JP4200881B2 - Vehicle travel control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular travel control apparatus in which a braking force is applied separately from a driver's braking operation based on, for example, the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an obstacle.

For example, the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and the obstacle is detected according to the distance between the host vehicle and the obstacle and the relative speed, and when the contact possibility is large, the driver's braking operation is automatically performed separately. It has been proposed to apply braking force automatically (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-5-24524

However, since the conventional vehicle travel control device is configured to perform braking only according to the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and the front object, for example, when the vehicle is on the left side when turning left If automatic braking is performed according to the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle when crossing the oncoming lane, the host vehicle may stop at the intersection (oncoming lane) and obstruct the passage of the oncoming vehicle.
In order to solve the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular travel control device capable of appropriate braking when crossing an oncoming lane.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle travel control device of the present invention is a vehicle travel control device that performs braking according to the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an obstacle in the traveling direction. The brake according to the contact possibility is not performed or is difficult to perform.

  Thus, according to the vehicle travel control device of the present invention, when crossing the oncoming lane, braking according to the possibility of contact is not performed or is difficult to perform. Thus, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from decelerating and stopping at the appropriate speed and to make appropriate braking when crossing the oncoming lane.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle with a preceding vehicle follow-up travel control device to which the vehicle travel control device of the present invention is applied. This vehicle is a rear wheel drive vehicle in which the rear wheels 1RL and 1RR are driving wheels and the front wheels 1FL and 1FR are driven wheels, and the driving torque of the engine 2 is transmitted to the rear wheels 1RL and 1RR via the automatic transmission 3. Is done.

  The rotation state, torque, output, etc. of the engine 2 can be controlled by the engine control device 11. Specifically, the engine rotation state, torque, output, etc. can be controlled by adjusting the throttle valve opening, idle valve opening, ignition timing, fuel injection amount, fuel injection timing, and the like. In this embodiment, a so-called electronically controlled throttle valve is used in which the throttle valve 5 is not mechanically connected to the accelerator pedal, but the opening degree of the throttle valve 5 is adjusted by the motor 6. That is, by controlling the rotation angle of the motor 6, the opening degree of the throttle valve 5 can be controlled, and the throttle opening degree, that is, the engine rotation state, torque, output, etc. can be controlled separately from the depression amount of the accelerator pedal. I did it.

The automatic transmission 3 is a stepped automatic transmission with five forward speeds and one reverse speed, and can be controlled by a transmission control device 12. Specifically, by adjusting the working fluid pressure supplied to the clutch and brake in the automatic transmission 3, the selected gear ratio is changed to obtain a desired gear ratio (reduction ratio). it can.
The wheels 1FL to 1RR are provided with wheel cylinders 4FL to 4RR constituting so-called disc brakes. The wheel cylinders 4FL to 4RR apply a braking force to the wheels 1FL to 1RR by the supplied brake fluid pressure. The braking force applied to each of the wheels 1FL to 1RR can be controlled by the braking fluid pressure control device 13. Specifically, for example, each wheel cylinder 4FL˜ is increased by increasing the brake fluid pressure as in the driving force control device (TCS) or decreasing the brake fluid pressure as in the anti-skid control device (ABS). The braking fluid pressure to 4RR can be adjusted and the braking force to each wheel 1FL-1RR can be controlled. The braking fluid pressure regulated in the braking fluid pressure control device 13 is supplied from a master cylinder 22 that is boosted by depressing the brake pedal 21.

Each of these control devices controls the traveling state of the vehicle, and can control the traveling state by adjusting the acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle, the longitudinal speed, that is, the traveling speed, and the like.
Of course, these control devices can operate alone, but the overall functions are governed by the automatic travel control device 10 including inter-vehicle distance control, preceding vehicle following travel control, and braking control. The automatic travel control device 10 performs various arithmetic processes to control the travel state of the vehicle, thereby performing inter-vehicle distance control, preceding vehicle following travel control, anti-collision braking control, and the like.

