JP2009214838A - Vehicle driving support apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle driving support apparatus capable performing cruise control with a suitable vehicle speed fitted to the feeling of a driver by sufficiently considering also a state except for the own vehicle cruising lane. <P>SOLUTION: A cruise control unit 6 determines a traffic congestion state of an adjacent lane which is adjacent to the own vehicle cruising lane based on outside vehicle information recognized by an image recognition unit 5, and changes a target vehicle speed Vtrgt of ACC control to a low vehicle speed which is previously set for traffic congestion when the adjacent lane is determined to be congested. Thereby useless acceleration of the own vehicle 1 during traffic congestion in the adjacent lane and cruising at high speed are avoided, and sense of security can be given to the driver. Moreover, sufficient responding time can be ensured relating to a vehicle which suddenly interrupts from the adjacent lane, unexpected running out of a pedestrian, etc. by cruising with a low speed during traffic congestion in the adjacent lane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle driving support device having an inter-vehicle distance control cruise control function for performing follow-up traveling control or constant-speed traveling control in accordance with the capture state of a preceding vehicle.

  In recent years, on-board radar means such as millimeter wave radar and infrared laser radar, imaging means such as stereo cameras and monocular cameras, or combination of these radar means and imaging means recognizes information outside the vehicle and recognizes outside the vehicle. Various proposals have been made for driving support devices that perform various types of vehicle control based on information. As one of the functions of such a driving support device, a cruise control with an inter-vehicle distance control (ACC;) that selectively performs a follow-up running control and a constant speed running control according to the capture state of a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle. Adaptive Cruise Control) function is widely used.

In this type of driving support device, for the purpose of performing vehicle speed control that matches the feeling of the driver, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a vehicle subject to tracking control (preceding vehicle) is detected (captured). The vehicle that is traveling in the lane adjacent to the vehicle's travel path is the preceding vehicle when the vehicle is not detected (lost) and the travel control shifts from the follow-up travel control to the constant speed travel control and accelerates to the set vehicle speed. When it is detected as a candidate vehicle, a technique for limiting the acceleration of the host vehicle for a predetermined time limit is disclosed.
JP 2004-114906 A

  By the way, in recent years, a driving support device has been put into practical use in which the control range of the vehicle speed is extended to a low speed range and ACC control or the like with improved convenience is realized.

  However, in particular, in such a driving support device with an expanded practical range, simply setting the target vehicle speed for the ACC control based on the vehicle speed set by the driver, the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle, etc. A natural control scene is assumed. For example, when the host vehicle is traveling on a highway, there is a high possibility that the next lane is congested and the vehicle is likely to interrupt the host lane even when the host vehicle driving path is empty. Then, the driver usually suppresses the vehicle speed in preparation for an unexpected situation. Even in such a situation, if the target vehicle speed for the ACC control is uniquely set, the vehicle travels at a speed against the will of the driver. As a result, there is a possibility of giving a sense of incongruity.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a vehicle driving support device capable of performing traveling control at a suitable vehicle speed suitable for the driver's feeling, taking into consideration circumstances other than the traveling path of the vehicle. The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention includes a vehicle outside information recognition unit for recognizing vehicle outside information, a preceding vehicle detection unit for detecting a preceding vehicle on a host vehicle traveling path based on a recognition result of the vehicle outside information recognition unit, and a preceding vehicle detection unit. Travel control means for setting a target vehicle speed based on the preceding vehicle when a vehicle is detected and performing follow-up travel control, and performing constant speed travel control using the vehicle speed set by the driver as a target vehicle speed when no preceding vehicle is detected; In the vehicle driving support device, the traffic jam determining unit that determines the traffic jam condition of the adjacent lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling path based on the recognition result of the vehicle outside information recognition unit, and the adjacent traffic lane is determined by the traffic jam determining unit. And a target vehicle speed changing means for changing the target vehicle speed to a preset low vehicle speed when it is determined that the vehicle is congested.

