JP2019112026A - Drive support apparatus of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a drive support apparatus of a vehicle which can improve, under the condition that there is a curve in front of a travel route of a vehicle, safety property of the vehicle when a driver is napping.SOLUTION: A drive support apparatus 80 comprises: a curve determination unit 82 determining whether there is a curve in front of a travel route of a vehicle; a napping determination unit 81 determining whether a driver of the vehicle is napping during traveling of the vehicle; and a travel control unit 83 performing a control for napping state that automatically drives the vehicle regardless of vehicle operations of the driver when the driver is determined to be napping under the condition that there is a curve in front of a travel route of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a drive assist device for a vehicle.

  According to Patent Document 1, when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is in a state of falling asleep while traveling, the warning is given to the driver to downshift or upshift the transmission of the vehicle. An example of a driving support device that implements control is described.

JP 2008-223879 A

  A vehicle may enter a curve while the driver is sleeping. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose or suggest any measures against the vehicle entering the curve while the driver is sleeping. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the safety of the vehicle when the driver is falling asleep under the situation where a curve exists in front of the travel path of the vehicle.

  The driving assistance device for a vehicle to solve the above problems includes a curve determination unit that determines whether or not a curve exists in front of a traveling path of the vehicle, and a driver of the vehicle sleeps while the vehicle is traveling. When it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep under a situation in which it is determined that a curve exists in front of the traveling path of the vehicle, and a sleep determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is And a traveling control unit that performs control during dozing determination in which the vehicle is automatically traveled regardless of the driver's vehicle operation.

  According to the above configuration, the drowsy determination control is performed even if the driver of the vehicle is snoozing under a situation where a curve exists in front of the traveling path of the vehicle. The drowsy determination control is control for causing the vehicle to automatically travel regardless of the driver's operation of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to improve the safety of the vehicle even if the driver falls asleep under a situation where a curve having a higher degree of danger than the straight path exists in front of the traveling path of the vehicle.

  Note that, when it is determined by the curve determination unit that a curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the drowsiness determination unit performs driving more than when it is determined that a curve is present ahead of the travel route of the vehicle. The condition for determining that the person is sleeping may be relaxed so as to be easily determined that the driver is sleeping.

  According to the above configuration, when it is determined that a curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle, it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep than when it is not determined that a curve is present. It will be easier. That is, it becomes possible to start control early during sleep determination.

  For example, in drowsy determination control, the driver may be warned. The actuator driven to warn the driver in this manner is an actuator for warning. In this case, in the drowsiness determination control, the traveling control unit derives the control amount of the warning actuator based on the curvature of the curve existing ahead of the traveling path of the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle, It is preferable to control the actuator for warning based on.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to give a warning to the driver commensurate with the curvature of a curve existing ahead of the traveling path of the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle.
By the way, when it is determined that the driver is sleeping, it is desirable to quickly stop the vehicle in order to ensure safety. In addition, when the vehicle travels on a curve, the dead angle is likely to be larger than when the vehicle travels on a straight path, and it is difficult for the driver to grasp the situation ahead. Therefore, it is not desirable to stop the vehicle in the middle of the curve.

  Therefore, in one aspect of the driving assistance device for a vehicle, the traveling control unit sets a prescribed position in front of the curve when it is determined by the curve determination unit that a curve exists ahead of the traveling route of the vehicle. When it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep by the drowsiness determination unit at the time when the position has reached a prescribed position, control for stopping the vehicle in front of the curve is performed as control during drowsy determination.

  According to the above configuration, by setting the prescribed position so that the vehicle can be stopped before the curve by performing the braking control from the prescribed position, the vehicle is prevented from stopping in the middle of the curve become able to.

  However, even if it is not determined that the driver is in a nap state when the vehicle is located at the specified position, it is determined that the driver is in a nap state after the vehicle passes the specified position. It may be like this. And, when the braking control is performed after the vehicle passes the specified position, there is a possibility that the vehicle enters a curve and then stops. Therefore, when the driving control unit determines that the driver is in a nap state by the sleep determination unit after the vehicle has passed the specified position, the driving control unit performs control during the sleep determination along the traveling route. It is preferable to control the vehicle to travel automatically and to stop the vehicle after the vehicle exits the curve.

