stages of strong, medium, weak, and none are provided, and when the rain SW and the strong SW are pressed, the wiper automatic control and the suspension damping ratio are increased. A configuration may be adopted in which only automatic wiper control is executed when the weak switch is pressed.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, navigation notification, suspension (damper) damping ratio, fog light (18) on / off, wiper operation, power steering assist torque, and brake pressure are taken as examples. By adjusting, the driving assistance to the driver was performed. However, the content of driving assistance is not limited to these. For example, in a steering mechanism in which the gear ratio of the steering is variable, when the frictional force on the road surface is small, the gear ratio can be increased (mild steering is possible) to prevent the driver from spinning due to a sudden steering operation. In addition, notification by navigation can also change the map or road to be drawn on the monitor (54) according to the weather conditions (for example, powder snow is drawn on the map when it is snowing).

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the driving support system (10) is configured to include a plurality of weather SWs, but a plurality of weather SWs are not necessarily provided. For example, in the configuration of Example 1, when only the fog SW (11c) is provided as the weather SW, if the fog SW (11c) is ON, the fog light (18) is turned on and the brake pressure is increased. If the fog SW (11c) is OFF, the fog light (18) is turned off and the brake pressure is set to the normal pressure, so that driving support for the driver is possible.

1 is a block diagram of a driving support system (10) used in Example 1. FIG. It is a figure showing the weather SW group (11) and meter (21) used in Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart showing the internal process of the integrated judgment part (12) used in Example 1, a brake control part (14), and brake ECU (15). 3 is a control map for determining a control correction value a based on a speed v and a weather state w used in the first embodiment. It is a block diagram of the driving assistance system (10) used in Example 2. FIG. It is a flowchart showing the internal process of the integrated judgment part (12) and navigation ECU (52) used in Example 2. FIG. It is a block diagram of the driving assistance system (10) used in Example 3. It is a figure showing all the weather SW used in Example 3, a weather SW group (11), and a meter (21). It is a flowchart showing the internal process of the integrated judgment part (12) used in Example 3, and the control part of each assistance apparatus. It is a block diagram of the driving assistance system (10) used in Example 4. It is a figure showing the mode of the meter (21) used in Example 4, and an instrument panel. It is a flowchart showing the internal process of the integrated judgment part (12) used in Example 4, and the control part of each assistance apparatus. It is a block diagram of the driving assistance system (10) used in Example 5. It is a flowchart showing the internal process of the integrated judgment part (12) used in Example 5, and the control part of each assistance apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10 Driving support system 11 Weather SW group 11a Snow cover SW
11b Snowfall SW
11c Fog SW
11d heavy rain SW
11e Snow SW
11f Fog + heavy rain SW
11g bad weather SW
12 Integrated judgment part 13 Wheel speed sensor 14 Brake control part 15 Brake ECU
16 Brake Booster 17 Light Control Unit 18 Fog Light 21 Meter 21a SW Status Indicator Light 21b Suspension Control Status Indicator Light 21c Fog Light Indicator Light 21d Power Steer Control Status Indicator Light 21e Brake Pressure Indicator Light 50 Navigation System 51 External Weather Information Reception Means 52 Navi ECU
53 GPS receiver 54 Monitor 55 Speaker 71 Suspension control unit 72 Wiper control unit 73 Power steering control unit 101 Weather detection sensor

Claims (10)

The vehicle is supported by a plurality of support means,
It is equipped with a weather condition input means for inputting the weather condition by the passenger,
The driving support system, wherein the plurality of support means perform support at the same time based on an input result to the weather condition input means. The driving support system according to claim 1 further includes:
A weather condition detection sensor for detecting the weather condition;
Mode determination means for determining a support mode based on either the input result to the weather condition input means or the output result of the weather condition detection sensor;
Bad weather mode input means input by the occupant,
When there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, the mode determination means determines a mode based on the output of the weather condition detection sensor, and when there is no input to the bad weather mode input means, the input of the weather condition input means A driving support system characterized in that a mode is determined based on a result. The driving support system according to claim 1 further includes:
Weather condition receiving means for receiving the weather condition transmitted from outside the vehicle;
A mode determining means for determining a support mode based on either an input result to the weather condition input means or an output result of the weather condition receiving means;
Bad weather mode input means input by the occupant,
When there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, the mode determination means determines a mode based on the output of the weather condition reception means, and when there is no input to the bad weather mode input means, the input of the weather condition input means A driving support system characterized in that a mode is determined based on a result. The vehicle is supported by support means,
A plurality of weather condition input means for inputting weather conditions by a passenger;
A weather condition detection sensor for detecting the weather condition;
Mode determination means for determining a support mode based on either the input result to the weather condition input means or the output result of the weather condition detection sensor;
Bad weather mode input means input by the occupant,
The mode determination means determines a support mode based on the output of the weather condition detection sensor when there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, and the weather condition input means when not input to the bad weather mode input means. The support mode is determined based on the input result of
A driving support system in which the support means performs support based on the support mode. The vehicle is supported by support means,
A plurality of weather condition input means for inputting weather conditions by a passenger;
Weather condition receiving means for receiving the weather condition transmitted from outside the vehicle;
A mode determining means for determining a support mode based on either an input result to the weather condition input means or a weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means;
Bad weather mode input means input by the occupant,
The mode determining means determines a support mode based on the weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means when there is an input to the bad weather mode input means, and in the non-input state to the bad weather mode input means, the weather The support mode is determined based on the input result of the state input means,
A driving support system in which the support means performs support based on the support mode. One of the plurality of support means performs operation support related to the driving operation of the driver,
The driving support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one of the plurality of support means implements recognition support regarding environmental recognition of the occupant. One of the support means can implement light on / off support for turning on / off the light, wiper operation support for supporting the operation of the wiper, and notification support for notifying the occupant of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. With
The other of the support means is capable of performing steering support that supports steering torque, suspension support that improves running stability of the vehicle, and brake support that changes the boost of the brake. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the driving support system is characterized by the following. The mode determination means, when the weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means is different from the weather condition input by the occupant,
6. The support means capable of providing support for a short range area of the vehicle among the support means performs support based on a weather condition input by the occupant. The driving support system described. The mode determination means, when the weather condition received by the weather condition receiving means is different from the weather condition input by the occupant,
The support means capable of providing support for a long-distance area of the vehicle among the support means performs support based on the weather condition received by the weather condition reception means. Item 6. The driving support system according to item 5. The driving support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the weather condition is snow accumulation, snowfall, fog, and heavy rain.

Images