JP2009018621A - Running control device and transport system using this - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a running control device of a slave vehicle, allowing the slave vehicle running according to a master vehicle to safely run parallel to a curvilinear path, and to provide a transport system using this. <P>SOLUTION: The slave vehicle 20 running parallel to the master vehicle 10 has a parallel running control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 21. On a rectilinear path, the parallel running control ECU 21 steers and controls the slave vehicle 20 according to steering information, throttle information, and braking information sent from the master vehicle 10. On a curvilinear path, the parallel running control ECU 21 sets a target value of lateral inter-vehicle distance between it and the master vehicle 10 to be long, and performs the steering and controlling so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance becomes long. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control device for a slave vehicle that travels following a lateral direction of a master vehicle, and a transportation system using the travel control device.

On curved roads, the possibility of contact with parallel vehicles is higher than on straight roads, and therefore techniques for preventing contact with adjacent vehicles on curved roads have been developed. For example, in order to prevent long-time parallel running and abnormal approach with an adjacent vehicle on a curved road, whether or not to run parallel to an adjacent vehicle on a curved road ahead of the host vehicle is determined based on the relative speed and distance, Travel control that prohibits parallel travel with adjacent vehicles on a curved road ahead of the host vehicle has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-088747 A

  By the way, although the above-mentioned technique is for prohibiting parallel running on a curved road, for example, in order to perform travel control of a slave vehicle that travels following a master vehicle traveling at the head, parallel travel is prohibited. Instead, it is possible to control the parallel running state. Controlling parallel running in this way has higher transport efficiency than prohibiting parallel running, and the greater the number of slave vehicles, the greater the difference. However, a method for actively controlling parallel running has not been created.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a travel control device for a slave vehicle that allows a slave vehicle that follows the master vehicle to travel safely along a curved road, and a transport system using the travel control device.

  A travel control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that travels in parallel according to a master vehicle, and includes a curved road detection unit that detects a curved road, and the host vehicle for the master vehicle. Vehicle position detecting means for detecting the position of the vehicle and steering control means for performing steering control. When the curved road is detected by the curved road detecting means, the steering control means displays the detection result of the vehicle position detecting means. Steering control is used to make the lateral inter-vehicle distance between the master vehicle and the slave vehicle longer than a predetermined distance on a curved road.

  Further, when the slave vehicle is positioned on the inner side of the master vehicle on the curved road, the steering control means steers the lateral vehicle distance at the entrance of the curved road so as to be longer than the lateral vehicle distance during straight running. If the slave vehicle is located outside the master vehicle on a curved road, steering control is performed so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance at the exit of the curved road is longer than the lateral inter-vehicle distance at the entrance of the curved road. Also good.

  The steering control means may perform steering control so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased as the curvature of the curved road is smaller or the change rate of the curvature is larger.

  A travel control device according to another aspect of the present invention is a travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that travels in parallel according to a master vehicle, and includes a curved road detection unit that detects a curved road, and a self-control for the master vehicle. When a curved road is detected by the vehicle position detecting means for detecting the position of the vehicle and the curved road detecting means, acceleration / deceleration control is performed using the detection result of the vehicle position detecting means. Acceleration / deceleration control means for performing acceleration / deceleration control so that the vehicle head of the host vehicle is located behind the vehicle head.

  A transportation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a master vehicle and a slave vehicle on which any of the travel control devices described above is mounted.

  A travel control device according to still another aspect of the present invention is a travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that travels in parallel according to a master vehicle, and is remotely controlled by a remote control device included in the master vehicle. Steering control means, and the steering control means is steering-controlled by the remote control device so that a lateral inter-vehicle distance between the master vehicle and the slave vehicle is longer than a predetermined distance on a curved road. .

  A transportation system according to still another aspect of the present invention is a transportation system including a master vehicle and a slave vehicle that is connected to the master vehicle so as to be wirelessly communicable and that runs parallel to the master vehicle. The vehicle includes a curved road detection unit that detects a curved road, a slave vehicle detection unit that detects a position of the slave vehicle and outputs it as position information, and a remote control unit that remotely controls the slave vehicle. In addition, the slave vehicle includes a steering control unit that is controlled by the remote control unit, and the remote control unit uses the position information of the slave vehicle when the curved road is detected by the curved road detection unit. The steering control means is steered, and on a curved road, a lateral inter-vehicle distance between the master vehicle and the slave vehicle is determined from a predetermined distance. Longer.

  Further, when the slave vehicle is located on the inside of the master vehicle on the curved road, the remote control means steers the lateral vehicle distance at the entrance of the curved road to be longer than the lateral vehicle distance at the time of straight running. If the slave vehicle is located outside the master vehicle on a curved road, steering control is performed so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance at the exit of the curved road is longer than the lateral inter-vehicle distance at the entrance of the curved road. Also good.

  The remote control means may perform steering control so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased as the curvature of the curved road is smaller or the change rate of the curvature is larger.

  A transportation system according to still another aspect of the present invention is a transportation system including a master vehicle and a slave vehicle that is connected to the master vehicle so as to be wirelessly communicable and that runs parallel to the master vehicle. The vehicle includes curved road detection means for detecting a curved road, slave vehicle detection means for detecting the position of the slave vehicle and outputting the position information, and remote control means for remotely controlling the slave vehicle. The vehicle includes acceleration / deceleration control means that is remotely controlled by the remote control means. When the curved road is detected by the curved road detection means, the remote control means uses the position information of the slave vehicle to detect the acceleration / deceleration. The deceleration control means is controlled to perform acceleration / deceleration control on a curved road so that the front of the master vehicle is behind the front of the master vehicle.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a unique effect that a master vehicle and a slave vehicle following the master vehicle can provide a traveling control device that can safely run along a curved road and a transportation system using the traveling control device.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments to which a travel control device for a slave vehicle and a transport system using the slave vehicle according to the present invention are applied are described below.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the transportation system according to the first embodiment. The transportation system includes a master vehicle 10 and a slave vehicle 20 that runs parallel to the master vehicle 10. The slave vehicle 20 is equipped with the travel control device of the first embodiment. Details thereof will be described later.