  According to the above configuration, the vehicle automatically travels along the traveling route when it is determined that the driver is in a nap state after the vehicle passes the prescribed position. By causing the vehicle to automatically travel along the travel route in this manner, the safety of the vehicle can be enhanced as compared to the case where the vehicle travels based on the driver's drowsy driver's vehicle operation. Then, when the vehicle leaves a curve by automatic traveling, the vehicle is stopped by braking control. Therefore, it is possible to suppress that the vehicle stops in the middle of the curve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figure which shows typically a functional configuration of the driving assistance device of the vehicle of embodiment, and a part of vehicle provided with the driving assistance device. The figure which shows typically a mode that a prescription | regulation position is set to the front of the curve in the travel path of a vehicle. A map for deriving a control amount of a warning actuator based on a vehicle body speed of a vehicle and a curvature of a curve. The flowchart explaining the processing routine performed when it is not judged that a curve exists ahead of the run route of vehicles. The flowchart explaining the processing routine performed when it is judged that a curve exists ahead of the run route of vehicles.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a driving assistance device for a vehicle will be described according to FIGS. 1 to 5.
The vehicle provided with the driving assistance device 80 of this embodiment is illustrated by FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive device 10 of the vehicle has a power source 11 of the vehicle such as an engine or an electric motor, and a transmission 12. Then, by the control of the drive device 10 by the drive control device 61, the drive force output from the power source 11 is adjusted, or the transmission gear ratio of the transmission 12 is adjusted. A signal corresponding to the amount of operation of an accelerator operation member 13 such as an accelerator pedal is input from the accelerator opening sensor 51 to the drive control device 61. When the vehicle is run by the driver of the vehicle, the accelerator operation amount is calculated by the drive control device 61 based on the output signal from the accelerator opening degree sensor 51, and the drive control device based on the accelerator operation amount By the control of 61, the power source 11 and the transmission 12 are driven. In addition, when the required value of the driving force is input to the drive control device 61 from the driving support device 80, the driving force output from the driving device 10 is controlled by the control of the drive control device 61 based on the required value. The power source 11 and the transmission 12 are driven so as to approach the required value of.

  The braking device 20 of the vehicle operates the braking mechanism 25 provided for the wheel 100. That is, the wheel cylinder 26 is provided in the braking mechanism 25, and as the hydraulic pressure in the wheel cylinder 26 is higher, the force pressing the friction material 28 against the rotating body 27 integrally rotating with the wheel 100 is larger. Braking force can be increased. Then, the braking device 20 is driven to adjust the braking force on the wheel 100. When the vehicle is driven by the driver's operation of the vehicle, as the operation amount of the brake operation member 21 such as a brake pedal or the like increases, the braking force on the wheel 100 increases. Thereby, the vehicle can be decelerated. In addition, when the required value for the braking force is input from the driving support device 80 to the braking control device 62 that controls the braking device 20, the braking force for the vehicle is controlled by the braking control device 62 based on the required value. The braking device 20 is driven so as to approach the required value of the braking force.

  The steering device 30 of the vehicle includes a steering wheel 31, an assist motor 32, and a steering actuator 33. The assist motor 32 is driven to assist the steering operation by the driver. The steering control device 63 can adjust the assist mode of the steering operation by the assist motor 32 as described above. The steering actuator 33 is driven to steer the wheel 100 in accordance with a steering amount which is an operation amount of the steering wheel 31. In addition, when a request value for steering is input from the driving support device 80 to the steering control device 63, the wheel 100 is controlled by the control of the steering control device 63 based on the request value regardless of the steering operation by the driver. The steering actuator 33 is driven such that the steering angle of the steering wheel is adjusted.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle is provided with a navigation device 52, a vehicle periphery monitoring system 53, a driver monitoring system 54, a warning device 55, a vehicle speed detection system 56 and a steering angle detection system 57. The navigation device 52 guides the traveling route of the vehicle to the driver. The vehicle periphery monitoring system 53 has imaging means such as a camera, a radar, and the like, and monitors the periphery information of the vehicle. As peripheral information here, for example, whether the vehicle (preceding vehicle) exists ahead of the own vehicle, whether the vehicle (following vehicle) exists behind the vehicle, and the own vehicle from the lane It can be mentioned whether there is a possibility of deviation. In addition, when there is a preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle are monitored as the surrounding information. Furthermore, when there is a following vehicle, the distance between the own vehicle and the following vehicle and the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the following vehicle are monitored as the peripheral information.