  The vehicle is equipped with, for example, a CCD camera, a laser radar, or the like, and is in front of the host vehicle, for example, the state of the traveling lane, the presence or absence of a forward object, the distance to the forward object, or the forward state of detecting the shape of the forward object. Detection device 16, wheel speed sensor 17 for detecting the rotational speed of each wheel 1FL to 1RR, acceleration sensor 18 for detecting longitudinal and lateral acceleration generated in the vehicle, braking fluid pressure sensor 19 for detecting the braking fluid pressure, accelerator pedal An accelerator opening sensor 20 that detects the amount of depression of the engine, a throttle opening sensor 15 that detects the opening of the throttle valve 5, a steering angle sensor 24 that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, and so-called left and right turn signals (flasher lamps). A blinker switch 25 is provided. In addition, this vehicle is provided with a navigation system 7 that detects position information of the vehicle by so-called GPS (Global Positoining System). Further, the vehicle is provided with a display and a speaker 23 for presenting the contents of control by the automatic travel control device 10 to an occupant, particularly a driver.

  Next, calculation processing of automatic braking control performed in the automatic travel control device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This calculation process is executed by a timer interrupt every predetermined sampling time ΔT set to, for example, about 10 msec. In this flowchart, no particular communication step is provided, but the results obtained by the arithmetic processing are updated and stored in the storage device as needed, and necessary information and programs are read from the storage device as needed. Further, the above-described engine control device 11, transmission control device 12, and brake fluid pressure control device 13 communicate with each other at any time, and necessary information and commands are exchanged bidirectionally at any time.

In this calculation process, first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not it is time to cross the opposite lane depending on whether or not a right turn signal is given by the turn signal switch 25, that is, whether or not the right turn signal is ON. In the case of, the process proceeds to step S2, and otherwise, the process proceeds to step S3.
In step S2, it is determined whether the detection target detected in the traveling direction of the host vehicle is an oncoming vehicle. If the detection target is an oncoming vehicle, the process proceeds to step S4. The process proceeds to step S3. For example, a method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-99896 can be used to determine the oncoming vehicle. This determination is made so that the threshold value for starting the braking control is not erroneously changed when the host vehicle before the right turn is in the right turn signal ON state and the preceding vehicle on the right turn straight line exists ahead of the host vehicle. Because.

In the step S4, the forward state inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the detector 16, and the normally greater oncoming vehicles than the automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ at normal automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ or It is determined whether or not the non-interfering inter-vehicle distance threshold L ₃ or less, and the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is not less than the normal automatic braking start threshold L _{1 and not} more than the oncoming vehicle non-interfering inter-vehicle distance threshold L ₃ . If there is, the process proceeds to step S5, and if not, the process proceeds to step S6. The normal automatic braking start threshold L ₁ and the oncoming vehicle non-interfering inter-vehicle distance threshold L ₃ are set according to the relative speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, as the relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is large, usually automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering headway distance threshold L ₃ are both set larger.

In step S3, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is in the oncoming lane, that is, whether or not the right turn has ended, from the host vehicle position information by the GPS of the navigation system 7. If the vehicle is in the lane, the process proceeds to step S7. If not, the process proceeds to step S6.
In the step S5, the process proceeds automatic braking start threshold for inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and oncoming vehicles, to step S8 after setting to the normal automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ is smaller than a right turn during automatic braking start threshold value L ₂ . The right turn automatic braking start threshold L ₂ is set according to the relative speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, as the relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is large, turn right at the automatic braking start threshold value L ₂ is set large.

Further, in step S6, the process proceeds after setting the automatic braking start threshold for inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle to the normal automatic brake start threshold L ₁ in step S8.
Further, in the step S7, similarly to the step S5, the process proceeds after setting the automatic braking start threshold for inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and an oncoming vehicle in the right turn during automatic braking start threshold value L ₂ in step S8.
In step S8, an automatic braking process at the time of a right turn is performed by an individual calculation process, and then the process returns to the main program. Specifically, when the inter-vehicle distance L between the oncoming vehicle in front of the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle is equal to or less than the automatic braking start threshold value, the automatic braking is started, for example, relative to the oncoming vehicle or the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle. By setting so as to increase the braking fluid pressure according to the speed (approaching side), it is possible to perform braking such as appropriate deceleration or stopping.