  The master vehicle 10 includes a main ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 11 that controls traveling of the host vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 12, a steering control ECU 13, a throttle control ECU 14, a brake control ECU 15, and a communication unit 16. The master vehicle 10 may be a vehicle that travels by being steered by an occupant, or may travel along a predetermined route by a predetermined automatic driving control device. These operation controls are performed by the main ECU 11. The master vehicle 10 may be a vehicle having a width of one person that can run in parallel in one lane, or may be a vehicle in which two or more people can sit side by side. The boarding capacity and body type are not limited.

  The main ECU 11, the steering control ECU 13, the throttle control ECU 14, and the brake control ECU 15 are microcomputers including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like via a bus (not shown). It is configured as the center and controls the power source and steering device (not shown) according to the occupant's steering (steering and throttle operation) or automatically controls the power source, braking device and steering device (not shown) according to a predetermined operation control program. By doing so, it is configured to perform automatic operation control.

  The vehicle speed sensor 12 is a sensor that generates a pulse signal corresponding to the rotational speed by detecting the rotational speed of the axle of the master vehicle 10. This pulse signal is transmitted to the main ECU 11 as vehicle speed data representing the vehicle speed.

  The steering control ECU 13 is an ECU that performs control for turning a steered wheel (not shown) of the master vehicle 10, and is configured to drive and control an electric motor for steering the steered wheel, for example.

  The throttle control ECU 14 is an ECU for controlling the output of a power source (not shown) of the master vehicle 10. For example, when the master vehicle 10 uses an internal combustion engine as a power source, the throttle control ECU 14 is configured to control an electronic throttle valve. When the master vehicle 10 uses an electric motor as a power source, it is configured to drive and control a driver of the electric motor.

  The brake control ECU 15 is an ECU for controlling the braking force of the braking device of the master vehicle 10. For example, when the master vehicle 10 has a hydraulic boosting braking device, the brake control ECU 15 controls the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder. The control valve is configured to drive and control. Such a control valve may be a control valve of a so-called antilock brake system.

  The communication unit 16 may be any communication device for performing wireless data communication with the slave vehicle 20. This communication device may be configured by a device that directly communicates with the communication unit 28 of the slave vehicle 20, or may be configured by a modem for performing data communication with the communication unit of the slave vehicle via a network. Here, at least the steering information indicating the steering angle, the throttle information indicating the throttle opening, and the braking information indicating the braking force of the brake may be transmitted.

  Slave vehicle 20 includes the travel control device of the first embodiment. This travel control device includes a parallel travel control ECU 21, a white line recognition camera 22, a master position detection sensor 23, a steering control ECU 25, and a throttle control ECU 26. The slave vehicle 20 is not operated by the occupant, but is travel controlled by the parallel control ECU 21 so as to travel in parallel according to the master vehicle 10. The control method will be described later. The slave vehicle 20 may be a vehicle having a width of one person that can run two cars in one lane, or a vehicle in which two or more people can sit side by side. 10 is preferably the same vehicle body.

  The parallel running control ECU 21 is connected to the white line recognition camera 22, the master position detection sensor 23, the vehicle speed sensor 24, the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, the brake control ECU 27, and the communication unit 28. Details of the processing will be described later. The parallel running control ECU 21, the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27 are mainly configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like via a bus (not shown).

  The white line recognition camera 22 only needs to be a photographing unit capable of photographing a white line (or a division line) on the road. For example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera for lane keeping control mounted forward in the vehicle interior is used. May be. Image data representing an image photographed by this camera is sent to the parallel control ECU 21.

  The master position detection sensor 23 is a sensor for detecting the position of the master vehicle 10, and includes, for example, pre-crash control for preventing a frontal collision and an oblique front obliquely, and an inter-vehicle distance control (radar) by an inter-vehicle distance control ECU (not shown). A radar sensor used for (cruise control) or a sonar sensor for detecting obstacles around the vehicle may be used.

  The master position detection sensor 23 is disposed so as to be able to monitor the front, rear and side of the slave vehicle 20, and the position of the master vehicle 10 within the biaxial coordinates when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) is viewed in plan view. It can be specified. Accordingly, a lateral inter-vehicle distance (hereinafter, abbreviated as a lateral inter-vehicle distance) with the master vehicle 10 running in parallel with the host vehicle is also derived.

  The biaxial coordinates are biaxial coordinates having the center of the slave vehicle 20 (the center of the length and the width when the slave vehicle 20 is viewed in plan) as the origin, and having axes in the full length direction and the vehicle width direction, respectively. Position information representing the position of the master vehicle 10 specified by the coordinates is used in the control for parallel running according to the master vehicle 10. The transmission wave radiated from the master position detection sensor 23 may be a radio wave (for example, millimeter wave), a light wave (for example, laser wave), or a sound wave.

  The vehicle speed sensor 24 is a sensor that generates a pulse signal corresponding to the rotational speed by detecting the rotational speed of the axle of the slave vehicle 20. This pulse signal is transmitted to the parallel running control ECU 21 as vehicle speed data representing the vehicle speed.

  The steering control ECU 25 is an ECU that performs control to steer a steered wheel (not shown) of the slave vehicle 20, and is configured to drive and control an electric motor for steering the steered wheel, for example.

