JP5407886B2 - Deceleration control device, method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a deceleration control device, method, and program for decelerating a vehicle.

  Conventionally, a technique for stopping only a vehicle by generating only a regenerative brake is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for adjusting a regenerative braking start position in order to generate a regenerative brake that charges a battery with an upper limit electric power determined by the input limit value of the battery and to stop the vehicle. It is disclosed.

JP 2009-29388 A

In the above-described prior art, since the regenerative brake that charges the upper limit electric power determined by the input limit value of the battery is generated, it is not possible to perform appropriate deceleration control according to the situation of the stop position where the vehicle is stopped. For example, in a situation where the vehicle should be stopped after the vehicle is stopped, it does not bother the driver even if it takes a long time from the start of deceleration to the stop. However, if the vehicle can be restarted immediately after it is stopped, spending a long period of time from the start of deceleration to the stop causes annoyance to the driver.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the driver from feeling troublesome.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the first deceleration for stopping the vehicle in a predetermined braking period when the timing at which the stop factor for stopping the vehicle is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle. Select control as execution target deceleration control. Further, when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the second deceleration control having a shorter braking period than the first deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control. And execution vehicle deceleration control is performed and a vehicle is stopped in the stop position according to the stop factor.

  In other words, when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the stop factor is stopped in a shorter braking period than when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver. The second deceleration control that can be performed is selected as the execution target deceleration control. With this configuration, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, and although the stop factor can be resolved by the vehicle reaching the stop position early, the vehicle is spent for a long time. Can be prevented from occurring. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the driver from feeling troublesome.

  Here, the stop factor specifying means only needs to be able to specify the stop factor that should stop the vehicle based on the situation ahead of the vehicle. In other words, the situation in front of the vehicle includes a static situation such as a road situation and a dynamic situation such as a preceding vehicle. Can be a factor to stop. Therefore, in the stop factor specifying means, a stop factor is associated in advance with the situation in front of the vehicle, the situation in front of the vehicle that generates the stop factor is specified, and the stop factor corresponding to the situation is determined. You just have to specify.

  The deceleration control selection means is the first deceleration control when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, and the first control when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the vehicle driver. It suffices if two deceleration control can be selected. That is, when there is a possibility that the vehicle can be restarted early after stopping according to the stop factor, the driver is selected by selecting the second deceleration control that reaches the stop position relatively early. However, it is only necessary to be able to suppress annoyance. Assuming that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver, it is assumed that the time at which the vehicle can restart again changes according to the time when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the stop factor. Is possible. Assuming that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver, the case where the time at which the vehicle can be restarted does not change according to the time when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the stop factor is assumed. Is possible.

  Furthermore, the stop factor can be generated according to the situation in front of the vehicle, but can be eliminated depending on the situation in front of the vehicle after the stop factor has occurred. Moreover, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved differs for each stop factor, and whether the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation can be specified in advance for each stop factor. For example, when a stop signal is indicated in a traffic light, the traffic light indicating the stop signal becomes a stop factor, but the stop factor is canceled when the stop signal is changed to a passage permission signal. The timing at which the stop factor is eliminated depends on the signal switching timing indicated by the traffic light and therefore does not depend on the driving operation of the driver. In addition, the temporary stop line on the road becomes a stop factor, but the stop factor is canceled when the vehicle is temporarily stopped at the stop position corresponding to the temporary stop line. Since the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the timing at which the vehicle reaches the stop position, it depends on the driving operation of the driver.

  Therefore, for each stop factor, it is specified in advance whether or not the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver, and is associated with the stop factor. According to this configuration, it is possible to specify whether or not the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver by referring to the correspondence relationship by the deceleration control selection unit.

  The first deceleration control and the second deceleration control are control methods for decelerating the vehicle. In the first deceleration control and the second deceleration control, the braking period required from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle when performing deceleration control in the vehicle. Are set differently. That is, the braking period is a period in which a braking force is applied to the vehicle. The shorter the braking period, the greater the braking force applied to the vehicle and the greater the change in vehicle speed per unit period. In general, the shorter the braking period, the larger the energy consumption per unit period. Therefore, the shorter the braking period, the worse the fuel consumption. Accordingly, the first deceleration control takes a longer time to stop than the second deceleration control, but the fuel consumption is better than the second deceleration control.

  In the present invention, since the first deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated is determined by the vehicle driver. When not depending on the driving operation, a control method with relatively good fuel efficiency is selected. That is, when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated at the stop position cannot be advanced no matter what driving operation the driver performs. Therefore, in the present invention, when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the first deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control. Can be improved.

  The first deceleration control and the second deceleration control only need to be defined so that the vehicle can be decelerated by executing these deceleration controls, and the brake to be controlled is not limited to the regenerative brake. Therefore, it may be a control method in the case of decelerating with a brake other than the regenerative brake such as a friction brake, or a deceleration method in the case of decelerating with a combination of various brakes.