The effect | action by this arithmetic processing is demonstrated using FIGS.
In FIG. 4, there is a preceding vehicle (first in the figure) of the own vehicle (in the figure) in the intersection, and the preceding vehicle is about to turn right. Oncoming vehicles (in the figure, pairs) are also approaching. In addition, the host vehicle also turns on the right turn signal. In such a case, since the process shifts from step S1 to step S2, step S3, and step S6 in the calculation process of FIG. 2, the automatic braking start threshold is set to the normal automatic braking start threshold L ₁ , and the preceding vehicle After this, automatic braking is started from the normal automatic braking start threshold L ₁ .

In FIG. 5, the time has elapsed from the state of FIG. 4 and the preceding vehicle has completed a right turn. Therefore, the preceding vehicle that has made a right turn deviates from the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and there is an oncoming vehicle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. At this time, the oncoming vehicle is approaching from the own vehicle to the normal automatic braking start threshold L _{1 or} less. In addition, the host vehicle is in the center of the intersection and not in the oncoming lane. In this case, step S2 from step S1 of calculation process of FIG. 2, step S4, since the shifts in the order of step S6, the automatic braking start threshold is set to the normal automatic braking start threshold value L _1, the vehicle in the oncoming vehicle On the other hand, it stops with the current position being automatically braked.

On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows that the preceding vehicle completes a right turn after a lapse of time from the state of FIG. 4, and the oncoming vehicle in the traveling direction of the own vehicle at that time is the oncoming vehicle non-interfering inter-vehicle distance threshold L. _It shows a state farther than ₃ . In this case as well, as in the state of FIG. 5, the calculation process of FIG. 2 proceeds from step S1 to step S2, step S4, step S6 in this order, so the automatic braking start threshold is the normal automatic braking start threshold L _1. Set to However, in this case, since the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is greater than the usual automatic braking start threshold value L _1, the automatic braking is not performed, so as to follow the preceding vehicle, also turn right vehicle . At this time, even facing the vehicle enters into the intersection, the vehicle is already completed right turn, and with L ₃ a distance a margin of about cut - exit from the opposite lane.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which more time elapses from FIG. 6 and the host vehicle turns right and moves behind the preceding vehicle, but the host vehicle is still in the oncoming lane. The oncoming vehicle will now enter the intersection. In this case, the arithmetic processing of FIG. 2, step S3 from step S1 or step S2, since the transition in the order of step S7, the automatic brake start threshold said start normal automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ is smaller than a right turn during automatic braking The threshold value L ₂ is set. Therefore, automatic braking is suppressed so as to reduce the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle after the right turn, and as a result, the host vehicle can get out of the oncoming lane and does not interfere with the oncoming vehicle. Similarly, the automatic braking start threshold value is set to the right turn automatic braking start threshold value L ₂ when the right turn signal is ON and the oncoming vehicle is detected, and the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the normal automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ between the oncoming vehicle and the non-interfering vehicle. distance is when the threshold value L ₃ or less (step S1, step S2, step S4, step S5). In this case, normally, the host vehicle should complete a right turn and get out of the oncoming lane before the oncoming vehicle enters the intersection, but the automatic braking start threshold is required to escape from the intersection as quickly as possible. Is set to the automatic braking start threshold L ₂ when turning right.

On the other hand, the conventional automatic braking control device does not change the automatic braking start threshold. For example, when the automatic braking start threshold is fixed in the normal automatic braking start threshold value L _1, for example, although the vehicle as described above is moved to the rear of the preceding vehicle to turn right, the vehicle is still in the opposite lane When the oncoming vehicle enters the intersection from now on, as shown in FIG. 8, automatic braking is performed when the distance between the preceding vehicle after the right turn and the own vehicle becomes the normal automatic braking start threshold L _1. As a result, the host vehicle cannot get out of the oncoming lane, and as a result, the oncoming vehicle may be obstructed.