  According to the vehicle driving support device of the present invention, it is possible to perform traveling control at a suitable vehicle speed that is suitable for the feeling of the driver, taking into consideration the situation other than the own vehicle traveling path.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with a driving support device, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a deceleration control routine in a traffic jam, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a vehicle registration subroutine for adjacent lanes. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a calculation subroutine of a traffic jam prediction counter, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the own vehicle and vehicles in the adjacent lane.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle such as an automobile (own vehicle), and a cruise control system (ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)) 2 is mounted on the vehicle 1 as an example of a vehicle driving support device. . The ACC 2 includes a stereo camera unit 3, a millimeter wave radar unit 4, an image processing device 5, a travel control unit 6, an engine control unit (E / G_ECU) 7, a brake control unit (BRK_ECU) 8, and a transmission control. A unit (T / M_ECU) 9, a navigation device 10, and a vehicle dynamics control unit (VDC unit) 11 are connected to each other through a multiplex communication system such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) to form a main part. Yes. In this ACC2, basically, the vehicle travels while maintaining the vehicle speed set by the driver when traveling at a constant speed where no preceding vehicle exists, and when the preceding vehicle exists, follow-up traveling control is performed on the preceding vehicle.

  The stereo camera unit 3 includes a pair of (left and right) CCD cameras using a solid-state imaging device such as a charge coupled device (CCD), for example. These left and right CCD cameras are respectively mounted at a certain interval in front of the ceiling in the vehicle interior, and images an object outside the vehicle from different viewpoints. The stereo camera unit 3 performs A / D conversion, affine conversion, and the like on each image (reference image and comparison image) captured by the left and right CCD cameras, and outputs these image signals to the image processing device 5.

  The millimeter wave radar unit 4 is attached to, for example, a front bumper structure material of the vehicle 1. The millimeter wave radar unit 4 has a transmission / reception unit (not shown), and the transmission / reception unit transmits and receives millimeter waves in the horizontal direction of the vehicle 1 within a predetermined scanning range at regular intervals. Then, the millimeter wave radar unit 4 generates a radar image composed of two-dimensional distribution information of the three-dimensional object ahead of the host vehicle based on the time difference until the transmitted millimeter wave is reflected by the reflection object such as the three-dimensional object and returns. Generate.

  The image processing apparatus 5 has a function as vehicle information recognition means for recognizing vehicle information from the stereo camera unit 3 and the millimeter wave radar unit 4 based on each image information.

  More specifically, the image processing device 5 exists along the white line on the road and along the road by a known calculation process using the principle of triangulation based on the stereo image input from the stereo camera unit 3. Recognizes side walls such as guardrails and curbs, and three-dimensional objects such as vehicles. That is, the image processing apparatus 5 divides the reference image into small areas of, for example, 4 × 4 pixels, compares the luminance or color pattern of each small area with the comparison image, finds a corresponding area, and adds the entire reference image. Find the distance distribution across. Further, the image processing device 5 examines the luminance difference of each pixel on the reference image with the adjacent pixel (for example, the pixel adjacent on the right side and the lower side), and determines that the edge where both the luminance differences exceed the threshold value And an edge distribution image (distance image) including the distance information is generated by adding distance information to the extracted pixel (edge). Then, the image processing device 5 recognizes white lines, side walls, three-dimensional objects, etc. ahead of the vehicle by performing a well-known grouping process on the distance image, and assigns different IDs to the recognized data. Are continuously monitored between frames for each ID.

  Further, the image processing apparatus 5 performs a three-dimensional object recognition based on the radar image by extracting a portion where distance values on the radar image input from the millimeter wave radar unit 4 are continuous as one solid object. Then, the image processing apparatus 5 assigns different IDs to the data related to the recognized three-dimensional object, and continuously monitors them for each ID.

  Then, the image processing apparatus 5 fuses the three-dimensional object (hereinafter referred to as an image three-dimensional object) information recognized based on the stereo image and the three-dimensional object (hereinafter referred to as a radar three-dimensional object) information recognized based on the radar image. By doing so, further three-dimensional object recognition (re-recognition of a three-dimensional object) is performed. That is, the image processing device 5 determines the same probability for each combination of each image solid object and each radar solid object based on the position and moving speed of each image solid object and each radar solid object. The combination of the image solid object and the radar solid object that most closely match each other is recognized as a fusion solid object. Thereby, in the image processing apparatus 5, each three-dimensional object formed in any form of the three-dimensional object recognized by the image three-dimensional object alone, the three-dimensional object recognized by the radar three-dimensional object alone, or the fusion three-dimensional object is displayed in front of the vehicle. To recognize.