  The deceleration control means only needs to execute the execution target deceleration control and stop the vehicle at the stop position. That is, the brake that is controlled in the first deceleration control or the second deceleration control is controlled, and the braking force by the brake is adjusted in the braking period specified in the first deceleration control or the second deceleration control. It is sufficient if the vehicle can be stopped at the end point.

  Further, in a configuration in which a regenerative brake that charges power to the battery is generated in the regenerative braking unit and the vehicle is stopped at a stop position corresponding to a stop factor, the battery can be continuously charged without degrading the performance of the battery. The first deceleration control is a deceleration control that generates a regenerative brake that charges the charging power, and the second deceleration control is a second deceleration control that generates a regenerative brake that charges a power larger than the continuous charging power. You may employ | adopt the structure to do.

  That is, by setting the target power to be charged to the battery in the first deceleration control as the continuous charging power, when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the battery performance deterioration is suppressed. It becomes possible to decelerate. On the other hand, by setting the electric power larger than the continuous charging electric power as the target electric power in the second deceleration control, it becomes possible to increase the braking force acting on the vehicle as compared with the first deceleration control, which is shorter than the first deceleration control. The vehicle can be stopped during the braking period. Also, with this configuration, the first deceleration control can recover energy with higher efficiency than the second deceleration control, and the first deceleration control has better fuel efficiency.

  Further, when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the first deceleration control is normally selected as the execution target deceleration control, and the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated is the driving operation by the vehicle driver. In the case where the second deceleration control is normally selected as the execution target deceleration control, the deceleration control different from the normal selection may be selected as the execution target deceleration control under a specific situation. For example, even when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the second deceleration control is performed when the period from the vehicle deceleration start to the vehicle stop should be shortened. It is possible to adopt a configuration that selects the execution target deceleration control.

  That is, if the vehicle is stopped in a long braking period even though the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened, it cannot cope with the situation in which the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened. . Therefore, even when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the second deceleration control is performed if the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle should be shortened. By selecting the execution target deceleration control, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being stopped in an excessively long braking period in a situation where the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened.

  Various situations can be assumed as the situation where the period from the deceleration start to the stop of the vehicle should be shortened, and a situation specified by the will of the driver, vehicles around the vehicle, and the like can be assumed. For example, if the driver intends to stop the vehicle early, stopping the vehicle in a long braking period may cause the driver to feel bothered. In this case, the second deceleration control is executed. If the target deceleration control is selected, the driver does not feel bothered.

  Further, assuming that a following vehicle is assumed as a vehicle around the vehicle, and the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, it is assumed that the period from the deceleration start to the stop of the vehicle should be shortened Can be adopted. That is, when the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined distance and the braking period in the vehicle is increased, the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle may be excessively shortened. Therefore, the distance between the following vehicle and the vehicle is specified based on the situation behind the vehicle, and it is determined that the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle should be shortened when the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. If the configuration is adopted, it is possible to prevent the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle from becoming excessively short.

  Furthermore, the method of selecting the deceleration control method according to the dependency on the driving operation at the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated as in the present invention can be applied as a method or a program. In addition, the apparatus, method, and program as described above may be realized as a single apparatus or may be realized by using parts shared with each part provided in the vehicle, and include various aspects. It is a waste. For example, it is possible to provide a navigation device, a method, and a program that include the above devices. Further, some changes may be made as appropriate, such as a part of software and a part of hardware. Furthermore, the invention is also established as a recording medium for a program for controlling the apparatus. Of course, the software recording medium may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or any recording medium to be developed in the future.

It is a block diagram of the navigation apparatus containing a deceleration control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows a deceleration control process. (3A) is a diagram schematically showing the transition of the vehicle speed, and (3B) is a diagram showing an example of the target charging power.

Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
(1) Configuration of navigation device:
(2) Deceleration control processing:
(3) Other embodiments:

(1) Configuration of navigation device:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation device 10 including a deceleration control device according to the present invention. The navigation device 10 includes a control unit 20 including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and a recording medium 30, and the control unit 20 can execute a program stored in the recording medium 30 and the ROM. In the present embodiment, the deceleration control program 21 can be executed as this program.

  The vehicle in this embodiment includes a GPS receiver 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a gyro sensor 43, a camera 44, a generator 45, and a battery 46, and the control unit 20 performs deceleration control using each part as necessary. A function by the program 21 is realized.