  The driver monitoring system 54 has an imaging means such as a camera for imaging the driver's face. The warning device 55 is driven to urge the driver to wake up, for example, when it is determined that the driver is sleeping. Examples of the warning device 55 include a device capable of outputting a warning sound and a warning message, and a device capable of vibrating the driver's seat.

  The vehicle speed detection system 56 has a sensor that detects the wheel speed, which is the rotational speed of the wheel 100, and calculates the vehicle speed VS, which is the moving speed of the vehicle, based on the output signal from the sensor. Further, the steering angle detection system 57 has a sensor for detecting the rotational direction and the amount of rotation of the steering wheel 31, and calculates the steering angle STR based on the output signal from the sensor.

Next, the driving support device 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 80 supports the traveling of the vehicle based on various types of information input to the driving support device 80. That is, information obtained by the accelerator opening sensor 51, the navigation device 52, the vehicle periphery monitoring system 53, the driver monitoring system 54, the vehicle speed detection system 56, and the steering angle detection system 57 is input to the driving assistance device 80. Ru. Then, the driving support device 80 outputs a request value to the drive control device 61, the braking control device 62, and the steering control device 63 as necessary.

  The driving support device 80 includes a sleep determination unit 81, a curve determination unit 82, and a traveling control unit 83 as functional units for supporting the traveling of the vehicle. Based on the information input from the driver monitoring system 54, the drowsy determination unit 81 determines whether or not the driver is in a drowsy state while the vehicle is traveling.

The curve determination unit 82 determines, based on the information input from the navigation device 52 and the vehicle periphery monitoring system 53, whether or not a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle.
The traveling control unit 83 assists the traveling of the vehicle when it is determined by the nap determination unit 81 that the driver is sleeping. Such a traveling control unit 83 includes a specified position setting unit 831 and a dozing determination control unit 832.

  The prescribed position setting unit 831 sets the prescribed position P in front of the curve when it is determined by the curve determination unit 82 that a curve exists in front of the traveling route of the vehicle. The defined position P is set to a position that allows the vehicle to stop before entering the curve by increasing the braking force on the vehicle from the defined position P.

  FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the specified position P and the vehicle speed VS. “P0” in FIG. 2 represents the position immediately before the curve. As shown in FIG. 2, when the vehicle speed VS is the eleventh speed VS11, the defined position setting unit 831 sets the first position P1 as the defined position P. Further, when the vehicle body speed VS is the twelfth speed VS12, the defined position setting unit 831 sets a second position P2 different from the first position P1 as the defined position P. Since the twelfth velocity VS12 is larger than the eleventh velocity VS11, the second position P2 is farther from the curve than the first position P1.

  When the μ value of the road surface on which the vehicle 110 travels is low, the braking distance of the vehicle 110 tends to be longer than when the μ value is high. Therefore, when the μ value of the road surface or the estimated value of the μ value can be acquired, the specified position setting unit 831 may correct the defined position P derived according to the vehicle speed VS according to the μ value of the road surface. The braking distance of the vehicle 110 also changes depending on the slope of the road surface on which the vehicle 110 travels. Therefore, the prescribed position setting unit 831 may correct the prescribed position P derived according to the vehicle speed VS according to the gradient of the road surface. When correcting the prescribed position P derived in accordance with the vehicle speed VS in this manner, the prescribed position P is set to a position farther from the curve as the braking distance of the vehicle 110 tends to be longer.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the dozing determination control unit 832 performs warning control to warn the driver when the curve determination unit 82 does not determine that a curve exists in front of the traveling route of the vehicle; Carry out vehicle speed control to control the vehicle speed VS.