  The throttle control ECU 26 is an ECU for controlling the output of a power source (not shown) of the slave vehicle 20. For example, when the slave vehicle 20 uses an internal combustion engine as a power source, the throttle control ECU 26 is configured to control an electronic throttle valve. When the slave vehicle 20 uses an electric motor as a power source, it is configured to drive and control the driver of the electric motor.

  The brake control ECU 27 is an ECU for controlling the braking force of the braking device of the slave vehicle 20. For example, when the slave vehicle 20 has a hydraulic boost type braking device, the brake control ECU 27 controls the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder. The control valve is configured to drive and control. Such a control valve may be a control valve of a so-called antilock brake system.

  The communication unit 28 is a communication device for performing wireless data communication with the master vehicle 10. This communication device may be configured by a device that directly communicates with the communication unit 16 of the master vehicle 10, or may be configured by a modem for performing data communication with the communication unit of the slave vehicle via a network. Here, it is only necessary to have at least a function of receiving steering information, throttle information, and braking information transmitted from the communication unit 16 of the master vehicle 10.

  Such a slave vehicle 20 is controlled by the parallel control ECU 21 so as to run in parallel according to the master vehicle 10. Specifically, on a straight road, steering information, throttle information, and braking information transmitted from the communication unit 16 of the master vehicle 10 are transmitted as control commands to the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27. The steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27 control a steering device, an electronic throttle device, and a braking device (not shown) based on the control command, and the slave vehicle 20 runs in parallel with the master vehicle 10.

  At this time, the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27 correct the steering information, the throttle information, and the braking information based on the position of the host vehicle with respect to the master vehicle 10 detected by the master position detection sensor 23. For example, the position in the front-rear direction is controlled by the throttle control ECU 26 and the brake control ECU 27 using the position information of the host vehicle with respect to the master vehicle 10 in order to maintain the parallel running state even if a disturbance occurs. Further, in order to bring the lateral inter-vehicle distance closer to a predetermined target value, the steering control ECU 25 performs steering control for applying a correction rudder. The target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance for parallel running on a straight road is set in advance in the parallel running control ECU 21.

  Further, when the slave vehicle 20 travels on a curved road, the travel control is performed by the parallel control ECU 21 as follows.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure in the parallel running control ECU 21 of the travel control device of the first embodiment. 3 (a) and 3 (c) are diagrams showing a travel line on a curved road between a slave vehicle not equipped with the travel control device of the first embodiment and a master vehicle, and FIGS. 3 (b) and 3 (d) It is a figure which shows the driving | running line in the curve road of the slave vehicle carrying the driving control apparatus of Embodiment 1, and a master vehicle.

  When the operation of the master vehicle 10 is started and the operation of the slave vehicle 20 is started, the parallel running control ECU 21 starts the process shown in FIG.

  The parallel running control ECU 21 determines whether or not there is an entrance to the curved road in the traveling direction (step S21). Whether the entrance of the curved road is present or not is determined by recognizing the white line included in the image data by the parallel control ECU 21 performing pattern recognition on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 22, and the locus of the white line is bent. This is done by detecting the beginning part.

  At this time, it is specified whether the curved road is a curve that curves in the left direction or the right direction, and the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof are also derived. The calculation processing of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof is repeatedly executed while the slave vehicle 20 is traveling on the curved road. Here, the rate of change of the curve may be expressed as a ratio to the curvature at the entrance of the curved road, for example. The process of step S21 is repeatedly executed until the entrance of the curved road is detected while the slave vehicle 20 is traveling.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 21 determines whether or not the own vehicle (slave vehicle 20) is inside the master vehicle 10 on a curved road (step S22). This process is determined based on the direction of the curved road specified in step S21 and the position (right side or left side) of the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) with respect to the master vehicle 10. Whether the position of the host vehicle is on the right side or the left side of the master vehicle is derived from the detection result of the master position detection sensor 23.

  If the parallel running control ECU 21 determines that the host vehicle is on the inside of the curved road, the parallel running control ECU 21 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance from the master vehicle 10 based on the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change of the curvature (step S23). ). Here, since the host vehicle travels inside the master vehicle on a curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased in order to prevent a collision at the entrance of the curved road.

  Here, the reason why the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased in this way is as follows. When the steering control ECU 25 is controlled based on the steering information transmitted from the master vehicle 10, a control delay may occur in the steering control due to wireless data communication or the like. Here, when the slave vehicle 20 does not include the travel control device of the present embodiment, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is not increased on the curved road, and therefore, as shown in FIG. If the vehicle 20 and the vehicle 20 enter the curved road at the same time t1, the slave vehicle 20 whose steering control is delayed may come into contact with the master vehicle 10 at the time t2 near the entrance of the curved road. In order to suppress such contact, the travel control device of the present embodiment mounted on the slave vehicle 20 is configured such that the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance at the entrance of the curved road when the host vehicle is inside the curved road. A control process for increasing the value is executed.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 21 transmits a control command for bringing the actual lateral distance between the vehicles close to the target value changed in step S23 to the steering control ECU 25 (step S24). Thus, when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) enters the curved road, the steering control ECU 25 performs steering control so that the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance changed in step S23 is obtained. As a result, the slave vehicle 20 travels on the inner side of the curved road as compared with the case of FIG. 3A as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 3B (the locus of the dotted line shown in FIG. The traveling line shown in FIG. 3A is shown for comparison).

  In addition, approach to the curved road of the own vehicle (slave vehicle 20) may be determined based on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 22, for example, when the parallel running control ECU 21 detects the curved road. The distance to the curved road is calculated, and the determination is made based on the arrival time and the elapsed time at the entrance of the curved road calculated based on the distance to the curved road and the vehicle speed information obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 24. May be.

  Here, the parallel running control ECU 21 repeatedly calculates the curvature of the curved road and its change rate until it detects the end of the curved road in step S25, which will be described later, and performs lateral calculation based on the curvature and the change rate obtained by the calculation. The calculation process of the target value of the direction-to-vehicle distance is repeated.