Thus, in the present invention, when turning right, that is, when crossing the opposite lane, for example, by reducing the automatic braking start threshold for the inter-vehicle distance and suppressing automatic braking, the host vehicle can easily get out of the opposite lane, It is possible to prevent the oncoming vehicle from being obstructed.
In addition, by detecting that the host vehicle crosses the oncoming lane when the right turn signal, that is, the direction indicator in the direction crossing the oncoming lane, is operated, it is possible to easily and surely cross the oncoming lane. Can be detected.

Furthermore, the vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance L is started normally automatic braking threshold of oncoming vehicle L ₁ or more and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering headway distance threshold L _3, i.e. the normal large predetermined headway distance below than the automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ In some cases, by setting the automatic braking start threshold value to the right turn automatic braking start threshold value L ₂ that is smaller than the normal automatic braking start threshold value L ₁ , the automatic braking is suppressed when turning right, that is, when crossing the opposite lane. The host vehicle can easily get out of the oncoming lane and can be prevented from interfering with the oncoming vehicle.

Further, when the position of the host vehicle detected by the GPS of the navigation system 7 deviates from the oncoming lane and reaches the position where the oncoming lane has been crossed, the automatic braking start threshold value of the automatic braking is set to the normal automatic braking. As the start threshold L ₁ , the suppression of braking of the host vehicle that is separate from the driver's braking operation is terminated. Therefore, when the host vehicle is in the oncoming lane, the automatic braking start threshold of the automatic braking is the normal automatic is maintained in the brake start threshold L ₁ is smaller than a right turn during automatic braking start threshold value L _2, during which, as pack headway distance to the preceding vehicle after the right turn, the automatic braking is suppressed, easily host vehicle exits from the opposite lane Thus, it is possible to prevent the oncoming vehicle from being obstructed.

From the above, the entire arithmetic processing of FIG. 2 excluding the step S8 constitutes the braking suppression means of the present invention.
Next, another embodiment of the vehicle travel control apparatus of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing for the braking control of the first embodiment is changed from that of FIG. 2 to that of FIG. In this calculation process, first, in step S11, it is determined whether or not the driver has a right turn by using whether or not the steering angle θ detected by the steering angle sensor 24 is not less than a predetermined value in the right turn direction. If the steering angle θ is greater than or equal to the predetermined value in the right turn direction, the process proceeds to step S12. If not, the process proceeds to step S13. The steering angle predetermined value at the time of the right turn determination is set to a value larger than the steering angle at the time of normal lane change.

In step S12, as in step S2 of the calculation process of FIG. 2, it is determined whether the detection target detected in the traveling direction of the host vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, and the detection target is an oncoming vehicle. If there is, the process proceeds to step S14. If not, the process proceeds to step S13.
In the step S14, the arrival time T between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is, is a normal automatic braking start thresholds T ₁ or more and the normal automatic braking start thresholds T ₁ greater oncoming vehicle than the non-interfering arrival time threshold T ₃ or less whether it determines, if the arrival time T between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is usually less than the automatic braking start thresholds T ₁ or more and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering arrival time threshold T ₃ moves to step S15, Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S16. The arrival time T is a time for the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle to reach each other. Specifically, an inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the front state detection device 16 is defined as the own vehicle. It is a value divided by the relative speed V with the oncoming vehicle. Incidentally, the normal automatic braking start threshold T ₁ and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering arrival time threshold T _3, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, is set in accordance with the relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle. In the present embodiment, as the relative speed between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is large, usually automatic braking start threshold T ₁ and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering arrival time threshold T ₃ are both set larger. The oncoming vehicle non-disturbance arrival time threshold T ₃ is based on the same concept as the oncoming lane non-disturbing inter-vehicle distance threshold L ₃ .

In step S13, as in step S3 of the calculation process of FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in the oncoming lane from the vehicle position information by the GPS of the navigation system 7, that is, the right turn is completed. If the host vehicle is in the oncoming lane, the process proceeds to step S17. If not, the process proceeds to step S16.
In the step S15, shifts the automatic braking start threshold for the arrival time T between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, to step S18 after setting to the normal automatic brake start thresholds T ₁ smaller than the right-turn automatic braking start threshold T ₂ . The right turn automatic braking start threshold T ₂ is set according to the relative speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the right turn automatic braking start threshold T ₂ is set to be larger as the relative speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle increases.