  The warning actuator, which is an actuator driven by the warning control, may be any actuator as long as it can prompt the driver to wake up. As an actuator for warning, the above-mentioned warning device 55 and transmission 12 of drive 10 can be mentioned, for example. In addition, when the power source 11 of the vehicle is an engine, a throttle actuator that adjusts the opening degree of the throttle valve, an actuator that adjusts the open / close timing of the intake valve, or the like can also be used as a warning actuator.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 832 during warning determination derives the control amount CW of the warning actuator based on the vehicle body speed VS of the vehicle and the curvature Y of the curve detected in front of the travel route of the vehicle. Do. For example, the drowsy determination control unit 832 can derive the control amount CW of the warning actuator using the map shown in FIG. 3.

  FIG. 3 shows a map showing the relationship between the curvature Y of a curve present ahead of the traveling path of the vehicle, the vehicle speed VS, and the control amount CW of the warning actuator. The map line M1 in FIG. 3 represents the relationship between the curvature Y of the curve and the control amount CW when the vehicle speed VS is the twenty-first speed VS21. The map line M2 in FIG. 3 represents the relationship between the curvature Y of the curve and the control amount CW when the vehicle speed VS is the twenty-second speed VS22. The map line M3 in FIG. 3 represents the relationship between the curvature Y of the curve and the control amount CW when the vehicle speed VS is the twenty-third speed VS23.

  The twenty-first velocity VS21 is smaller than the twenty-second velocity VS22 and the twenty-third velocity VS23, and the twenty-third velocity VS23 is larger than the twenty-first velocity VS21 and the twenty-second velocity VS22. That is, when the curvature Y of the curve is "0", that is, when it is not determined that the curve exists in front of the traveling path of the vehicle, the control amount CW of the warning actuator does not depend on the vehicle speed VS. , Is set to a value equal to the predetermined value CW1. Further, when the curvature Y of the curve is larger than “0”, the control amount CW of the warning actuator has a larger value as the vehicle speed VS is larger. Further, regardless of the vehicle speed VS, the control amount CW has a larger value as the curvature Y of the curve is larger.

  Returning to FIG. 1, when the drowsy determination control unit 832 determines that the curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the drowsy determination control unit 832 causes the vehicle to automatically travel regardless of the driver's vehicle operation. Implement control during judgment.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a processing routine that is executed when it is not determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle under a situation where the vehicle is traveling will be described. This processing routine is repeatedly executed when it is not determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle.

  In the present process routine, in the first step S11, it is determined by the doze determination unit 81 whether a doze determination flag FLG1 described later is set to off. The doze determination flag FLG1 is set to ON when it is determined that the driver is in a doze state, while OFF is set when it is not determined that the driver is in a doze state. Is a flag that Also, when it is determined that the driver has awakened under the situation where it is determined that the driver is sleeping, the drowsiness determination flag FLG1 is set to off.

  Then, in step S11, when the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to ON (NO), the process proceeds to step S14 described later. On the other hand, when the drowsy determination flag FLG1 is set to off (S11: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S12. Then, in step S12, the drowsiness determination processing, which is processing for determining whether the driver is in a drowsy state, is performed by the drowsiness determination unit 81.

  An example of the drowsiness determination process will be described. In the drowsiness determination process, it is determined whether or not the driver's eyes are closed by analyzing the face of the driver captured by the driver monitoring system 54. Then, when it can be determined that the driver's eyes are closed, the counter is incremented by "1". When the counter is equal to or greater than the determination value, it can be determined that the driver is in a nap state, and therefore, the nap determination flag FLG1 is set to ON. On the other hand, when the counter is less than the determination value, it is not determined that the driver is in a sleepy state, and the sleep determination flag FLG1 remains off. When it is not determined that the driver's eyes are closed, the counter is reset to "0".

  Then, when the doze determination process is performed, the process proceeds to the next step S13. Then, in step S13, it is determined whether the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to ON. When off is set to the drowsiness determination flag FLG1 (S13: NO), this processing routine is temporarily ended. On the other hand, when the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to on (S13: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S14.

  In step S14, the drowsy determination control unit 832 performs warning control. For example, when the transmission 12 of the drive device 10 is an actuator for warning, the control amount CW derived using the map shown in FIG. 3 is a change amount of the transmission ratio in the transmission 12. During the nap determination, the control unit 832 derives the control amount CW as the change amount required value of the transmission gear ratio in the transmission 12, using the map shown in FIG. Then, the drowsy determination control unit 832 outputs the derived change amount request value of the transmission ratio to the drive control device 61.

