JP2003203299A - Traveling support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traveling support device capable of serially updating information on obstacles even in a system configuration disposed on road part, wherein data cannot be continuously updated until reaching a point as road information of interest. <P>SOLUTION: When the traveling condition of a vehicle with the device is compared with road information and obstacles or the positions and conditions of curves are determined to relate to the travel of the vehicle, the traveling support device has a control device 1 performing support operation for supporting the travel of the vehicle. The device comprises a road-to-vehicle communication device 12 capable of receiving radio waves including road information of the traveling direction of the vehicle sent from a road-to-vehicle communication device 18 disposed on road part, and vehicle-to- vehicle communication devices 9 and 10 capable of establishing communications with other vehicles around the vehicle. After the vehicle passes a determined region where the road-to-vehicle communication device 12 of the vehicle can receive road information, the control device 1 receives, by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 10 from a follow-on vehicle, the latest road information received by a road information reception means of the follow-on vehicle, and regards the latest road information as input information for supporting traveling. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention avoids obstacles (including not only road-falling objects but also vehicles such as trailing vehicles in traffic jams and broken vehicles) existing on the traveling path of the vehicle. It belongs to the technical field of a driving assistance device that provides driving assistance information of a driver and performs intervention control such as automatic braking.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, JP-A-11-53695.
As in the "curve road warning device" disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication, it provides driving assistance information of the own vehicle driver based on the information on the front received from a communication device installed on the road, or in some cases, , A driving support device for performing intervention control such as automatic braking has been proposed.

In the system described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-53695, the positions of obstacles ahead of a curve with poor visibility are received from a plurality of transmitters installed on the roadside, and appropriate according to the speed of the host vehicle. The warning and control are performed at a very close distance.

[0004] Here, the target obstacles include not only falling objects but also the vehicles themselves such as the tail end of traffic jams and broken cars. Therefore, in general, the position of the obstacle is likely to extend momentarily toward the direction of the vehicle toward the position, so after starting to receive the obstacle data,
It is desirable to continuously receive data up to the position of the target obstacle and receive the latest data as much as possible.

In order to realize this, it is necessary to have a structure in which a plurality of roadside radios (transmitters) can transmit radio waves to the entire area in accordance with the road alignment, resulting in a great cost. It costs.

[0006]

However, due to the road structure, the terrain, the installation cost, etc., the structure is not such that the information can be received in the entire area up to the point as described above. There may be a case where the information can be received only once in the narrow area A at an appropriate position.

In such a case, for example, immediately after the obstacle or the stopped vehicle is generated, a roadside transmitter is installed in a vehicle already existing between the narrow area A and the point B of the obstacle or the stopped vehicle. Cannot obtain the information on the obstacle or the stopped vehicle from.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a roadside system in which data cannot be continuously updated up to a target point of road information. Also in the configuration, it is to provide a traveling support device capable of sequentially updating the information on the obstacle.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, in the invention according to claim 1, an own vehicle running state detecting means for detecting a running state of the own vehicle such as a vehicle speed, and the own vehicle running state detecting means. If it is determined that the position / state of obstacles and curves is a target related to the progress of the own vehicle, a support operation to support the running of the own vehicle is performed by comparing the running state of the own vehicle and road information obtained from In a driving assistance device having a driving assistance control means to be implemented, a road information receiving means capable of receiving radio waves including road information in the traveling direction of the vehicle transmitted from a transmitter installed on the road side; Vehicle-to-vehicle communication means capable of communicating with the vehicle, the traveling support control means receives the road information of the succeeding vehicle after passing through a predetermined area where the road information can be received by the road information receiving means of the own vehicle. Received by means The latest road information, received from the following vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, characterized in that the input information for the driving support this latest road information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the traveling support device according to the first aspect, an information presenting means for presenting traveling assistance information to an occupant is provided, and the traveling assistance control means is based on the latest road information. The position and condition of obstacles and curves
When it is determined that the subject is related to the progress of the host vehicle, it is means for outputting to the information presenting means a command for presenting information that an obstacle or a curve exists in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. And