  The GPS receiver 41 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and outputs information for calculating the current position of the vehicle via an interface (not shown). The control unit 20 acquires this signal and acquires the current position of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels provided in the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) and acquires the current vehicle speed of the vehicle. The gyro sensor 43 outputs a signal corresponding to the angular velocity acting on the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) and acquires the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42 and the gyro sensor 43 are used for correcting the current position of the vehicle specified from the output signal of the GPS receiver 41. Further, the current position of the vehicle is appropriately corrected based on the travel locus of the vehicle.

  The camera 44 is attached to the vehicle so as to include the periphery of the vehicle (in this example, the front and rear of the vehicle) in the field of view, and outputs image data indicating the captured image. The control unit 20 acquires this image data through an interface (not shown), converts the image data, and outputs a feature (pedestrian, bicycle, preceding vehicle, stop signal) that causes a stop factor directly or indirectly in front of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not the indicated traffic light etc. exists.

  The generator 45 includes a rotor, and the rotor is connected to an axle that drives a wheel via a gear (not shown). The generator 45 generates electric power by rotating the rotor of the generator 45 according to the rotation of the wheel. The battery 46 is charged by the generated power. The generator 45 is connected to the control unit 20 via an interface (not shown), and the control unit 20 outputs a control signal to the generator 45 to control the power generation state, thereby generating a regenerative brake. The braking force can be adjusted.

  The battery 46 is connected to a generator 45, is charged by the power generated by the generator 45, supplies the stored power to the generator 45, and causes the generator 45 to function as a motor. That is, the generator 45 in this embodiment also has a function as a motor for driving the vehicle. When the generator 45 rotates by receiving power supply from the battery 46, the rotation is performed via a gear (not shown). The vehicle travels forward or backward as transmitted to the wheels. The vehicle according to the present embodiment includes an engine (not shown), and is a hybrid vehicle driven by either or both of the engine and the generator 45 as a motor. The present invention may be applied to the above.

  In the recording medium 30, map information 30a and driving operation dependency information 30b are recorded. The map information 30a includes node data indicating nodes set on the road on which the vehicle travels, shape interpolation point data for specifying the shape of the road between the nodes, link data indicating the connection between the nodes, the road and its surroundings Data indicating the position (coordinates) and type of features (temporary stop lines, railroad crossings, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, etc.) existing on the road. In this embodiment, when it is necessary to stop the vehicle according to the situation immediately before or around the feature, the position where the vehicle is stopped is defined as the stop position, and the stop position is indicated in the data indicating the feature. Are associated with each other.

  The driving operation dependency information 30b is information that associates the stop factor with the dependency of the driver of the vehicle on the driving operation at the timing when the stop factor is eliminated. That is, the stop factor is a factor that should be caused to stop the vehicle, which may occur in accordance with the feature indicated by the map information 30a described above or the feature situation specified by the camera 44. In the present embodiment, a stop factor corresponding to the feature indicated by the map information 30a or the feature specified by the camera 44 is defined in advance. Furthermore, whether or not the timing at which each stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver is specified in advance, and is associated with each stop factor. In the present embodiment, when the time at which the vehicle can restart again changes according to the time when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the stop factor, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved is the driver's timing. It is regarded as a stop factor that depends on the driving operation. In addition, when the time at which the vehicle can restart again does not change according to the time when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the stop factor, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driver's driving operation. It is regarded as a stop factor.

  The control unit 20 refers to the map information 30a, the output signal of the camera 44, and the driving operation dependency information 30b, and performs deceleration control using a regenerative brake when there is a stop factor in front of the vehicle. In order to perform the deceleration control, the deceleration control program 21 includes a stop factor identification unit 21a, a deceleration control selection unit 21b, and a deceleration control unit 21c.

  The stop factor specifying unit 21a is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of specifying a stop factor that should stop the vehicle based on a situation in front of the vehicle. That is, the control unit 20 specifies the current position of the vehicle based on output signals from the GPS receiving unit 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, the gyro sensor 43, and the like, and refers to the map information 30a within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle. Identify existing features. Further, the control unit 20 specifies a feature existing within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle based on the output signal of the camera 44. And the control part 20 determines whether a stop factor exists within the predetermined distance ahead of a vehicle based on the condition of the feature which the map information 30a shows, and the feature specified with the camera 44. FIG.

  The deceleration control selection unit 21b selects the first deceleration control as the execution target deceleration control when the timing at which the identified stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, and the halt factor is eliminated. This is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of selecting the second deceleration control as the execution target deceleration control when the timing to perform depends on the driving operation of the vehicle driver. That is, the control unit 20 refers to the driving operation dependency information 30b, and specifies the dependency on the driving operation associated with the stop factor specified by the stop factor specifying unit 21a. The first deceleration is performed when information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle is associated with the stop factor identified by the stop factor identifying unit 21a. Select control as execution target deceleration control. Further, the second deceleration is performed when information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle is associated with the stop factor identified by the stop factor identifying unit 21a. Select control as execution target deceleration control.