  When the change amount required value of the transmission ratio is input to the drive control device 61 by the execution of the warning control by the control unit 832 during the nap determination, the drive control device 61 performs the transmission 12 based on the change amount required value. Control. In this case, the change amount of the transmission gear ratio in the transmission 12 increases as the change amount request value increases. For example, when the transmission 12 is a stepped transmission, the amount of change of the transmission ratio in the transmission 12 corresponds to the number of downshifted gears or the number of upshifted gears.

  When the warning control is performed, the process proceeds to the next step S15. Then, in step S15, the drowsy determination control unit 832 implements vehicle speed control. For example, in the vehicle speed control, the drowsy determination control unit 832 calculates a request value for the power source 11 of the vehicle such that the vehicle body speed VS of the vehicle is maintained even when the warning control is performed. The request value is output to the drive control device 61.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed VS tends to increase due to the execution of the warning control, the drowsy determination control unit 832 holds the vehicle speed VS of the vehicle in the vehicle speed control even when the warning control is performed. As required, the required value of the braking force for the vehicle is calculated, and this required value is output to the braking control device 62.

Then, when the vehicle speed control is performed, the present processing routine is temporarily ended.
When a request value for the power source 11 is input to the drive control device 61 by execution of vehicle speed control by the control unit 832 during sleep determination, the drive control device 61 controls the power source 11 based on the request value. When the vehicle speed VS tends to decrease due to the execution of the warning control, the drive control device 61 controls the power source 11 so that the driving force output from the power source 11 becomes large.

  On the other hand, when the required value of the braking force of the vehicle is input to the braking control device 62 by the execution of the vehicle speed control by the control unit 832 during the nap determination, the braking control device 62 controls the braking device 20 based on the required value. When the vehicle speed VS tends to increase by the execution of the warning control, the braking control device 62 controls the braking device 20 so that the braking force on the vehicle becomes large.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a processing routine that is executed when it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle under the situation where the vehicle is traveling will be described. The present processing routine is repeatedly executed when it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle.

  In this processing routine, first, in the first step S21, it is determined whether the drowsy determination flag FLG1 is set to off. When the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to on (S21: NO), the process proceeds to step S24 described later. On the other hand, when the nap determination flag FLG1 is set to off (S21: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S22. Then, in step S22, it is easy for the drowsiness determination unit 81 to easily determine that the drowsiness determination condition, which is a condition for determining that the driver is in a drowsy state, is a state in which the driver is drowsy To be relaxed. For example, it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state when the counter updated when it can be determined that the driver's eyes are closed by the drowsiness determination process is equal to or greater than the determination value. In this case, the drowsy determination unit 81 reduces the determination value. That is, the determination value when it is not determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle is set as a first determination value, and the determination value when it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route is When the determination value is 2, the second determination value is smaller than the first determination value. That is, in step S22, by changing the magnitude of the determination value depending on whether or not a curve exists in front of the traveling route, it is easy to determine that the driver is in a state of falling asleep as a condition for determining a nap To be relaxed.

  Subsequently, in the next step S23, the drowsiness determination processing is performed by the drowsiness determination unit 81. Then, when the drowsy determination process is performed, the process proceeds to the next step S24.

  In step S24, the prescribed position setting unit 831 of the traveling control unit 83 sets the prescribed position P. Subsequently, in the next step S25, it is determined whether the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to ON. When off is set to the nap determination flag FLG1 (S25: NO), this processing routine is temporarily ended. On the other hand, when the doze determination flag FLG1 is set to on (S25: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S26.

  Then, in step S26, it is determined whether the vehicle is positioned in front of the defined position P by the dozing determination control unit 832. If it is determined that the vehicle is positioned in front of the prescribed position P (S26: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S27. Then, in step S27, the drowsy determination control unit 832 performs warning control as in step S14. Subsequently, in the next step S28, the drowsy determination control unit 832 performs the vehicle speed control in the same manner as the step S15. Then, when the vehicle speed control is performed, the present processing routine is temporarily ended.

  On the other hand, when it is not determined in step S26 that the vehicle is positioned in front of the defined position P (NO), the process proceeds to the next step S29. Then, in step S29, the drowsy determination control unit 832 determines whether the vehicle is positioned at the specified position P or not. If it is determined that the vehicle is located at the specified position P (S29: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S30.

