JP2002163771A - Vehicle guide control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle guide control system for smoothly maintaining vehicle flow and improving transportation efficiency by switching merging strategy, according to traffic situation in a lane merging part in a freeway. SOLUTION: When the main road 1 is congested and the speed adjustment of the vehicles A to F is required in any case the merging of the merging vehicles in the lane merging part of the main road 1 and the merging lane 2 in the freeway affected by transportation efficiency, the number of control vehicles between a preceding vehicle and a following vehicle on the side of the main road, which requires speed adjustment, is calculated and grasped, if the merging vehicles P are put between the vehicle distances of the main road vehicles A to F between a fastest behavior curve K1 and a slowest behavior curve K2 of the merging vehicles P, which have previously been generated, for searching the vehicle distance position for minimizing the number of the vehicles requiring speed adjustment (control). The vehicle distance, where the control vehicles in the vehicle distances of the main road vehicles A to F is the smallest, is set to be the merging position and the control vehicles are guide-controlled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle guidance control system at a lane junction such as a highway.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a lane junction on a highway or the like,
Depending on the traffic conditions (degree of congestion) of the main line and the merging lane, the occurrence rate of traffic jams and accidents is high, thereby significantly reducing transportation efficiency.

[0003]

For this reason, conventionally,
In order to increase transportation efficiency at lane junctions on expressways, etc., it is necessary to develop a vehicle guidance control system that maintains the flow of vehicles smoothly according to the traffic conditions (degree of congestion) on the main line and the merging lane. Have been.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can switch the merging strategy in accordance with the traffic situation at the lane merging section on a highway or the like, so that the vehicle flow can be maintained smoothly and the transportation efficiency can be improved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle guidance control system capable of improving the vehicle guidance.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for determining the priority of vehicles on a main line and a merging lane in a merging section on an expressway in accordance with traffic conditions (degree of congestion), and based on the priority. Are automatically selectable.

In order to select the merging strategy means according to such traffic conditions, first, the traffic volume of the main line is controlled in a normal state in which the vehicle can travel with a sufficient inter-vehicle distance equal to or more than a specified inter-vehicle distance, and a sufficient inter-vehicle distance is determined by the concentration of vehicles. While the traffic is divided into two congested states where the distance cannot be maintained, the traffic volume of the merging lane is also similarly divided into two, a normal state and a congested state, and a set of merging strategies is selected accordingly.

[0007] There are the following four strategies as merging strategy means. The first strategy is a main line priority strategy of joining the main line vehicles without accelerating or decelerating, thereby finding an empty space where the main line vehicles do not need to accelerate or decelerate.

[0008] The second strategy is to increase the traffic volume of vehicles on the road, and without adjusting the speed of main line vehicles,
Controlled vehicle minimum strategy when confluence is not found. This is to find an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of main-line vehicles that must be speed-controlled by merging.

[0009] A third strategy is that if the traffic volume of vehicles on the road becomes congested and the first and second strategies are used, if the merging vehicle continues to be accelerated as it is, anyway. This is a main line priority strategy with merging control in the case where a merging position cannot be found. In this way, a merging vehicle on the merging lane is stopped or decelerated to stand by so as to expand a search range of an empty space.

A fourth strategy is to provide a check point and to sequentially arrange vehicles arriving at that position in a case where a confluence space cannot be found no matter how the above strategies are used due to traffic congestion or the like. This is a first-come-first-merge strategy in which the disturbances in the following distance of the following vehicles are sequentially adjusted.

By the way, the merging strategy plan set at each traffic density of the main line and the merging lane at the merging section and the merging strategy selection table for applying the strategy are as follows:
There are priorities as shown in the table below. In this case, the numbers 1-4 before each strategy represent its priority. Table Main line density Merging density Priority Congestion Congestion 1. First-come-merged Normal congestion 1. Main line priority 2. Control vehicle minimum 3. First arrival congestion Normal 1. Main line priority 2. Control vehicle minimum 3. 3. Main line priority with merging regulation. First arrival

That is, according to the present invention, the main line is congested at the lane junction between the main line and the merging lane such as an expressway, which is affected by transportation efficiency, and when the merging vehicles merge, the speed of the main line vehicle is adjusted. A vehicle guidance control system that searches for an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of vehicles that need speed adjustment (control) when it is absolutely necessary. When a merging vehicle is inserted between each of the vehicles on the main line, the control that calculates and grasps the number of control vehicles between the preceding and succeeding vehicles on the main line that needs speed adjustment Vehicle number grasping means, and control vehicle guidance control means for performing guidance control of the control vehicle with the least number of control vehicles as the merging position among the vehicles on each of the main line vehicles. .

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a vehicle guidance control system at a lane junction such as an expressway.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle guidance control system according to the present invention is used at a lane junction between a main lane 1 and a merging lane 2 such as an expressway affected by transportation efficiency.
Are congested, and when the merging vehicles P merge in the merging section L, the speed adjustment of the main vehicles A, B, C, D, E, and F is required in any case. Automatic vehicle merge control algorithm for control vehicle minimum that searches for an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of vehicles requiring speed adjustment (control) according to AF speed profiles a, b, c, d, e, and f It has.

That is, in FIG. 1, for example, there are three control vehicles between vehicles A and B, two control vehicles between vehicles B and C, and between C and D vehicles. Control vehicle is 1
And two control vehicles between the vehicles D and E, and the merging vehicle P is interposed between each of the main line vehicles A to E between the earliest behavior curve K1 and the latest behavior curve K2 of the merging vehicle P. Calculate and understand the number of succeeding vehicles that need speed adjustment when the vehicle is inserted.