Further, the step S16, shifts the automatic braking start threshold for the arrival time T between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle after setting to the normal automatic brake start thresholds T ₁ to the step S18.
Further, in step S17, similarly to the step S15, the process proceeds after setting the automatic braking start threshold for the arrival time T between the host vehicle and an oncoming vehicle in the right turn during automatic braking start threshold T ₂ to the step S18 .

  In step S18, an automatic braking process at the time of a right turn is performed by an individual calculation process, and then the process returns to the main program. Specifically, when the arrival time T between the oncoming vehicle in front of the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle becomes equal to or less than the automatic braking start threshold, automatic braking is started. By setting so as to increase the braking fluid pressure according to the speed (approaching side), it is possible to perform braking such as appropriate deceleration or stopping.

The operation of this calculation process is to determine the possibility of contact with the oncoming vehicle by the inter-vehicle distance in the first embodiment, whereas in this embodiment, the possibility of contact with the oncoming vehicle is determined by the arrival time. Except for this point, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment.
According to this calculation process, in addition to the operation and effect of the first embodiment, the detected steering angle is compared with the steering angle threshold set to a value larger than the steering angle at the time of normal lane change. By detecting that the host vehicle crosses the oncoming lane when the value is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is possible to reliably detect that the host vehicle crosses the oncoming lane.

Furthermore, the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle and the arrival time T is normally automatic braking start thresholds T ₁ or more and the oncoming vehicle noninterfering arrival time threshold T _3, i.e. below the normal large predetermined reaching time than the automatic braking start thresholds T ₁ In some cases, by setting the automatic braking start threshold to the right turn automatic braking start threshold T ₂ that is smaller than the normal automatic braking start threshold T ₁ , the automatic braking is suppressed when turning right, that is, when crossing the opposite lane. The host vehicle can easily get out of the oncoming lane and can be prevented from interfering with the oncoming vehicle.

Further, when the position of the host vehicle detected by the GPS of the navigation system 7 deviates from the oncoming lane and reaches the position where the oncoming lane has been crossed, the automatic braking start threshold value of the automatic braking is set to the normal automatic braking. As the start threshold T ₁ , the suppression of braking of the host vehicle that is separate from the driver's braking operation is terminated. Therefore, when the host vehicle is in the oncoming lane, the automatic braking start threshold of the automatic braking is the normal automatic It is maintained at an automatic braking start threshold value T ₂ when turning right, which is smaller than the braking start threshold value T ₁ , and during that time, automatic braking is suppressed so that the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle after the right turn is reduced, and the host vehicle can easily get out of the oncoming lane. Thus, it is possible to prevent the oncoming vehicle from being obstructed.

From the above, the entire calculation process of FIG. 9 except for step S18 constitutes the braking suppression means of the present invention.
In each of the embodiments described above, the case of right turn is taken up as an example of crossing the oncoming lane, but not only at the time of right turning, but the same problem occurs at the time of braking when crossing the oncoming lane. In order to solve, the present invention includes all cases of crossing oncoming lanes. That is, according to the traffic rules, if the vehicle is on the left side, the right turn will cross the opposite lane, and if it is on the right side, the left turn will cross the opposite lane.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although each control apparatus was comprised with the microcomputer, it may replace with this and may use an arithmetic processing unit suitably.
In the above-described embodiment, only the so-called hydraulic friction brake has been described. However, the vehicle travel control device of the present invention can be applied to other braking devices as well, and for example, the friction material is pressed against the rotating body by an electric actuator. Electric friction brakes, regenerative brakes that generate electrical braking and power generation brakes, engine brakes that control braking by changing the valve timing of the engine, transmission brakes that control engine braking by changing the gear ratio, air resistance brakes, etc. Any device that exerts a braking action on the vehicle may be used.