  In the present embodiment, both the first deceleration control and the second deceleration control are controls in which the vehicle is decelerated and stopped by regenerative braking, and the target charging power to the battery 46 is different. That is, in the present embodiment, the target charging power is set according to the dependency of the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated on the driving operation. Specifically, in the first deceleration control, the continuous charge power that can be continuously charged without degrading the performance of the battery 46 is set as the target charge power, and in the second deceleration control, the maximum chargeable power for the battery 46 is obtained. The charging power is the target charging power. Note that the maximum charging power is a maximum value of the power that can be charged to the battery 46, and is therefore a value that is larger than the continuous charging power.

  In the present embodiment, due to the difference in the target charging power as described above, the deceleration by the second deceleration control has a shorter braking period than the first deceleration control, resulting in a relatively poor fuel consumption. That is, in regenerative braking, it can generally be considered that the charging power of the battery is equal to (or proportional to) the product of the magnitude of the braking force acting on the vehicle and the vehicle speed. For this reason, if the vehicle speed is the same, it is possible to generate a larger braking force as the target charging power is larger. When deceleration is started from the common vehicle speed, the second deceleration control generates a larger braking force. Can be made. Therefore, when deceleration of the vehicle starts in a specific state, the second deceleration control is shorter than the first deceleration control during the braking period required until the vehicle is stopped.

  Further, in the first deceleration control, energy can be efficiently recovered because continuous charging power that can be continuously charged is charged without degrading the performance of the battery 46. However, in the second deceleration control, charging is performed with the maximum charging power larger than the continuous charging power, so that the energy recovery efficiency is lower than in the first deceleration control. In general, the shorter the braking period, the greater the energy consumption per unit period. Therefore, the second deceleration control has a relatively worse fuel consumption than the first deceleration control.

  The deceleration control unit 21c is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of executing the target deceleration control and stopping the vehicle at a stop position corresponding to the stop factor. That is, the control unit 20 stops the vehicle at the stop position by specifying the transition of the vehicle speed for each position when generating the regenerative brake that charges the battery 46 with the target charging power corresponding to the execution target deceleration control. Therefore, a deceleration start position at which deceleration should be started is specified. Then, by generating a regenerative brake that charges the battery 46 with the target charging power from the time when the current position of the vehicle coincides with or exceeds the deceleration start position, the vehicle is stopped at the stop position corresponding to the stop factor. Stop.

  According to the above configuration, when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the vehicle driver, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the vehicle driver. It is possible to stop during the braking period. With this configuration, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, and although the stop factor can be resolved by the vehicle reaching the stop position early, the vehicle is spent for a long time. Can be prevented from occurring. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the driver from feeling troublesome. Furthermore, since the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, it is relatively good when it is unclear whether the stop factor is eliminated by the vehicle reaching the stop position early. It is possible to decelerate the vehicle with fuel efficiency.

(2) Deceleration control processing:
Next, the deceleration control process according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the deceleration control process, and the deceleration control process is executed every predetermined period (for example, every 100 ms) while the vehicle is traveling. Here, the deceleration control process will be described on the assumption that the driving operation dependency information 30b is information as shown in Table 1.

  In the example shown in Table 1, “pause line” “stop signal” “pause signal” “crossing (passing prohibited)” “crossing (passing permitted)” “toll booth” “crossing” “Pedestrians, bicycles” and “preceding vehicles in a stop” are listed. That is, the “temporary stop line” is a feature indicating that the vehicle should be stopped immediately before the temporary stop line, and when there is a temporary stop line in front of the vehicle, the temporary stop line becomes a stop factor. Further, after the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the temporary stop line and stops, it is possible to restart after confirming the safety of the surroundings. Therefore, if the stop position is reached early, the vehicle can restart quickly, and the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver is associated with the “temporary stop line”.

  “A traffic light indicating a stop signal” indicates a state in which a stop signal is indicated in the traffic light. When there is a traffic light indicating a stop signal in front of the vehicle, a traffic light indicating the stop signal is displayed. It becomes a stop factor. Even if the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the traffic signal indicating the stop signal, the vehicle cannot restart until the stop signal changes to the permission signal. Therefore, the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver is associated with the “traffic signal indicating the stop signal”.

  The “traffic signal indicating a stop signal” indicates a state in which a stop signal is temporarily indicated in the traffic light (for example, a state in which a red signal is blinking), and a traffic signal indicating a stop signal in front of the vehicle. Is present, the traffic signal indicating the stop signal once becomes a stop factor. In addition, when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the traffic signal indicating the stop signal, it is possible to restart after confirming the safety of the surroundings. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver is associated with the “traffic signal indicating the stop signal once”.