  Then, in step S30, the drowsy determination control unit 832 performs stop control to stop the vehicle by increasing the braking force on the vehicle. That is, under the situation where it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the stop control is performed when it is determined that the driver is falling asleep when the vehicle reaches the prescribed position P. Is implemented as control during determination of sleepiness. In this case, in the stop control, the control unit 832 calculates the required value of the braking force that can stop the vehicle before the vehicle enters the curve, and performs the braking control of the required value of the braking force. Output to the device 62. For example, the control unit 832 calculates the required value of the braking force based on the vehicle speed VS and the vehicle position VS at the current position, that is, the distance from the prescribed position P to the position P0 just before the curve shown in FIG. be able to. When the stop control is performed, the processing routine is ended.

  When the required value of the braking force is input to the braking control device 62 by execution of the stop control by the control unit 832 during the nap determination, the braking control device 62 controls the braking device 20 based on the required value of the braking force. Do.

  On the other hand, when it is not determined in step S29 that the vehicle is located at the prescribed position P (NO), the process proceeds to the next step S31. That is, when the vehicle has already passed the defined position P, the process of step S31 is performed. In this step S31, the lane keeping control is performed by the control unit 832 during determination of sleepiness. Lane keeping control is control that automatically adjusts the yaw moment of the vehicle so that the vehicle can travel so that the vehicle does not deviate from the lane. Specifically, in the lane keeping control, the control unit 832 calculates the required value of the yaw moment generated in the vehicle based on the curvature Y of the curve and the vehicle speed VS. Then, the drowsy determination control unit 832 converts the calculated required value of the yaw moment into the required value of the turning angle of the wheel 100 to be steered, and outputs the required value of the turning angle to the turning control device 63 .

  When the required value of the turning angle is input to the turning control device 63 by execution of the lane keeping control by the control unit 832 during the nap determination, the turning control device 63 is based on the required value of the turning angle. The steering actuator 33 is controlled. Thereby, the turning actuator 33 is driven such that the turning angle of the wheel 100 approaches the required value of the turning angle.

  When the lane keeping control is performed, the process proceeds to the next step S32. Then, in step S32, it is determined whether the vehicle has exited the curve. Then, if it is not determined that the vehicle has left the curve (S32: NO), the process proceeds to step S31 described above. That is, if the vehicle has not yet entered the curve, and if the vehicle is still traveling on the curve, the drowsy determination control unit 832 continues the implementation of the lane keeping control. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle has left the curve (S32: YES), the process proceeds to step S30 described above. That is, when it is determined that the driver is in the state of falling asleep after the vehicle passes the specified position P, the control unit 832 during the determination of falling asleep is determined along the traveling path as control during a determination of falling asleep A control is performed to make the vehicle travel automatically and to stop the vehicle after the vehicle leaves the curve.

Next, the operation and effects of the present embodiment will be described.
Even if the driver of the vehicle is snoozing under the situation where a curve exists ahead of the traveling path of the vehicle, control during the nap determination is performed. The drowsy determination control is control for causing the vehicle to automatically travel regardless of the driver's operation of the vehicle. Therefore, the safety of the vehicle can be enhanced even if the driver falls asleep under a situation where a curve having a higher degree of danger than the straight path exists ahead of the travel path of the vehicle.

  Specifically, when it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the defined position P is set in front of the curve. Then, when it is determined that the driver is in a sleepy state when the vehicle reaches the specified position P, stop control is performed as control during sleepiness determination. Thereby, the vehicle can be stopped before the curve. As a result, compared with the case where the vehicle is stopped in the middle of the curve, the safety of the own vehicle and the following vehicle traveling behind the own vehicle can be enhanced.

  On the other hand, it may be determined that the driver is in a nap state after the vehicle passes the prescribed position P. In this case, lane keeping control and stop control are performed as control during the determination of sleepiness. That is, the lane keeping control is performed until the vehicle leaves the curve, and the stop control is performed after the vehicle leaves the curve. As described above, by automatically causing the vehicle to travel until the vehicle exits the curve, the safety of the vehicle can be enhanced as compared to the case where the vehicle is caused to travel based on the vehicle operation of the driver who is sleeping asleep Can. Then, when the vehicle leaves the curve by the automatic traveling, the vehicle is stopped by the stop control. Therefore, the vehicle can be prevented from stopping in the middle of the curve.