  FIG. 4A is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance and the curvature of the curved road in the travel control apparatus of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is the target of the lateral inter-vehicle distance. It is a characteristic view which shows the relationship between a value and the change rate of a curvature.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the smaller the curvature of the curved road, the larger the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance. These are in an inversely proportional relationship as shown in FIG. This is because the smaller the curvature, the higher the possibility that the slave vehicle 20 will collide with the master vehicle 10 due to a delay in steering control.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the larger the absolute value of the curvature change rate, the larger the target value for the lateral inter-vehicle distance. This is because the greater the absolute value of the rate of change, the greater the required amount of increase / return in steering control, and the higher the possibility that the slave vehicle 20 will collide with the master vehicle 10 due to a delay in steering control. . Here, the “absolute value of the rate of change in curvature” includes the rate of change in curvature both at the time of addition and at the time of return. Normally, when returning from a straight road to a straight road through a curved road, it is necessary to continuously turn the steered wheel and continuously turn the steered wheel back beyond the top of the curved road. This is because it is necessary to consider the rate of change in curvature both at the time of increase and at the time of switching back. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the characteristic of the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is set symmetrically on the increase side and the return side of the curvature change rate, and the absolute value of the change rate is The larger the value, the larger the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance.

  By using the characteristics shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is continuously changed based on the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof. The steering amount for steering control to a value changes continuously. For this reason, the slave vehicle 20 increases the amount of steering at the entrance of the curved road so as to travel further inside as shown in FIG. Further, at the exit of the curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the target value on the straight road. At this time, the steering amount is continuously reduced.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 21 determines the end of the curved road (step S25). This is a process performed to detect the exit of the curved road in advance and return the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road when the host vehicle passes (departs from) the curved road.

  The end of the curved road may be determined, for example, based on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 22 by the parallel control ECU 21, or the distance to the exit at the time when the exit of the curved road is detected is calculated. Alternatively, the determination may be made based on the arrival time at the exit of the curved road and the elapsed time calculated based on the distance to the curved road and the vehicle speed information obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 24.

  When the parallel running control ECU 21 determines that the curved road has ended (that is, the own vehicle has left the curved road), the parallel running control ECU 21 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road (step S26). That is, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the value before entering the curved road.

  This is the end of the process when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) travels inside the curved road.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S <b> 22 that the own vehicle (slave vehicle 20) does not travel inside the curved road with respect to the master vehicle 10, the own vehicle (slave vehicle 20) This is a case of traveling outside.

  When the slave vehicle 20 runs parallel to the outside of the master vehicle 10 on the curved road, as shown in FIG. 3C, the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 20 that have simultaneously passed near the top of the curved road at time t1 There is a possibility that the slave vehicle 20 may approach and come into contact with the master vehicle 10 due to a delay in the steering control in the slave vehicle 20 at the time t2 when approaching the exit of the curved road. In order to suppress such contact in advance, when the slave vehicle 20 is outside, the processes of steps S27, S28, and S29 described below are executed.

  Parallel running control ECU21 determines whether there is an exit of a curved road (step S27). At the exit of the curved road, whether the parallel control ECU 21 recognizes a white line included in the image data by performing pattern recognition on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 22, and the locus of the white line starts to return to a straight line. It is detected by determining whether or not.

  At this time, the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof are also derived. The calculation processing of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof is repeatedly executed while the slave vehicle 20 is traveling on the curved road. Here, the rate of change of the curve may be expressed as a ratio to the curvature at the exit of the curved road, for example. Note that the process of step S27 is repeatedly executed until the entrance of the curved road is detected.

  Next, the parallel control ECU 21 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance from the master vehicle 10 based on the curvature of the curved road and the change in curvature (step S28). Here, since the host vehicle travels outside the master vehicle in a curved road, it contacts at the exit of the curved road due to a delay in steering control in the slave vehicle 20 (a delay in switching back to return to the straight traveling state). In order to suppress this, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased from a predetermined distance before the exit. Here, the calculation of the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is calculated based on the characteristics of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof shown in FIG. Moreover, what is necessary is just to derive | lead-out the predetermined distance in the case of increasing the target value of the distance in the horizontal direction from the predetermined distance before the exit based on the vehicle speed, the curvature of the curved road, or the rate of change thereof.

  Subsequently, the parallel running control ECU 21 transmits a control command to the steering control ECU 25 so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance becomes the target value changed in step S27 (step S29). Thus, when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) enters the curved road, the steering control ECU 25 performs steering control so that the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance changed in step S28 is obtained.

  The parallel running control ECU 21 repeatedly calculates the curvature of the curved road and its change rate until it detects the end of the curved road in step S25 described later, and the lateral inter-vehicle distance based on the curvature and the change rate obtained by the calculation. The target value calculation process is repeatedly performed, and the steering control in step S29 is performed based on the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance.

  By using the characteristics shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is continuously changed based on the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof. The steering amount for steering control to a value changes continuously. For this reason, the slave vehicle 20 increases the steering amount at the exit of the curved road so that it travels outside the case shown in FIG. 3C, as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. The locus of the dotted line shown in 3 (d) shows the traveling line shown in FIG. 3 (c) for comparison. Further, when the vehicle departs from the curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the target value on the straight road. At this time, the steering amount is continuously reduced.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 21 determines whether or not the curved road is finished (step S25). As described above, this is a process performed to detect the exit of the curved road in advance and to return the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road when the host vehicle passes (departs from) the curved road. It is.

  When the parallel running control ECU 21 determines that the curved road has ended (that is, the own vehicle has left the curved road), the parallel running control ECU 21 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road (step S26). That is, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the value before entering the curved road.