  Further, the image processing device 5 estimates the own vehicle traveling path based on the information such as the white line and the side wall recognized from the stereo image, the traveling state information of the own vehicle obtained from the BRK_ECU 8, a yaw rate sensor (not shown), and the like. Furthermore, a detection process (capture / departure determination) of the preceding vehicle on the estimated own vehicle travel path is performed. That is, the image processing device 5 is closest to the own vehicle from among the three-dimensional objects (forward moving objects) having a predetermined speed component or more in the same direction as the own vehicle traveling direction on the own vehicle traveling path. A forward moving object is detected (captured) as a preceding vehicle. On the other hand, when there is no forward moving object in front of the own vehicle traveling path, the lost (leaving) of the preceding vehicle from the own vehicle traveling path is determined. That is, in the present embodiment, the image processing device 5 realizes a function as a preceding vehicle detection unit together with the stereo camera unit 3 and the millimeter wave radar unit 4.

  A cruise control switch 15 is connected to the travel control unit 6. The cruise control switch 15 is composed of, for example, a plurality of switches connected to a cruise control operation lever provided on the side portion of the steering column. Specifically, the cruise control switch 15 sets a main switch (not shown) for turning on / off cruise control (constant speed running control and follow-up running control) and a vehicle speed (set vehicle speed Vset) during cruise running. And a switch for changing the set vehicle speed Vset to the lower side, an accelerator switch for changing the set vehicle speed Vset to the higher side, and the like. When the driver turns on a main switch (not shown) and sets a desired vehicle speed (set vehicle speed Vset) with the cruise control operation lever, a signal from the cruise control switch 15 is input to the travel control unit 6.

  In addition, information indicating the detection state of the preceding vehicle is input to the travel control unit 6 from the image processing device 5 and, when a preceding vehicle is detected, various preceding vehicle information (inter-vehicle distance) related to the preceding vehicle. Dnow, preceding vehicle speed Vfwd, relative vehicle speed Vrel, preceding vehicle deceleration Gfwd, etc.) are input. Further, the traveling control unit 6 receives the engine generated torque Et from the E / G_ECU 7 and the vehicle speed Vown from the VDC unit 11.

  Based on these various input information, the traveling control unit 6 sets the set vehicle speed Vset set by the driver as the target vehicle speed Vtrgt at the time of constant speed traveling control in which no preceding vehicle is detected, and electronically controlled throttle through the E / G_ECU 7 By controlling the opening / closing of the valve 17 (engine output control), the host vehicle speed Vown is converged to the target vehicle speed Vtrgt.

  In addition, the traveling control unit 6 shifts to follow-up traveling control when the image processing device 5 detects a preceding vehicle while performing constant speed traveling control. Then, when shifting to the follow-up running control, the running control unit 6 sets a target vehicle speed Vtrgt based on a follow-up target inter-vehicle distance Dtuiju, which will be described later, and controls the opening degree of the electronically controlled throttle valve 17 through the E / G_ECU 7 (engine output). Control), the inter-vehicle distance Dnow is converged to the following target inter-vehicle distance Dtuiju. Further, when the traveling control unit 6 determines that sufficient deceleration cannot be obtained only by engine output control, control of the output hydraulic pressure Pa from the active booster 18 through the BRK_ECU 8 (automatic intervention control of the brake 19). And the inter-vehicle distance Dnow is converged to the following target inter-vehicle distance Dtuiju. Here, the follow target inter-vehicle distance Dtuiju is variably set according to the host vehicle speed Vown, for example. That is, for example, a map for setting a target tracking distance between vehicles is set and stored in advance in the traveling control unit 6. The traveling control unit 6 refers to this map, and the tracking target vehicle distance increases as the host vehicle speed Vown increases. Set the distance Dtuiju longer. Thus, in this embodiment, the traveling control unit 6 has a function as traveling control means.

  Further, in order to realize the ACC control more suitable for the driver's feeling, the traveling control unit 6 is based on the solid object information outside the own vehicle traveling path recognized by the image processing device 5, and the lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling path. Judge the traffic condition of (next lane). And when it determines with the adjacent lane being congested, the above-mentioned target vehicle speed Vtrgt is changed into the preset low vehicle speed (for example, 30 km / h). Thus, in this embodiment, the traveling control unit 6 has functions as a traffic jam determination unit and a target vehicle speed change unit.

  In the present embodiment, the deceleration control at the time of traffic jam is executed according to the flowchart of the deceleration control routine at the time of traffic jam shown in FIG. 2, for example, and when the routine starts, the travel control unit 6 first starts at step S101, Information such as the gear position of the transmission is acquired from the T / M_ECU 9 or the like, and in the subsequent step S102, the number N of three-dimensional objects recognized outside the vehicle traveling path is acquired. In step S103, the traveling control unit 6 registers a vehicle that exists on the lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling path.