  “Level crossing (passing prohibited)” indicates a state in which the circuit breaker is descending at the level crossing. If there is a level crossing with the circuit breaker in front of the vehicle, the level crossing at which the circuit breaker is descending It becomes. Further, even if the vehicle reaches a stop position corresponding to a crossing where the breaker is descending, the vehicle cannot restart until the breaker is raised. Accordingly, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver is associated with “crossing (passage prohibited)”.

  “Level crossing (passing permitted)” indicates a state in which the circuit breaker is raised at the level crossing. If there is a level crossing with the circuit breaker raised in front of the vehicle, the level crossing with the circuit breaker raised is the cause of the stop. It becomes. In addition, when the vehicle reaches a stop position corresponding to a crossing where the circuit breaker is raised, it is possible to restart after confirming the surrounding safety. Accordingly, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver is associated with “crossing (passing permitted)”.

  The “toll gate” indicates a toll gate on the toll road, and if there is a toll road toll gate in front of the vehicle, the toll gate on the toll road becomes a cause of stoppage. In addition, when the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the toll gate on the toll road, it is possible to restart when the fee payment is completed. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver, as shown in Table 1.

  “Pedestrians and bicycles crossing” means that there are pedestrians or bicycles crossing the road ahead of the vehicle, and if there are pedestrians or bicycles crossing the road ahead of the vehicle, Pedestrians and bicycles that cross the road will be the stopping factor. Even if the vehicle reaches a stop position corresponding to a crossing pedestrian or bicycle, the vehicle cannot re-start until it comes into contact with the crossing pedestrian or bicycle. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver is associated with “pedestrians and bicycles crossing”.

  “Stopped preceding vehicle” indicates that there is a stopped preceding vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle. If there is a stopped preceding vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle, The preceding vehicle becomes a stop factor. Even if the vehicle reaches the stop position corresponding to the preceding vehicle that is stopped, the vehicle cannot re-start unless the stopped preceding vehicle moves. Therefore, as shown in Table 1, information indicating that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation of the driver is associated with the “preceding vehicle that is stopped”. In addition, when there is a preceding vehicle that is stopped on the road ahead of the vehicle, for example, when there is a preceding vehicle that is stopped due to traffic jams in front of the vehicle, or because the vehicle is on the other side because it bends across the road There is a case where there is a preceding vehicle waiting until the vehicle passes.

  When the deceleration control process shown in FIG. 2 is started, first, the control unit 20 identifies the situation ahead of the vehicle by the process of the stop factor identifying unit 21a (step S100). That is, the control unit 20 specifies the current position of the vehicle based on the output signals of the GPS receiving unit 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43, and exists within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle with reference to the map information 30a. Identify the features to be done. Further, the control unit 20 specifies a feature existing within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle based on the output signal of the camera 44. Further, the control unit 20 specifies the state of the feature based on the output signal of the camera 44. That is, in the present embodiment, the situation in front of the vehicle is specified by the features existing within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle and the state of the feature.

  Next, the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a stop factor in front of the vehicle based on the condition of the feature in front of the vehicle by the processing of the stop factor specifying unit 21a (step S110). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the feature constitutes a stop factor and the case where the feature constitutes a stop factor when the feature is in a specific state, and the control unit 20 constitutes the stop factor. When the feature exists within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle, it is determined that there is a stop factor. For example, “temporary stop line”, “traffic signal indicating a temporary stop signal”, and “toll gate” in Table 1 above are specified based on the map information 30a, and these features themselves constitute a stop factor. In addition, “pedestrians and bicycles crossing” and “preceding vehicles in a stop” in Table 1 above are specified based on the output signal of the camera 44, and these features themselves constitute a stop factor.

  Furthermore, “traffic signal indicating stop signal”, “crossing (passing prohibited)”, and “crossing (passing permitted)” in Table 1 described above indicate that the presence of the corresponding feature is the map information 30a or the camera 44. The feature is specified based on the output signal, and the state of the feature is specified based on the output signal of the camera 44, and whether or not the feature is a stop factor is specified based on the state. For example, the “traffic light” is a stop signal if it is a “traffic signal indicating a stop signal”, and is not a stop factor if it is a “signal indicating a passage permission signal”. With regard to the “merging point”, if the merging destination road is congested, it becomes a stop factor, and if the merging destination road is not congested, it does not cause a stop factor. In addition, although "crossing" becomes a stop factor regardless of the state of the circuit breaker, the state of the circuit breaker affects the dependence on driving operation, so depending on the state of the circuit breaker, "passing prohibited", " Any of “passing permitted” is identified.

  In step S110, when it is not determined that there is a stop factor in front of the vehicle, the control unit 20 repeats the processes after step S100. When it is determined in step S110 that there is a stop factor in front of the vehicle, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation by the process of the deceleration control selection unit 21b. (Step S115). That is, the control unit 20 refers to the driving operation dependency information 30b, and specifies information indicating the dependency on the driving operation associated with the stop factor determined to be present in front of the vehicle in step S110. . And it is specified whether the timing which a stop factor eliminates depends on driving operation based on the information which shows the dependence to the said driving operation.