  This is the end of the process when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 20) travels outside the curved road.

  According to the travel control device of the present embodiment and the transport system using the travel control device, when the parallel traveling master vehicle 10 and slave vehicle 20 travel on a curved road, the slave vehicle 20 travels inside the curved road. If the slave vehicle 20 travels outside the curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased at the exit of the curved road. . For this reason, it is possible to prevent the slave vehicle 20 from coming into contact with the master vehicle 10 due to a delay in the steering control of the slave vehicle 20, and the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 20 are arranged in parallel as if they are electronically connected. The running state can be maintained.

  Since the lateral inter-vehicle distance may decrease due to a delay in steering control at the entrance to the curved road, the above-described steering control has been described. However, the slave vehicle 20 is the master at the entrance to the curved road. When traveling outside the vehicle 10, the lateral inter-vehicle distance is not reduced even if a steering control delay occurs. For this reason, when the slave vehicle is outside on a curved road, it is not necessary to perform the steering control so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance is not necessarily increased at the entrance of the curved road.

  In the above description, the steering information, the throttle information, and the braking information of the master vehicle 10 are transmitted to the slave vehicle 20 by wireless communication, and the parallel running control of the slave vehicle 20 is performed based on these information. The master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 20 do not include a communication unit, and the parallel control ECU 21 of the slave vehicle 20 detects the position of the master vehicle 10 detected by the master position detection sensor 23 based on the information. The steering control ECU 25 and the throttle control ECU 26 Further, the parallel control may be performed by controlling the brake control ECU 27.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a travel control device according to the second embodiment and a transport system using the travel control device. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in Embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The master vehicle 30 of the second embodiment is different from the master vehicle of the first embodiment in that it includes a parallel running control ECU 31, a white line recognition camera 32, a slave detection sensor 33, and a communication unit 35. The vehicle speed information obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 12 is also transmitted to the parallel running control ECU 31 as well as the main ECU 11. The parallel running control ECU 31, the white line recognition camera 32, the slave detection sensor 33, the communication unit 35, and the vehicle speed sensor 12 constitute a travel control device that remotely controls the operation of the slave vehicle 40.

  The parallel running control ECU 31 includes a microcomputer that executes basically the same processing as the parallel running control ECU mounted on the slave vehicle in the first embodiment. The white line recognition camera 32 is the same as the white line recognition camera of the first embodiment, and a lane keep control CCD camera mounted forward in the passenger compartment may be used. Image data representing an image photographed by this camera is transmitted to the parallel control ECU 31.

  The slave detection sensor 33 is a sensor for detecting the position of the slave vehicle 40. Like the master detection sensor in the first embodiment, the slave detection sensor 33 is, for example, a pre-crash control for preventing a frontal collision or an oblique frontal oblique collision. A radar sensor used for inter-vehicle control (radar cruise control) by an inter-vehicle control ECU (not shown) or a sonar sensor for detecting obstacles around the vehicle may be used. The front, rear, and sides of the master vehicle 30 are arranged so that they can be monitored, and the position of the slave vehicle 40 can be specified within two-axis coordinates when the host vehicle (master vehicle 30) is viewed in plan. . Accordingly, a lateral inter-vehicle distance (hereinafter, abbreviated as a lateral inter-vehicle distance) between the slave vehicle 40 running parallel to the host vehicle is also derived. The method of setting the biaxial coordinates is based on the center of the master vehicle 30 as in the case of the master detection sensor in the first embodiment. The transmission wave emitted by the slave detection sensor 33 may be a radio wave (for example, millimeter wave), a light wave (for example, laser wave), or a sound wave.

  The communication unit 35 may be a communication device for performing wireless data communication with the slave vehicle 40. This communication device may be configured in the same manner as the communication unit 16 in the first embodiment, but transmits at least steering information representing the steering angle, throttle information representing the throttle opening, and braking information representing the braking force of the brake. What is necessary is just to have the function to do. In this steering information, in addition to the steering information for the normal parallel control in the first embodiment, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased in order to suppress contact with the slave vehicle 40 on the curved road. Steering information for the purpose is also included.

  On the other hand, the slave vehicle 40 of the second embodiment differs from the slave vehicle of the first embodiment in that it includes only the vehicle speed sensor 24, the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, the brake control ECU 27, and the communication unit 41. The steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27 are all remotely controlled by the parallel running control ECU 31 of the master vehicle 30. The communication unit 41 may be configured similarly to the communication unit 28 in the first embodiment, but directly transmits a control command sent from the parallel running control ECU 31 to the steering control ECU 25, the throttle control ECU 26, and the brake control ECU 27. The point is different.

  In the transportation system of the second embodiment, the master vehicle 10 remotely controls the operation of the slave vehicle 40. For this reason, the parallel running control ECU 31 is mounted not on the slave vehicle 40 but on the master vehicle 30.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure in the parallel running control ECU 31 of the travel control device of the second embodiment. The processing contents of steps S61 to S69 correspond to steps S21 to S29 shown in FIG. 2, but all the slave vehicles 40 are remotely controlled by the parallel running control ECU 31 mounted on the master vehicle 30. It is realized. A brief description is given below.

  The parallel running control ECU 31 of the master vehicle 30 starts remote control of the slave vehicle 40 with the start of operation of the host vehicle.

  The parallel running control ECU 31 determines whether or not there is an entrance to the curved road in the traveling direction (step S61). Whether the entrance of the curved road is present or not is determined by the parallel control ECU 31 recognizing the white line included in the image data by performing pattern recognition on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 32, and the locus of the white line is bent. This is done by detecting the beginning part.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 determines whether or not the slave vehicle 40 is inside the host vehicle (master vehicle 30) on the curved road (step S62).