  The registration of the vehicles on the adjacent lane is executed in accordance with, for example, the vehicle registration subroutine shown in FIG. 3. When this subroutine is started, the travel control unit 6 is first recognized outside the host vehicle travel path in step S201. One solid object is extracted from the existing three-dimensional object, and in step S202, as information regarding the extracted three-dimensional object, for example, the distance Rs from the vehicle 1 to the three-dimensional object, the three-dimensional object width Ws, and the angle of the three-dimensional object direction After obtaining θs, relative velocity Vrels, etc. (see FIG. 5), the process proceeds to step S203.

  Proceeding from step S202 to step S203, the traveling control unit 6 calculates the lateral position Xs (= Rs · sin θs) of the three-dimensional object relative to the host vehicle 1 based on the three-dimensional object distance Rs and the three-dimensional object direction angle θs.

  In step S204, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the absolute value | Xs | of the lateral position of the three-dimensional object is within a preset threshold (for example, a value indicating a general lane width). If it is determined that | Xs | is outside the threshold (outside the adjacent lane), the process jumps to step S210.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that | Xs | is within the threshold value (in the adjacent lane), the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S205, and the threshold Ws of the three-dimensional object is set in advance (for example, the vehicle vehicle) It is checked whether or not it is within the value (value indicating the width size).

  If it is determined in step S205 that the width Ws of the three-dimensional object is outside the threshold value (outside the vehicle size), the traveling control unit 6 jumps to S210.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S205 that the width Ws of the three-dimensional object is within the threshold (within the vehicle size), the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S206, and based on the own vehicle speed Vown and the relative speed Vrels of the three-dimensional object. The three-dimensional object speed Vs (= Vown-Vrels) is calculated.

  In step S207, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the absolute value | Vs | of the three-dimensional object speed is equal to or less than a preset threshold (for example, 10 Km / h or less), and determines that it is greater than the threshold. If so, the process jumps to step S210.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S207 that the absolute value | Vs | of the three-dimensional object speed is equal to or less than the threshold value and the three-dimensional object is stopped or moving at an extremely low speed, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S208, and Based on the object distance Rs and the angle θs of the three-dimensional object direction, the front-rear distance Zs (= Rs · cos θs) from the own vehicle 1 to the three-dimensional object is calculated, and in the subsequent step S209, the three-dimensional object currently extracted is After registering as a monitoring target vehicle on the line, the process proceeds to step S210.

  And when it progresses to step S210 from step S204, step S205, step S207, or step S209, the traveling control unit 6 investigates whether extraction with respect to all the solid objects outside the own vehicle traveling path was completed, and still If it is determined that the extraction for all the three-dimensional objects has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S211, after extracting a new three-dimensional object, the process returns to step S202. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S210 that the extraction for all the three-dimensional objects has been completed, the traveling control unit 6 exits the subroutine.

  In the main routine of FIG. 2, when the process proceeds from step S103 to step S104, the traveling control unit 6 sets each vehicle registered as a vehicle on the adjacent lane in step S103 to the left and right adjacent lanes based on the lateral position Xs of each vehicle. To separate.

  In step S105, the traveling control unit 6 calculates a counter (right adjacent lane congestion prediction counter) for predicting the traffic condition of the right adjacent lane based on each vehicle state existing on the right adjacent lane. To do.

  The calculation of the right adjacent lane traffic congestion prediction counter is executed, for example, according to the traffic congestion prediction counter calculation subroutine shown in FIG. 4, and when the subroutine starts, the travel control unit 6 firstly executes the right adjacent lane in step S301. It is checked whether or not there are two or more vehicles (registered or not).

  In step S301, when it is determined that there are not two or more vehicles in the right adjacent lane (when it is determined that there are one or less vehicles in the right adjacent lane, or the right adjacent lane itself does not exist in the first place). In such a case, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S308.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S301 that there are two or more vehicles in the right adjacent lane, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S302, and the vehicles existing in the right adjacent lane are sequentially ordered from the closest to the own vehicle 1. A number is assigned, and in the subsequent step S303, the vehicle pair with the smallest number (the pair of vehicles numbered 1 and 2) is extracted. In the following description, the vehicle pairs assigned the numbers 1 and 2 are referred to as the first vehicle pairs, and the vehicle pairs assigned the numbers 2 and 3 are sequentially referred to as the second vehicle pair and the numbers 3 and 4, respectively. A vehicle pair marked with is referred to as a third vehicle pair.