  In step S115, when it is not determined that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation (when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation), the control unit 20 performs the first process by the deceleration control selection unit 21b. One deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control (step S120). That is, the target charging power for generating the regenerative brake is set to the continuous charging power. As a result, the execution target deceleration control is set such that the vehicle is decelerated with a relatively good fuel efficiency and the vehicle is stopped in a relatively long braking period.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S115 that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation, the control unit 20 selects the second deceleration control as the execution target deceleration control by the processing of the deceleration control selection unit 21b ( Step S130). That is, the target charging power for generating the regenerative brake is set to the maximum charging power. As a result, the execution target deceleration control is set such that the vehicle is decelerated with a relatively poor fuel consumption and the vehicle is stopped with a relatively short braking distance.

  As described above, normally, the first deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation, and the first deceleration control is selected when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation. 2-deceleration control is selected as execution target deceleration control. However, if the vehicle is stopped in a long braking period even though the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened, it is not possible to cope with the situation in which the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened. . Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, when the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is to be shortened, The second deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control.

  For this reason, after selecting 1st deceleration control as execution object deceleration control in step S120, the control part 20 determines whether it should be stopped in a short period by the process of the deceleration control selection part 21b. (Step S125). In the present embodiment, when the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, it is considered that the situation should be stopped in a short period of time. Therefore, the control unit 20 identifies the situation behind the vehicle based on the output signal of the camera 44, and if there is a succeeding vehicle behind the vehicle, the control unit 20 determines whether the vehicle and the following vehicle are based on the output signal of the camera 44. Identify the distance. When the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the control unit 20 determines that the situation should be stopped in a short period, and executes step S130 to execute the second deceleration control. Select as. When the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is not less than the predetermined distance, the state where the first deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control is maintained.

  After step S125 or S130, the control unit 20 executes the execution target deceleration control by the processing of the deceleration control unit 21c (step S135). That is, the control unit 20 specifies a deceleration start position where deceleration should be started in order to stop the vehicle at the stop position by the regenerative brake that charges the target charging power, and after the time point when the current position of the vehicle becomes the deceleration start position. In the process until the vehicle stops, the control signal is output to the generator 45, and the automatic deceleration control for generating the regenerative brake for charging the target charging power to the battery 46 is performed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing for specifying a deceleration start position. In FIG. 3A, the horizontal axis indicates the position, the vertical axis indicates the vehicle speed, the vehicle speed when generating the regenerative brake for charging the continuous charging power as the target charging power is indicated by a solid line, and the maximum charging power as the target charging power is indicated. The vehicle speed when the regenerative brake to be charged is generated is indicated by a one-dot chain line. In FIG. 3B, the horizontal axis indicates the position, the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the charging power, the continuous charging power Pc is indicated by a solid line, and the maximum charging power Pm is indicated by a one-dot chain line. In this example, the origin O is the current position of the vehicle, and the point Z ₀ is the stop position.

  In this embodiment, the transition of the vehicle speed as shown in FIG. 3A is determined by repeating the process of specifying the transition of the vehicle speed and acceleration per unit time corresponding to the state where the target charging power is charged in the battery 46. Hereinafter, the process will be described in the case where the target charging power is the continuous charging power Pc.

  In this process, first, the control unit 20 generates the continuous charging power by the generator 45 and charges the battery 46 to charge the product of the braking force acting on the vehicle and the vehicle speed of the vehicle. The braking force is defined as being equal. That is, the control part 20 defines the magnitude | size of the braking force which acts on a vehicle with the value which remove | divided continuous charge electric power by the vehicle speed. Further, the magnitude of acceleration acting on the vehicle can be specified by dividing the magnitude of the braking force by the weight of the vehicle. In this example, since the acceleration is defined with the forward direction of the vehicle as a positive direction, the acceleration acting on the vehicle during deceleration is a negative acceleration.

For example, when the current vehicle speed is V ₁ (m / s) and the continuous charging power is Pc (W), the control unit 20 is charging the battery 46 with the continuous charging power Pc by the generator 45. It is assumed that the magnitude of the braking force acting on the vehicle is Pc / V ₁ (N) and the acceleration a ₁ acting on the vehicle is −Pc / (V ₁ · M) (m / s ² ). Here, M is the weight of the vehicle. Further, the control unit 20 determines that the position of the vehicle after the unit time T is (V ₁ × T) (m) ahead of the current position, and the vehicle speed V _{2 at the} position is (V ₁ + (− (Pc / (V ₁ · M)) × T)) (m / s). According to such a process, the magnitude of the braking force at a position (V ₁ × T) (m) ahead of the current position is Pc / V ₂ (N), and the acceleration a ₂ is −Pc / (V ₂ · M ) (M / s ² ). The control unit 20 repeats the above processing until the vehicle speed reaches 0 km / h. According to the above processing, it is possible to specify the braking distance required when the current vehicle speed V ₁ is decelerated to 0 km / h.