  When the parallel running control ECU 31 determines that the slave vehicle 40 is located on the inside of the curved road, the parallel running control ECU 31 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance from the slave vehicle 40 based on the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change of the curvature (step) S63). Here, since the slave vehicle 40 travels inside the own vehicle (master vehicle 30) on the curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased in order to prevent a collision at the entrance of the curved road.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 transmits a control command to the steering control ECU 25 so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance becomes the target value changed in step S63 (step S64). Thus, when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 40) enters the curved road, the steering control ECU 25 performs steering control so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance target value changed in step S63 is obtained. As a result, the slave vehicle 40 travels on the inner side of the curved road (see the state of FIG. 3B).

  The approach of the host vehicle (master vehicle 30) to the curved road may be determined, for example, based on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 32 by the parallel running control ECU 31 or when the curved road is detected. The distance to the curved road is calculated, and the determination is made based on the arrival time and the elapsed time at the entrance of the curved road calculated based on the distance to the curved road and the vehicle speed information obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 24. May be.

  Here, the parallel running control ECU 31 repeatedly calculates the curvature of the curved road and its change rate until it detects the end of the curved road in step S65, which will be described later, and performs lateral calculation based on the curvature and the change rate obtained by the calculation. The calculation process of the target value of the direction-to-vehicle distance is repeated. This calculation process is performed based on the characteristics shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B as in the case of the first embodiment.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 determines the end of the curved road (step S65). This is a process performed to detect the exit of the curved road in advance and return the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road when the host vehicle passes (departs from) the curved road.

  If the parallel running control ECU 31 determines that the curved road has ended (that is, the host vehicle has left the curved road), the parallel running control ECU 31 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road (step S66). That is, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the value before entering the curved road.

  Thus, the process in the case where the slave vehicle 40 travels inside the curved road is completed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S62 that the slave vehicle 40 does not travel on the inside of the curved road with respect to the own vehicle (master vehicle 30), the slave vehicle 40 is on the curved road with respect to the own vehicle (master vehicle 30). This is a case of traveling outside.

  The parallel running control ECU 31 determines whether or not there is an exit on the curved road (step S67). At this time, the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof are also derived. The calculation processing of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof is repeatedly executed while the slave vehicle 40 is traveling on the curved road. Note that the process of step S67 is repeatedly executed until the entrance of the curved road is detected.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance from the slave vehicle 40 based on the curvature of the curved road and the change in the curvature (step S68). Here, since the slave vehicle 40 travels outside the host vehicle (master vehicle 30) on the curved road, in order to prevent a collision at the exit of the curved road, the target of the lateral inter-vehicle distance from a predetermined distance before the exit. Increase the value. Here, the calculation of the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is calculated based on the characteristics of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof shown in FIG.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 transmits a control command to the steering control ECU 25 so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance becomes the target value changed in step S67 (step S69). Thus, when the slave vehicle 40 enters the curved road, the steering control ECU 25 performs steering control so that the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance changed in step S68 is obtained.

  The parallel running control ECU 31 repeatedly calculates the curvature of the curved road and its rate of change until it detects the end of the curved road in step S65 described later, and the lateral inter-vehicle distance based on the curvature and the rate of change obtained by the calculation. The target value calculation process is repeatedly performed, and the steering control in step S69 is performed based on the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance. As a result, the slave vehicle 40 travels further outside at the exit of the curved road (see FIG. 3D).

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 31 determines whether or not the curved road is finished (step S65). As described above, this is a process performed to detect the exit of the curved road in advance and to return the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road when the host vehicle passes (departs from) the curved road. It is.

  If the parallel running control ECU 31 determines that the curved road has ended (that is, the host vehicle has left the curved road), the parallel running control ECU 31 changes the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance to the target value on the straight road (step S66). That is, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the value before entering the curved road.

  Thus, the process in the case where the slave vehicle 40 travels outside the curved road is completed.

  According to the travel control device of the present embodiment and the transport system using the travel control device, when the parallel traveling master vehicle 30 and slave vehicle 40 travel on a curved road, the slave vehicle 40 travels inside the curved road. If the slave vehicle 40 travels outside the curved road, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is increased at the exit of the curved road. . For this reason, the master vehicle 30 can remotely control the slave vehicle 40 to prevent the slave vehicle 40 from coming into contact with the master vehicle 30 due to a delay in the steering control of the slave vehicle 40. And the slave vehicle 40 can be maintained in a parallel running state as if they are electronically connected.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a travel control device according to the third embodiment and a transport system using the travel control device. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in Embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Master vehicle 10 is the same as master vehicle 10 of the first embodiment. For this reason, descriptions of the main ECU 11, the vehicle speed sensor 12, the steering control ECU 13, the throttle control ECU 14, the brake control ECU 15, and the communication unit 16 are omitted.

  Slave vehicle 50 is provided with the travel control device of the third embodiment. This travel control device includes a parallel travel control ECU 71, a white line recognition camera 22, a master position detection sensor 23, a steering control ECU 25, and a throttle control ECU 26. The travel control device of the parallel running control ECU 71 on the curved road is the same as the travel control device of the first embodiment except that the content of the control processing is partially different.

  The parallel running control ECU 71 of the third embodiment does not increase the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance on the curved road, but the head of the slave vehicle 50 (hereinafter abbreviated as the vehicle head) is more than the vehicle head of the master vehicle 10. The difference from the first embodiment is that the target value of the distance in the front-rear direction from the front of the master vehicle 10 to the front of the slave vehicle (hereinafter abbreviated as front-rear / rear distance) is increased so as to be rearward. Since the slave vehicle 50 is controlled so as to run parallel to the master vehicle 10 on a straight road, the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance when traveling on the straight road is set to zero. Hereinafter, increasing the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance means that the vehicle head of the slave vehicle 50 is positioned further rearward than the vehicle head of the master vehicle 10.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure in the parallel running control ECU 31 of the travel control device of the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a traveling state on a curved road between the slave vehicle on which the traveling control device of the third embodiment is mounted and the master vehicle. Here, steps S81 and S84 shown in FIG. 8 are the same processes as steps S21 and S25 in the first embodiment, respectively.