  The prescribed position P is variable according to the vehicle speed VS. Therefore, compared with the case where the defined position P is fixed at a predetermined value, the possibility of the vehicle stopping in the state where the vehicle enters the curve when the stop control is performed from the defined position P can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that a curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the driver sleeps more than when it is not determined that a curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle. It is intended to ease the condition for determining that it is in the Therefore, when it is determined that a curve having a higher degree of risk than the straight path exists in front of the vehicle, it is likely that the driver is determined to be in a nap state, and control during nap determination may be started early. It becomes possible. Then, by starting the control during the nap determination early, awakening the driver before the vehicle reaches the prescribed position P or early starting automatic traveling of the vehicle not by the driver's vehicle operation Can. As a result, the safety of the vehicle can be enhanced.

  By the way, if the vehicle has not reached the defined position P even under the condition that it is determined that the curve exists in front of the traveling route, the warning control is carried out as the drowsy determination control. In the present embodiment, in the warning control, the control amount CW of the warning actuator is derived based on the curvature Y of the curve and the vehicle speed VS of the vehicle, and the warning actuator is controlled based on the control amount CW. Ru. Therefore, it is possible to give the driver a warning corresponding to the curvature Y of the curve existing ahead of the traveling path of the vehicle and the vehicle speed VS.

  For example, when the driver is asleep, the greater the vehicle speed VS, the higher the degree of danger, and therefore, it is considered that the importance of warning control that promotes driver awakening is high. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control amount CW of the warning actuator is set to a larger value as the vehicle speed VS increases. Therefore, by driving the actuator for warning by the warning control, it is possible to give the driver a larger vibration. That is, the implementation of the warning control can increase the possibility that the driver is awake.

  Also, for example, when the driver is dozing, the greater the curvature Y of the curve present in front of the travel path of the vehicle, the higher the degree of danger, and thus the warning control that urges the driver to wake up is highly important. Conceivable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as the curvature Y of the curve is larger, the control amount CW of the warning actuator is set to a larger value. Therefore, by driving the actuator for warning by the warning control, it is possible to give the driver a larger vibration. That is, the implementation of the warning control can increase the possibility that the driver is awake.

The present embodiment can be modified as follows. The present embodiment and the following modifications can be implemented in combination with one another as long as there is no technical contradiction.
-If it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep after the vehicle passes the prescribed position P, the vehicle can be made to travel so as not to deviate from the lane by execution of the lane keeping control. If so, stop control may not be performed after the vehicle exits the curve. In this case, after the vehicle has left the curve, warning may be performed in addition to the lane keeping control to prompt the driver to wake up while traveling automatically.

  -Under the situation where it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, regardless of the position of the vehicle at the time when it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep The lane keeping control may be performed as the control during the determination of the nap. In this case, the warning control is performed until the vehicle enters the curve, the warning control is interrupted while the vehicle is traveling on the curve, and then the warning control is resumed after the vehicle leaves the curve. You may

  -When stopping a vehicle by implementation of stop control, the damping | braking force with respect to a vehicle does not need to be constant by predetermined value. That is, when the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the following vehicle is short, if the deceleration of the own vehicle is large, the following vehicle relatively approaches the own vehicle and there is a concern that the safety of the own vehicle and the following vehicle may be deteriorated. . Therefore, in the stop control, the required value of the braking force of the vehicle may be made smaller as the distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is shorter.

  Further, when changing the required value of the braking force of the vehicle at the time of stop control as described above, the prescribed position P may be changed according to the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle. For example, when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is short, it can be predicted that the required value of the braking force of the vehicle when performing the stop control is set to a smaller value than when the inter-vehicle distance is long. Therefore, the prescribed position P may be set to a position farther from the curve as the distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is shorter.