Therefore, the control unit 20 sets a position away from the stop position Z ₀ by the braking distance backward in the traveling direction as the deceleration start position Z ₁ . In other words, regenerative braking current position of the vehicle is at the time when a front of the deceleration start position Z ₁ and matched or deceleration start position Z _1, the control unit 20, to charge the continuous charging electric power Pc by controlling the generator 45 To slow down the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle speed of the vehicle ahead of the deceleration start position Z ₁ changes as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3A, and the vehicle can be stopped at the stop position.

The above example is a case where the target charging power is the continuous charging power Pc. However, even if the target charging power is the maximum charging power Pm, the vehicle speed and the acceleration change are identified by the same process and the deceleration is performed. The starting position Z ₂ can be specified. Then, the regenerative braking current position of the vehicle is at the time found to be more than the deceleration start position Z ₂ and matched or deceleration start position Z ₂ and forward, the control unit 20, to charge the maximum charging power Pm by controlling the generator 45 in the decelerating the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle in front of the deceleration start position Z ₂ is remained as shown by a chain line in FIG. 3A, it is possible to stop the vehicle at the stop position.

  According to the above processing, when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the second deceleration control is executed to decelerate the vehicle with relatively poor fuel consumption, and is relatively short. The vehicle can be stopped during the braking period. In addition, when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the first deceleration control is usually executed to decelerate the vehicle with a relatively good fuel efficiency and relatively long braking. The vehicle can be stopped during the period. Further, even when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is not more than a predetermined distance, and the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle is shortened In a situation to be performed, the second deceleration control can be executed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle from becoming excessively short by stopping the vehicle in an excessively long braking period.

(3) Other embodiments:
The above embodiment is an example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be used as long as the deceleration control method is selected according to the dependency on the driving operation at the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated. It can be adopted.

  For example, the stop factor is not limited to the example shown in Table 1. That is, the situation in front of the vehicle includes a static situation such as a road situation and a dynamic situation such as a preceding vehicle, and the combination of each of these static situations and the dynamic situation and each situation is a vehicle. Can be a factor that should be stopped, these various situations and combinations thereof may be acquired by the processing of the stop factor specifying unit 21a to specify the corresponding stop factor. For example, even if the merge point is in front of the vehicle, if the vehicle is not necessarily stopped when the road to be merged is not congested, the merge point exists in front of the vehicle. It may be configured that whether or not there is a stop factor is specified by a combination of a static situation such as this and a dynamic situation such as the degree of congestion of the destination road.

  Further, the dependency on the driving operation at the timing when the stop factor corresponding to various situations is eliminated is not limited to the example shown in Table 1. For example, if there is a toll booth in front of the vehicle, the presence of the toll booth becomes a cause of stoppage. If the waiting queue for payment is not formed at the toll gate, the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation. Therefore, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the dependency of the timing at which the stop factor is resolved on the driving operation is specified by a combination of a static situation and a dynamic situation regarding a certain feature.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which only the regenerative brake is generated to decelerate the vehicle has been described. However, it is of course possible to generate a brake other than the regenerative brake and decelerate the vehicle. The brake may be combined to decelerate the vehicle. That is, when braking the vehicle with various brakes, the shorter the braking period, the greater the braking force applied to the vehicle and the greater the change in vehicle speed per unit period. In general, the shorter the braking period, the greater the energy consumption per unit period, so the shorter the braking period, the worse the fuel consumption. Therefore, when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation, the vehicle is decelerated at a shorter braking distance than when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the driver from feeling annoyed when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation, and when the timing at which the stop factor is resolved does not depend on the driving operation. It is possible to stop the vehicle after decelerating the vehicle with relatively good fuel efficiency.

  Furthermore, various situations other than the situation of the following vehicle can be assumed as the situation where the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle should be shortened. For example, it is possible to assume a situation specified by a driver's will or a vehicle around the vehicle. More specifically, when the driver himself intends to stop the vehicle at an early stage, such as when the driver is about to operate the navigation device 10, if the driver stops the vehicle with a long braking period, In this case, if the second deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control, the driver does not feel annoyance.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, after the first deceleration control is once selected as the execution target deceleration control, the second deceleration control is selected again as the execution target deceleration control. The first deceleration control may be re-selected as the execution target deceleration control after being selected as the execution target deceleration control. For example, even if the second deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control once it is determined that the timing at which the stop factor is resolved depends on the driving operation, the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle The first deceleration control may be re-selected as the execution target deceleration control when the situation is not to be shortened. Examples of situations where the period from the start of deceleration to the stop of the vehicle should not be shortened include, for example, the expected arrival time and the intended purpose of the driver while the driver is traveling toward the destination. When the difference from the target arrival time to the ground is equal to or longer than a predetermined period, or when the driver wants to travel with the best possible fuel efficiency (for example, the driver performs energy-saving traveling using the interface provided in the navigation device 10) And the like).