  When the operation of the slave vehicle 50 is started with the start of operation of the master vehicle 10, the parallel running control ECU 71 starts the process shown in FIG.

  The parallel running control ECU 71 determines whether or not there is an entrance to the curved road in the traveling direction (step S81). At this time, the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof are also derived. The calculation processing of the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof is repeatedly executed while the slave vehicle 50 is traveling on the curved road. The process of step S81 is repeatedly executed until the entrance of the curved road is detected while the slave vehicle 50 is traveling.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 71 sets the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance between the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 50 so that the head of the host vehicle (slave vehicle 50) is behind the head of the master vehicle 10 on the curved road. Is changed (step S82).

  This is because when the throttle control ECU 26 and the brake control ECU 27 are controlled based on the throttle information and braking information transmitted from the master vehicle 10, there may be a control delay in the steering control due to wireless data communication or the like. When the target value of the distance is not increased from zero, the slave vehicle 50 whose steering control is delayed may come into contact with the master vehicle 10, so that the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance is increased from zero on the curved road. This is because the vehicle head of the own vehicle (slave vehicle 50) is set behind the vehicle head of the master vehicle 10 to suppress such contact.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 71 transmits a control command to the throttle control ECU 26 and the brake control ECU 27 so that the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance becomes the target value changed in step S82 (step S83). Thereby, the throttle control ECU 26 and the brake control ECU 27 perform the steering control so that when the own vehicle (slave vehicle 50) enters the curved road, the target value of the front-rear inter-vehicle distance changed in step S82 is obtained. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the slave vehicle 50 travels such that the vehicle head of the own vehicle (slave vehicle 50) is located behind the vehicle vehicle head of the master vehicle 10.

  Here, the parallel running control ECU 71 repeatedly calculates the curvature of the curved road and the rate of change thereof until the end of the curved road is detected in step S84 described later.

  Further, the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance may be configured to be set according to the curvature and the rate of change thereof. For example, the target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance may be set larger as the curvature increases or the rate of change increases.

  Next, the parallel running control ECU 71 determines the end of the curved road (step S84). This is a process performed to detect the exit of the curved road in advance and return the target value of the inter-vehicle distance in the front-rear direction to the target value (zero) on the straight road when the host vehicle passes (departs from) the curved road. .

  The end of the curved road may be determined, for example, based on the image data transmitted from the white line recognition camera 22 by the parallel control ECU 71, or the distance to the exit at the time when the exit of the curved road is detected is calculated. Alternatively, the determination may be made based on the arrival time at the exit of the curved road and the elapsed time calculated based on the distance to the curved road and the vehicle speed information obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 24.

  If the parallel running control ECU 71 determines that the curved road has ended (that is, the host vehicle has left the curved road), the parallel running control ECU 71 changes the target value of the inter-vehicle distance in the front-rear direction to the target value (zero) on the straight road (step S85). ). That is, the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance is returned to the value before entering the curved road.

  This is the end of the process when the host vehicle (slave vehicle 50) travels on a curved road.

  According to the travel control device of the present embodiment and the transportation system using the same, when the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 50 running in parallel travel on a curved road, the head of the slave vehicle 50 is the head of the master vehicle 10. The target value of the front-rear direction inter-vehicle distance is increased so as to be behind the vehicle.

  When a delay in steering control occurs in the slave vehicle 50, the locus of the slave vehicle 50 is shifted to the outside at the entrance of the curved road, or to the inside at the exit of the curved road. May come into contact with the master vehicle 10.

  However, in the travel control device and the transport system using the same according to the present embodiment, parallel running control is performed so that the head of the slave vehicle 50 is located behind the head of the master vehicle 10, and thus steering control of the slave vehicle 50 is performed. Due to this delay, the slave vehicle 50 can be prevented from coming into contact with the master vehicle 10, and the parallel running state can be maintained as if the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 50 are electronically connected.

  Normally, when the master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 50 are running side by side, when the slave vehicle 50 is inside the curved road, the path difference (the path difference due to the shorter traveling distance is inside the curved road). Considering this, parallel driving cannot be performed unless the slave vehicle 50 is decelerated from the master vehicle 10. On the other hand, when the slave vehicle 50 is outside the curved road, the speed of the slave vehicle 50 is set to be higher than that of the master vehicle 10 in consideration of a road difference (a road difference due to a longer travel distance on the outside of the curved road). You cannot run in parallel without raising it.

  According to the travel control device of the present embodiment and the transportation system using the same, the acceleration / deceleration of the slave vehicle 50 is controlled so that the head of the slave vehicle 50 is behind the head of the master vehicle 10 on the curved road. . That is, when the slave vehicle 50 is inside the curved road, the speed of the slave vehicle 50 is further reduced as compared with the case of parallel running. In addition, when the slave vehicle 50 is outside the curved road, the vehicle speed of the slave vehicle 50 is suppressed without increasing the vehicle speed as in parallel running.

  For this reason, the head of the slave vehicle 50 can be positioned behind the head of the master vehicle 10 on the curved road. As a result, the slave vehicle 50 contacts the master vehicle 10 between the entrance and the exit of the curved road. Can be prevented.