  In the above embodiment, when it is determined that the driver does not go to sleep before the vehicle reaches the specified position P, the warning control and the vehicle speed control are performed until the vehicle reaches the specified position P. When the vehicle reaches the specified position P, stop control is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when it is determined that the driver is in a doze state before the vehicle reaches the prescribed position P, the stop control is performed before the vehicle reaches the prescribed position P You may However, when the vehicle performs stop control before the vehicle reaches the specified position P as described above, the braking force for the vehicle when the vehicle performs stop control after the vehicle reaches the specified position P It may be smaller than the required value of.

  In the case where the driving support device 80 is applied to a vehicle capable of applying regenerative braking force to the vehicle, in stop control, both of the regenerative braking force and the braking force applied to the vehicle by the operation of the braking mechanism 25, ie, the friction braking force You may make it stop a vehicle by.

In the case where the driving support device 80 is applied to a vehicle including an electric parking device, in the stop control, both the braking device 20 and the electric parking device may be driven.
The distance between the position P0 immediately before the curve and the prescribed position P may be fixed at the prescribed distance. In this case, the prescribed distance is a value obtained from the specifications of the vehicle.

The control amount CW of the warning actuator may not be variable according to the curvature Y of the curve existing in front of the traveling path of the vehicle, as long as it is variable according to the vehicle speed VS.
The control amount CW of the warning actuator does not have to be variable according to the vehicle speed VS as long as it is variable according to the curvature Y of the curve existing in front of the traveling path of the vehicle.

  The braking device 20 may be used as a warning actuator. When the braking device 20 is operated by the warning control, the driver's awakening is promoted by vibrating the deceleration of the vehicle by controlling the braking force applied to the vehicle.

  · When it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the degree of relaxation of the condition for determining that the driver is in a nap state is varied according to the curvature Y of the curve. It is also good. For example, the degree of relaxation of the condition may be increased as the curvature Y of the curve is larger.

  In the above embodiment, whether or not a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle is determined based on the information input from the on-board navigation device 52 to the driving support device 80. However, the determination is not limited to this, and the determination may be performed based on information from another device. For example, if the driving support apparatus 80 can obtain information from a server installed outside the vehicle, a mobile terminal owned by a vehicle occupant, and a traffic infrastructure, the information obtained from the information can be used as a basis. Alternatively, it may be determined whether a curve exists in front of the travel path of the vehicle, or the curvature Y of the curve may be acquired.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment and modifications will be described.
(A) When setting the prescribed position, the travel control unit preferably sets the prescribed position at a position further from the curve as the vehicle body speed of the vehicle is higher.

  12: A transmission as an example of an actuator for warning, 80: driving support device, 81: drowsiness determination unit, 82: curve determination unit, 83: traveling control unit, 831: prescribed position setting unit, 832: control during dozing determination Part 110: Vehicle.

Claims (5)

A curve determination unit that determines whether a curve exists in front of a travel route of the vehicle;
A sleep determination unit that determines whether the driver of the vehicle is sleeping while the vehicle is traveling;
When it is determined that the driver is in a drowsy state under a situation where it is determined that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, a drowsiness that causes the vehicle to automatically travel regardless of the driver's vehicle operation And a driving control unit for performing control during determination. When the curve determination unit determines that the curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle, the drowsiness determination unit performs driving more than when it is determined that the curve is present in front of the travel route of the vehicle. The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the condition for determining that the person is in a nap is eased so as to be easily determined that the driver is in a nap. The driving control unit is configured to warn the driver in the drowsy determination control.
If the actuator to be warned to the driver is a warning actuator:
The running control unit derives a control amount of the warning actuator based on the curvature of a curve existing in front of the traveling path of the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the dozing determination control, and the control amount is the same. The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator for warning is controlled based on. The travel control unit is
When it is determined by the curve determination unit that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, a prescribed position is set in front of the curve,
The braking control for stopping the vehicle in front of the curve as the control during the doze determination when the doze determination unit determines that the driver is dozing when the vehicle reaches the specified position. The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The travel control unit is
When it is determined by the curve determination unit that a curve exists in front of the travel route of the vehicle, a prescribed position is set in front of the curve,
When it is determined that the driver is in a state of falling asleep by the drowsiness determination unit after the vehicle has passed the specified position, the vehicle is automatically traveled along the traveling route as control during the drowsiness determination. The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control for stopping the vehicle is performed after the vehicle exits a curve.