  Further, in the driving operation dependency information 30b in the above-described embodiment, the stop factor and the dependency of the stop factor on the driving operation are associated with each other. However, the dependency on the driving operation and the deceleration control are directly related to each other. Therefore, the driving operation dependency information 30b may be defined so as to directly correspond the stop factor and the deceleration control.

  Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which execution target deceleration control is selected when there is a slowing factor that should cause the vehicle to slow down in front of the vehicle. That is, a slowing factor for slowing down the vehicle based on the situation in front of the vehicle is specified, and the first deceleration control is executed when the timing for completing the slowing section does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle It is possible to employ a configuration in which the second deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control when the deceleration control is selected and the timing at which the passage through the slow section depends on the driving operation of the vehicle driver. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the vehicle travels to the slow drive section over a long period of time, even though the vehicle can pass through the slow drive section at an early stage. The slowing section is a section that is determined in advance as a section in which the upper limit value of the vehicle speed should be equal to or lower than a predetermined traveling speed. For example, when a slow-down instruction signal (for example, a yellow blinking signal) is displayed at a traffic light in front of the vehicle, a section within a predetermined distance from the traffic light to the rear of the traveling direction of the vehicle can be set as a slow-down section. is there. Further, when an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection system) toll gate is present in front of the vehicle, a section including the toll gate can be a slow section. The example of the slow section as described above is an example where the timing for completing the passage of the slow section depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation apparatus, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... Deceleration control program, 21a ... Stop factor specific part, 21b ... Deceleration control selection part, 21c ... Deceleration control part, 30 ... Recording medium, 30a ... Map information, 30b ... Driving operation Dependency information, 41 ... GPS receiver, 42 ... vehicle speed sensor, 43 ... gyro sensor, 44 ... camera, 45 ... generator, 46 ... battery

Claims (5)

Stop factor specifying means for specifying a stop factor to stop the vehicle based on a situation in front of the vehicle;
When the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the first deceleration control for stopping the vehicle in a predetermined braking period is selected as the execution target deceleration control, and the stop factor is A deceleration control selection means for selecting a second deceleration control having a braking period shorter than the first deceleration control as an execution target deceleration control when the timing to cancel depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle;
Deceleration control means for executing the execution target deceleration control and stopping the vehicle at a stop position according to the stop factor;
A deceleration control device comprising: The vehicle includes a regenerative braking unit that decelerates by generating a regenerative brake that charges power to the battery,
The first deceleration control is a deceleration control that performs a deceleration by generating a regenerative brake that charges continuous charge power that can be continuously charged without degrading the performance of the battery,
The second deceleration control is a deceleration control that performs a deceleration by generating a regenerative brake that charges a power larger than the continuous charging power.
The deceleration control device according to claim 1. The deceleration control selection means includes
Even when the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the distance between the succeeding vehicle specified based on the situation behind the vehicle and the vehicle is not more than a predetermined distance. If there is, the second deceleration control is selected as the execution target deceleration control.
The deceleration control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 2. By computer
A stop factor identifying step for identifying a stop factor to stop the vehicle based on a situation ahead of the vehicle;
When the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the first deceleration control for stopping the vehicle in a predetermined braking period is selected as the execution target deceleration control, and the stop factor is A deceleration control selection step of selecting a second deceleration control having a braking period shorter than the first deceleration control as an execution target deceleration control when the timing to cancel depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle;
A deceleration control step of executing the execution target deceleration control and stopping the vehicle at a stop position according to the stop factor;
Deceleration control method for performing. A stop factor specifying function for acquiring a situation in front of the vehicle based on an output signal of a sensor for acquiring a situation in front of the vehicle and specifying a stop factor for stopping the vehicle based on the situation in front of the vehicle; ,
When the timing at which the stop factor is eliminated does not depend on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle, the first deceleration control for stopping the vehicle in a predetermined braking period is selected as the execution target deceleration control, and the stop factor is A deceleration control selection function for selecting, as an execution target deceleration control, a second deceleration control having a braking period shorter than that of the first deceleration control when the timing to cancel depends on the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle;
A deceleration control function for stopping the vehicle at a stop position corresponding to the stop factor by executing the execution target deceleration control and adjusting a braking force by a brake ;
Deceleration control program that makes computer realize.

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