  Then, the process proceeds to step S304, and it is checked whether or not the currently extracted vehicle pair is a vehicle pair whose rank has been raised from the previous time. Here, the case where the order of the vehicle pair is advanced with respect to the previous time is, for example, when the currently extracted vehicle pair is the first vehicle pair, and the first vehicle pair is the previous second time. This corresponds to a case where the vehicle pair after the previous second vehicle pair is moved up to the first vehicle pair as the host vehicle 1 travels. On the contrary, for example, when the order of the vehicle pair does not move up with respect to the previous time, for example, when the currently extracted vehicle pair is the first vehicle pair, the first vehicle pair is Is the first vehicle pair, or the vehicle pair that could not exist in the previous time due to the departure of the vehicle from the right adjacent lane becomes the first vehicle pair.

  If it is determined in step S304 that the currently extracted vehicle pair is not a vehicle pair whose rank has been raised from the previous time, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S309.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that the currently extracted vehicle pair is a vehicle pair whose rank has been raised from the previous time, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S305 and calculates the inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle pair. To do.

  In step S306, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the inter-vehicle distance calculated in step S305 is less than or equal to a threshold (for example, 12 m). If it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance is less than or equal to the threshold, the process proceeds to step S307. After proceeding and incrementing the right adjacent lane congestion prediction counter, the process proceeds to step S309.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S306 that the inter-vehicle distance is greater than the threshold value, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S308.

  Then, when the process proceeds from step S301 or step S306 to step S308, the traveling control unit 6 decrements the right adjacent lane congestion prediction counter, and then proceeds to step S309. It should be noted that the decrement amount for the right adjacent lane congestion prediction counter can be different between the case where the process proceeds from step S301 to step S308 and the case where the process proceeds from step S306 to step S308.

  When the process proceeds from step S304, step S307, or step S308 to step S309, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not extraction for all vehicle pairs on the right adjacent lane has been completed, and extraction for all vehicle pairs is still performed. If it is determined that is not completed, the process proceeds to step S310, a new vehicle pair is extracted, and the process returns to step S304. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S309 that the extraction for all the vehicle pairs has been completed, the traveling control unit 6 exits the subroutine.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the traveling control unit 6 includes a plurality of vehicles that are continuous on the right adjacent lane at the set inter-vehicle distance or less, and the vehicle pair that is detected on the right adjacent lane is the vehicle's own vehicle. The right adjacent lane congestion prediction counter is incremented when the vehicle is switched at a predetermined frequency with traveling. In other words, the traveling control unit 6 examines the vehicle state on the right adjacent lane for each vehicle pair, and the inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle train (vehicle train) detected on the right adjacent lane is equal to or less than the set vehicle inspection distance. And when it determines with the said vehicle row | line shifting relatively backward with the driving | running | working of the own vehicle, a right adjacent lane traffic congestion prediction counter is incremented.

  In the main routine of FIG. 2, when the process proceeds from step S105 to step S106, the traveling control unit 6 performs the same process as the process performed in step S105 described above based on each vehicle state existing on the left adjacent lane. The left adjacent lane congestion prediction counter is calculated. Note that the calculation of the left adjacent lane congestion prediction counter is the same as the processing performed in step S105 described above (however, the right adjacent lane is read as the left adjacent lane), and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  When the process proceeds from step S106 to step S107, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the host vehicle is traveling based on, for example, the current host vehicle speed Vown and the gear position, and determines that the host vehicle is stopped. When it determines, it progresses to step S108, and after exiting a routine, after clearing the left and right traffic congestion prediction counters.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S107 that the host vehicle is traveling, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S109 and acquires traffic jam information from the navigation device 10.

  In step S110, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether there is traffic jam information at the current location. If it is determined that there is no traffic jam information, the travel control unit 6 jumps to step S112.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that there is traffic jam information at the current location, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S111, increments the left and right traffic jam prediction counters, and then proceeds to step S112. Here, the process based on the navigation information for such a traffic jam prediction counter can be omitted as appropriate. Further, the increment amount to the traffic jam prediction counter based on the navigation information may be appropriately changed from that in steps S105 and S106 described above.