It is a vehicle block diagram which shows an example of the vehicle with preceding vehicle follow-up running control provided with the running control device for vehicles of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows 1st Embodiment of the arithmetic processing for the brake control performed with the automatic traveling control apparatus of FIG. 3 is a control map used in the arithmetic processing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action of the arithmetic processing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action of the arithmetic processing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action of the arithmetic processing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action of the arithmetic processing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action of the conventional automatic braking control. It is a flowchart which shows 2nd Embodiment of the arithmetic processing for the brake control performed with the automatic traveling control apparatus of FIG. 10 is a control map used in the arithmetic processing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1FL to 1RR are wheels 2 is an engine 3 is an automatic transmission 4FL to 4RR is a wheel cylinder 5 is a throttle valve 6 is a motor 7 is a navigation system 9 is a manual switch 10 is an automatic travel control device 11 is an engine control device 12 is a transmission control The device 13 is a braking fluid pressure control device 15 is a throttle opening sensor 16 is a forward state detection device 17 is a wheel speed sensor 18 is an acceleration sensor 19 is a braking fluid pressure sensor 20 is an accelerator opening sensor 21 is a brake pedal 22 is a master cylinder 23. Is the display and speaker 24 is the steering angle sensor 25 is the blinker switch

Claims (5)

A contact possibility detecting means for detecting the possibility that the host vehicle contacts an obstacle in the traveling direction, and the driver according to the possibility of contact between the obstacle detected by the contact possibility detecting means and the host vehicle. In the vehicular travel control device, which includes a braking means for braking the own vehicle separately from the braking operation of the vehicle, an oncoming lane crossing detecting means for detecting that the own vehicle crosses the oncoming lane, the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, The oncoming vehicle inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting the inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle, and the driver, based on the inter-vehicle distance from the oncoming vehicle, when the oncoming lane crossing detecting means detects that the host vehicle crosses the oncoming lane. The braking operation includes braking restraining means for restraining braking of the individual own vehicle, and the braking means has a predetermined braking distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the oncoming vehicle inter-vehicle distance detecting means. When it is below the start threshold The braking operation of the driver is performed separately from the braking operation of the driver, and the braking suppression unit is configured such that an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the oncoming vehicle inter-vehicle distance detecting unit is the braking force. The vehicle travel characterized in that the braking start threshold value of the braking means is reduced when it is equal to or greater than the normal braking start threshold value set by the means and not more than a predetermined inter-vehicle distance greater than the normal braking start threshold value. Control device. A contact possibility detecting means for detecting the possibility that the host vehicle contacts an obstacle in the traveling direction, and the driver according to the possibility of contact between the obstacle detected by the contact possibility detecting means and the host vehicle. In the vehicular travel control device, which includes a braking means for braking the own vehicle separately from the braking operation of the vehicle, an oncoming lane crossing detecting means for detecting that the own vehicle crosses the oncoming lane, the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, The arrival time detection means for detecting the arrival time between the two vehicles reaching each other, and the driver when the vehicle is detected to cross the opposite lane by the opposite lane crossing detection means based on the arrival time. The braking operation includes braking suppression means for suppressing braking of the individual own vehicle, and the braking means has a predetermined braking start threshold value for the arrival time between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the arrival time detecting means. When The braking operation of the turner is to brake the own vehicle individually, and the braking suppression means sets the arrival time of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle detected by the arrival time detection means by the braking means. A vehicular travel control apparatus that reduces the braking start threshold value of the braking means when it is equal to or greater than a normal braking start threshold value and less than a predetermined arrival time that is greater than the braking start threshold value .   3. The vehicle travel according to claim 1, wherein the oncoming lane crossing detecting means detects that the host vehicle crosses the oncoming lane when a direction indicator in a direction crossing the oncoming lane is operated. Control device.   The oncoming lane crossing detecting means detects the oncoming lane when the detected steering angle is greater than or equal to the steering angle threshold value set to a value larger than the steering angle at the time of normal lane change. The vehicular travel control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicular travel control apparatus is detected when crossing. When the position of the host vehicle detected by the host vehicle position detecting unit has reached the position where it has crossed the oncoming lane, the braking suppression unit includes a host vehicle position detecting unit that detects the position of the host vehicle. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the braking operation of the driver ends the suppression of braking of the individual own vehicle.

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