Then, among the vehicles on the main line vehicles A to E, the space between the least controlled vehicles is taken as the merging position. In this case, since the number of control vehicles between the car C and the car D is one and the smallest, the space between the car C and the car D is set as the merging position.

Next, FIG. 2 illustrates a strategy processing state based on the minimum number of controlled vehicles when the main line is congested in the traffic condition described above, with reference to a flowchart. First, in processing step 101, the earliest behavior curve K1 and the latest behavior curve K2 of the merged vehicle P as shown in FIG. 1 are created.

Based on the earliest behavior curve K1 and the latest behavior curve K2, in processing step 102, a train of vehicles that can be merged, that is, a train of searched vehicles is obtained.
In processing step 103, one target vehicle (vehicle C in FIG. 1) is selected from the search vehicle row.

Then, in processing step 104, the rear of the target vehicle (vehicle C) is set as the merging position (between the C and D vehicles in FIG. 1), and the inter-vehicle distance to the following vehicle (vehicle D) is obtained. In processing step 105, it is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle (vehicle C) and the following vehicle (vehicle D) is greater than or equal to a specified inter-vehicle distance. If the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle (vehicle C) and the following vehicle (vehicle D) is less than or equal to the prescribed inter-vehicle distance, processing step 10
At 6, the number of speed-controlled vehicles during that time is counted. Further, in processing step 107, the inter-vehicle distance of the following vehicle (vehicle D) is adjusted, the inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle behind (vehicle E in FIG. 1) is obtained, and the process returns to processing step 105, where these processes are performed. repeat.

In processing step 105, the target vehicle (vehicle C)
If it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle (D car) is equal to or greater than the specified inter-vehicle distance, the process proceeds to processing step 108. In this processing step 108, it is determined whether or not there is a remaining vehicle in the search vehicle row. At this time, if there is a remaining vehicle in the search vehicle row, the process proceeds to processing step 109, the next succeeding vehicle is selected from the search vehicle row, and the process returns to processing step 104 to repeat these processes.

When it is determined in processing step 108 that there is no remaining vehicle in the search vehicle row, the processing shifts to processing step 110. In this processing step 110, the vehicle with the least number of controlled vehicles is selected from all the searched vehicle rows, and the process proceeds to processing step 111. In this processing step 111, it is determined whether or not the number of speed-controlled vehicles exceeds a specified number. At this time, if the number of speed-controlled vehicles exceeds the specified number, the next processing strategy is selected.

If it is determined in step 111 that the number of speed-controlled vehicles does not exceed the specified number, the process proceeds to step 112. In this processing step 112, the merging position and the time t in the merging possible section L are determined, and the processing ends.

According to the vehicle guidance control system described above,
In the lane merging section between the main lane 1 and the merging lane 2 such as an expressway affected by the transportation efficiency, particularly when the main lane 1 is congested and the merging vehicle P merges, the speed adjustment of the main lanes A to F If it is necessary, a search is made for an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of vehicles that require speed adjustment (control). Then, between the earliest behavior curve K1 and the latest behavior curve K2 of the merged vehicle P created in advance, the main line vehicles A to F
When the merging vehicle P is inserted between the respective vehicles, the number of controlled vehicles between the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle on the main line that needs speed adjustment is calculated and grasped, and each of the main vehicles A to E is calculated. The guidance control of the control vehicle is performed by setting the inter-vehicle control vehicle having the least number of control vehicles as the merging position.

[0024]

As described above, the vehicle guidance control system according to the present invention is particularly congested at the lane junction between the main lane and the merging lane such as an expressway, which is affected by transportation efficiency. Speed adjustment (control) when speed adjustment of the main line vehicle is absolutely necessary at the time of merging vehicles
In order to search for an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of required vehicles, between the earliest behavior curve and the latest behavior curve of the merging vehicle, if a merging vehicle is inserted between each of the main line vehicles, While calculating and grasping the number of control vehicles between the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle on the main line that needs speed adjustment, among the vehicles on each of these main lines, the inter-vehicle with the least number of control vehicles as the merging position, Since the guidance control of the control vehicle is performed, the merging strategy can be switched according to the traffic conditions at the lane merging portion on a highway or the like. Thereby, there is an effect that the flow of the vehicle can be maintained smoothly, and the transportation efficiency can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle guidance control system at a lane junction such as an expressway.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a strategy processing state based on a minimum number of controlled vehicles when a main line is congested in a traffic situation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main line 2 Merging lane A-F Main line vehicle a-f Speed profile of main line vehicle P Merging vehicle L Merging section K1 Earliest behavior curve of merging vehicle K2 Latest behavior curve of merging vehicle

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yasushi Otsuki 3-1-1, Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, Ltd. F-term (reference) 5H180 JJ25 LL04 LL09 LL14

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The main line is congested at a lane junction between a main line and a merging lane, such as an expressway, which is affected by transportation efficiency, and when the merging vehicles merge, the speed of the main line vehicle may be adjusted in any way. A vehicle guidance control system that searches for an inter-vehicle position that minimizes the number of vehicles that need speed adjustment (control) when necessary, comprising a pre-created earliest behavior curve and a latest behavior of a merged vehicle. A control vehicle number grasping means for calculating and grasping the number of control vehicles between the preceding vehicle and the succeeding vehicle on the main line which needs speed adjustment when a merging vehicle is inserted between the vehicles on the main line between the curves. And a control vehicle guidance control means for performing guidance control of the control vehicle with the least number of control vehicles as a merging position among the vehicles on each of the main line vehicles. .