  In the above description, the steering information, the throttle information, and the braking information of the master vehicle 10 are transmitted to the slave vehicle 50 by wireless communication, and the parallel running control of the slave vehicle 50 is performed based on these information. The master vehicle 10 and the slave vehicle 50 do not include a communication unit, and the parallel control ECU 71 of the slave vehicle 50 detects the position of the master vehicle 10 detected by the master position detection sensor 23 based on the information, and the steering control ECU 25 and the throttle control ECU 26. Further, the parallel control may be performed by controlling the brake control ECU 27.

  The slave vehicle travel control device and the transportation system using the slave vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiment. Various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the transport system of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the process sequence in parallel running control ECU21 of the traveling control apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. (A), (c) is a figure which shows the driving | running line in the curve road of the slave vehicle which does not mount the driving | running | working control apparatus of Embodiment 1, and a master vehicle, (b), (d) is Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the driving | running line in the curve road of the slave vehicle carrying the driving control apparatus, and a master vehicle. (A) is a characteristic view showing the relationship between the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance and the curvature of the curved road in the travel control device of Embodiment 1, and (b) is the target value of the lateral inter-vehicle distance and the curvature. It is a characteristic view which shows the relationship with a change rate. It is a figure which shows the structure of the traveling control apparatus of Embodiment 2, and a transport system using the same. It is a figure which shows the process sequence in parallel running control ECU31 of the traveling control apparatus of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the traveling control apparatus of Embodiment 3, and a transport system using the same. It is a figure which shows the process sequence in parallel running control ECU31 of the traveling control apparatus of Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the driving | running | working state in the curve road of the slave vehicle carrying the driving control apparatus of Embodiment 3, and a master vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

10, 30 Master vehicle 11 Main ECU
12, 24 Vehicle speed sensor 13 Steering control ECU
14 Throttle control ECU
15 Brake control ECU
20, 40, 50 Slave vehicle 21, 31, 71 Parallel running control ECU
22 White line recognition camera 23 Master position detection sensor 25 Steering control ECU
26 Throttle control ECU
27 Brake control ECU
32 White line recognition camera 33 Slave detection sensor

Claims (10)

A travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that runs in parallel according to a master vehicle,
A curved road detecting means for detecting a curved road;
Vehicle position detection means for detecting the position of the host vehicle relative to the master vehicle;
Steering control means for performing steering control,
When a curved road is detected by the curved road detecting means, the steering control means performs steering control using a detection result of the vehicle position detecting means. On the curved road, between the master vehicle and the slave vehicle A travel control device that makes a lateral inter-vehicle distance longer than a predetermined distance. The steering control means includes
When the slave vehicle is located on the inside of the master vehicle on the curved road, steering control is performed so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance is longer than the lateral inter-vehicle distance during straight running at the entrance of the curved road,
The steering control is performed such that when the slave vehicle is located outside the master vehicle on the curved road, the lateral distance between the vehicles at the exit of the curved road is longer than the lateral distance at the entrance of the curved road. The travel control device described in 1.   The driving of the slave vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the steering control means performs steering control so that the lateral distance between the vehicles is increased as the curvature of the curved road is smaller or the change rate of the curvature is larger. Control device. A travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that runs in parallel according to a master vehicle,
A curved road detecting means for detecting a curved road;
Vehicle position detection means for detecting the position of the host vehicle relative to the master vehicle;
When the curved road is detected by the curved road detecting means, acceleration / deceleration control is performed using the detection result of the vehicle position detecting means, and the head of the own vehicle is located behind the head of the master vehicle on the curved road. A travel control device comprising acceleration / deceleration control means for performing acceleration / deceleration control.   A transportation system including a master vehicle and a slave vehicle on which the travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is mounted. A travel control device mounted on a slave vehicle that runs in parallel according to the master vehicle, comprising a steering control means that is remotely controlled by a remote control device that the master vehicle has,
The travel control device, wherein the steering control means is steered by the remote control device so that a lateral inter-vehicle distance between the master vehicle and the slave vehicle is longer than a predetermined distance on a curved road. A transport system including a master vehicle and a slave vehicle that is connected to the master vehicle so as to be wirelessly communicable and that runs parallel to the master vehicle,
The master vehicle includes a curved road detection unit that detects a curved road, a slave vehicle detection unit that detects a position of the slave vehicle and outputs the position information, and a remote control unit that remotely controls the slave vehicle. And the slave vehicle includes a steering control unit that is controlled by the remote control unit.
When the curved road is detected by the curved road detecting means, the remote control means controls the steering control means using the position information of the slave vehicle. On the curved road, the remote control means controls the master vehicle and the slave vehicle. A transportation system in which the lateral distance between vehicles is longer than a predetermined distance. The remote control means includes
When the slave vehicle is located on the inside of the master vehicle on the curved road, steering control is performed so that the lateral inter-vehicle distance is longer than the lateral inter-vehicle distance during straight running at the entrance of the curved road,
8. When the slave vehicle is located outside the master vehicle on a curved road, steering control is performed so that the lateral distance between the vehicles at the exit of the curved road is longer than the lateral distance at the entrance of the curved road. As described in the transportation system.   The travel of the slave vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the remote control means performs steering control so that the lateral distance between the vehicles is longer as the curvature of the curved road is smaller or the change rate of the curvature is larger. Control device. A transport system including a master vehicle and a slave vehicle that is connected to the master vehicle so as to be wirelessly communicable and that runs parallel to the master vehicle,
The master vehicle includes curved road detection means for detecting a curved road, slave vehicle detection means for detecting the position of the slave vehicle and outputting the position information, and remote control means for remotely controlling the slave vehicle,
The slave vehicle includes acceleration / deceleration control means remotely controlled by the remote control means,
When the curved road is detected by the curved road detecting means, the remote control means controls the acceleration / deceleration control means using the position information of the slave vehicle, and the curved road is more than the head of the master vehicle. A transportation system that performs acceleration / deceleration control so that the front of the vehicle is behind.

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