  When the process proceeds from step S110 or step S111 to step S112, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the left and right traffic congestion prediction counters are equal to or larger than a preset threshold value. If it is determined that the value is smaller, the routine is exited.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that at least one of the left and right traffic jam prediction counters is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S113, and the adjacent lane on the own vehicle traveling path is congested. Then, the process proceeds to step S114.

  In step S114, the traveling control unit 6 checks whether or not the host vehicle speed Vown is equal to or higher than a preset threshold (for example, 40 Km / h), and determines that the host vehicle speed Vown is lower than the threshold. Unit 6 simply exits the routine.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S114 that the host vehicle speed Vown is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the traveling control unit 6 proceeds to step S115, and sets a target vehicle speed for traffic jams set in advance as the target vehicle speed Vtrgt for ACC control (for example, After setting 30 Km / h), exit the routine.

  As a result, when the adjacent lane of the own vehicle traveling path is congested during ACC control, the own vehicle speed Vown is converged to a low vehicle speed for congested traffic (for example, 30 km / h). Of course, when the traffic congestion in the adjacent lane is resolved, the traffic congestion prediction counter is decremented, so that the target vehicle speed Vtrgt is restored from that for normal traffic to that for normal traffic.

  According to such an embodiment, when the traffic congestion situation of the adjacent lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling path is determined based on the outside information recognized by the image processing device 5 and it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested. Since the target vehicle speed Vtrgt for ACC control is changed to a preset low vehicle speed for traffic jams, traveling control can be performed at a suitable vehicle speed that matches the driver's feeling.

  Thereby, useless acceleration of the own vehicle 1 at the time of traffic congestion in the adjacent lane and traveling at a high speed are eliminated, so that the driver can have a sense of security. In addition, by driving at a low speed when there is a traffic jam in the adjacent lane, it is possible to secure a sufficient time for dealing with a sudden interruption vehicle from the adjacent lane or a pedestrian jumping out.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of performing recognition of information outside the vehicle using a stereo camera and millimeter wave radar together has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, a monocular camera Needless to say, the vehicle exterior information may be recognized by the combined use of the radar and the millimeter wave radar, the stereo camera alone, the laser radar alone, or the millimeter wave radar alone.

Schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with a driving support device Flow chart showing deceleration control routine in traffic jam Flow chart showing the vehicle extraction subroutine for the adjacent lane Flow chart showing the calculation subroutine of the traffic jam prediction counter Explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the vehicle and the vehicles in the adjacent lane

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Vehicle (own vehicle)
2 ... Cruise control system 3 ... Stereo camera unit (vehicle outside information recognition means)
4 ... Millimeter-wave radar unit (external vehicle information recognition means)
5 ... Image processing device (information outside vehicle recognition means, preceding vehicle detection means)
6 ... Travel control unit (travel control means, traffic jam judging means, target vehicle speed changing means)
7 ... Engine control unit 8 ... Brake control unit 9 ... Transmission control unit 10 ... Navigation device 11 ... Vehicle dynamics control unit 15 ... Cruise control switch 17 ... Electronically controlled throttle 18 ... Active booster 19 ... Brake Vown ... Own vehicle speed Vset ... Set vehicle speed Vtrgt ... Target vehicle speed

Claims (2)

A vehicle outside information recognition means for recognizing information outside the vehicle, a preceding vehicle detection means for detecting a preceding vehicle on the own vehicle traveling path based on a recognition result of the outside information recognition means, and a preceding vehicle is detected by the preceding vehicle detection means. Travel control means for setting a target vehicle speed based on the preceding vehicle when the vehicle is traveling and performing follow-up traveling control, and performing constant speed traveling control using the vehicle speed set by the driver as the target vehicle speed when no preceding vehicle is detected. In a vehicle driving support device,
A traffic jam judging unit for judging a traffic jam situation of an adjacent lane adjacent to the host vehicle traveling path based on the vehicle outside information recognized by the vehicle outside information recognizing unit;
A vehicle driving support device comprising: target vehicle speed changing means for changing the target vehicle speed to a preset low vehicle speed when the traffic congestion determining means determines that the adjacent lane is congested.   In the traffic jam judging means, a plurality of vehicles are continuously arranged on the adjacent lane at a distance less than or equal to the set inter-vehicle distance, and a combination of vehicles detected on the adjacent lane is switched at a predetermined frequency along with the traveling of the own vehicle. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested.

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