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the traveling support device according to the second aspect, an alarm means for issuing an alarm to an occupant is provided, and the traveling support control means is presented with information by the information presentation means. Nevertheless, when it is determined that appropriate avoidance measures have not been taken, it is a means for outputting a command for issuing an alarm to the alarm means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling support device according to the second or third aspect, automatic braking means for automatically operating the brake according to a command independent of the driver's brake operation is provided. The driving support control means,
The means for automatically outputting a command to the automatic braking means when it is determined that an urgent avoidance operation is necessary despite the information being presented by the information presenting means. Is characterized by.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the driving support apparatus according to the fourth aspect, a necessary deceleration calculating means for calculating a necessary deceleration for stopping the vehicle from the traveling state at the position of the obstacle or the curve. And, as the default value for the required deceleration,
Default value setting means that satisfies the relationship of default value <second default value <third default value, and the driving support control means uses the information presenting means when the calculated required deceleration exceeds the first default value. When the required deceleration calculated is presented to the occupant and the calculated required deceleration exceeds the second preset value, an alarm is issued to the occupant, and when the calculated required deceleration exceeds the third preset value, the automatic braking device is provided. It is a means for automatically activating the brake.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling support device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the road information in the traveling direction of the vehicle transmitted from the transmitter installed on the road side is included. Road information receivable vehicle scanning means for scanning a vehicle having a road information receiving means capable of receiving radio waves from a group of vehicles with which the own vehicle has established communication is provided, and the travel support control means is provided for the road owned by the own vehicle. After passing through a predetermined area where the road information can be received by the information receiving means, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the following vehicle detected by the road information receivable vehicle scanning means is set to the inter-vehicle communication device. Received from the following vehicle by
It is characterized in that the latest road information is used as input information for driving support.

In the invention according to claim 7, the own vehicle running state detecting means for detecting the running state of the own vehicle such as the vehicle speed and the own vehicle running state obtained from the own vehicle running state detecting means are collated with the road information. However, when it is determined that the position / state of the obstacle or the curve is an object related to the progress of the host vehicle, a drive assist control device that performs a support operation for assisting the drive of the host vehicle is provided. A vehicle-to-vehicle communication means capable of communicating with a vehicle around the vehicle is provided, and the driving support control means uses the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device to obtain the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the vehicle. It is characterized in that it is received from vehicles around the vehicle and this latest road information is used as input information for driving support.

In the invention according to claim 8, in the traveling support device according to claim 7, road information capable of receiving radio waves including road information in the traveling direction of the vehicle transmitted from a transmitter installed on the road side. A road information receivable vehicle scanning means for scanning a vehicle having a receiving means from a vehicle group with which the own vehicle has established communication is provided, and the traveling support control means is detected by the road information receivable vehicle scanning means. The latest road information received by the road information receiving means of a vehicle around the own vehicle is received from the vehicles around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, and the latest road information is used as input information for driving support. Is characterized by.

[0017]

According to the invention of claim 1, in the driving support control means, the following vehicle has the vehicle after passing through the predetermined area where the road information can be received by the road information receiving means of the own vehicle. The latest road information received by the road information receiving means is received from the following vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, and the latest road information is used as input information for driving support.

Therefore, even when the road information can be received only within a limited area, the
The latest road information as much as possible can be obtained, and this latest road information can be used as input information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the driving support control means determines that the position / state of the obstacle or the curve is a target related to the progress of the vehicle based on the latest road information. In this case, since the information presenting means presents the information that the obstacle or the curve exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the driver can know the information about the obstacle by the information presenting means such as the presentation screen or the voice. it can.

In the invention according to claim 3, when the driving support control means determines that the appropriate avoidance measure is not taken although the information is presented by the information presenting means, Since a command for issuing an alarm is output to the alarm means, when an appropriate avoidance measure for the information presentation is not taken, the driver can be prompted to immediately take an avoidance measure by the alarm.

In the invention according to claim 4, when the driving support control means determines that an urgent avoidance operation is necessary despite the fact that the information is presented by the information presenting means, the automatic operation is performed. Since a command to activate the brake is output to the automatic braking means, it is possible to reliably avoid an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle or a sharp curve by the automatic braking that is not operated by the driver. .

In the invention according to claim 5, the necessary deceleration calculating means calculates the necessary deceleration for stopping from the traveling state of the vehicle at the position of the obstacle or the curve, and the traveling assist control means. When the calculated required deceleration exceeds the first preset value, which is the smallest value, the information presenting means presents the driving assistance information to the occupant, and the calculated required deceleration is set to the second preset value which is an intermediate value. When it exceeds, the warning is issued to the occupant by the warning means, and when the calculated required deceleration exceeds the third predetermined value which is the largest value, the automatic braking means automatically actuates the brake.

Therefore, in accordance with the required deceleration that substantially matches the action start timing for avoiding obstacles and curves existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the information providing mode → warning mode → control mode is gradually changed. It is possible, and it is possible to avoid obstacles and curves existing in the traveling direction of the own vehicle by an appropriate assisting operation.

According to the invention of claim 6, the road information receivable vehicle scanning means is capable of receiving a radio wave including road information in the traveling direction of the vehicle transmitted from a transmitter installed on the road side. The vehicle having the information receiving means is scanned from the group of vehicles with which the vehicle has established communication, and the driving support control means passes through a predetermined area where the road information receiving means of the own vehicle can receive the road information. Later, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the succeeding vehicle detected by the road information receivable vehicle scanning means is received from the following vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, and this latest road information is used for driving assistance. Input information.

Therefore, even if the own vehicle does not have the road information directly, the vehicle that can receive the road information is scanned by the inter-vehicle communication, and the road information obtained from the vehicle scans the latest road as much as possible. Information can be obtained, and the latest road information can be used as input information information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

In the invention according to claim 7, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the own vehicle in the driving support control means is transmitted from the vehicle around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device. The latest road information received is used as input information for driving support.

Therefore, even if the vehicle does not have the road information receiving means, the latest road information can be obtained from the preceding vehicle or the following vehicle only by having the inter-vehicle communication device, and the latest road information can be obtained from the obstacle. It can be input information for driving support to avoid the.

In the invention according to claim 8, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the own vehicle detected by the road information receivable vehicle scanning means in the driving support control means is The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device receives the latest road information from vehicles around the vehicle, and uses the latest road information as input information for driving assistance.

Therefore, even if the vehicle does not have the road information receiving means, the latest road information can be obtained as much as possible from the surrounding vehicles that can receive the road information only by having the inter-vehicle communication device. Can be used as input information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

[0030]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment for realizing a driving support device of the present invention will be described as a first embodiment corresponding to the invention according to claims 1 to 5 and a first embodiment corresponding to the invention according to claim 6. A description will be given based on the second embodiment and the third embodiment corresponding to the invention according to claims 7 and 8.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the basic structure of a travel support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a control device 1 (driving support control means) has a brake switch 2 for inputting a driver's operation amount, an accelerator pedal stroke sensor 3, and a direction indicator as means for detecting the running state of the vehicle. 4, a steering angle sensor 5 (own vehicle running state detecting means), a yaw rate sensor 6 (own vehicle running state detecting means) for inputting a motion state of the vehicle,
A vehicle acceleration / deceleration (front / rear G) sensor 7 (own vehicle running state detecting means) and a wheel speed sensor 8 for four front, rear, left and right wheels (own vehicle running state detecting means) are provided.

The control device 1 obtains the steering angle, the yaw rate, the acceleration / deceleration, and the own vehicle speed obtained from the steering angle sensor 5, the yaw rate sensor 6, the vehicle acceleration / deceleration sensor 7, and the wheel speed sensor 8 of each wheel, respectively. From this, the running state of the vehicle is calculated.

Further, the control device 1 determines that the vehicle has entered the area where the road information can be received from the road, and detects the marker installed on the road to specify the reference point of the road information to be received later. And a road-to-vehicle communication device 12 for receiving information from a road-to-vehicle communication device 18 (transmitter installed on the road side) installed on the road side.

The road-vehicle communication device 18 on the road side transmits the road information input from the road information detector 19 to a vehicle running in a predetermined area. As the road shape information, the range of the section for which the road information is valid (hereinafter referred to as the information providing section), the number of lanes in the information providing section, the road alignment As the road surface information, the lane in which the vehicle is running, the road surface Information on slipperiness (wet, dry, freezing, snow, etc.) As obstacle information, type of obstacles (objects, vehicles, etc.), size, and position that exist in the direction of travel As intersection information, target intersection center Distance, number of lanes on crossing road, position of crossing road and oncoming road vehicle, speed, position of pedestrian crossing, position of pedestrian on pedestrian crossing, etc. All are set as reference points within the information providing section (normally, the base point of the information providing section).

In the control device 1, the traveling state of the own vehicle is compared with the road information input from the road-to-vehicle communication device 12 (road information receiving means), and the position / state of the obstacle or the curve of the own vehicle is checked. It is determined whether or not the object is related to the progress, and if necessary, information is presented to the occupant using the display 14 (information presenting means) for presenting information and the voice generator 15 (information presenting means). In addition, when it is determined that appropriate avoidance measures have not been taken despite the information presentation, an alarm is issued by the alarm alarm 13 (alarm means), and further urgent avoidance action is required. In this case, the brake actuator 16 (automatic braking means) and the engine throttle control device 17 are instructed to stop at the deceleration necessary for avoidance.

FIG. 2 shows the positional relationship between the roadside vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 18, the target road information, and the traveling vehicle. When the vehicle 201 passes through the marker 202 indicating the reference position on the road, the road-vehicle communication device 12 receives the road information from the road-vehicle communication device 18 on the road side in the next communicable area 203. , Set to the default frequency and start scanning the radio waves. Then, while passing through the area 203, the information of the target area 204 of the road information is received. In this embodiment, as road information, obstacles existing in the area 204, stopped vehicles, and low-speed vehicles below a predetermined speed (including the end of congestion)
The position and the moving speed of are received as a relative value based on the position of the marker 202. If the vehicle 205 is stopped for some reason, the traveling vehicle 201 is
At 3, Lob from marker 202 to vehicle 205
(Distance 206 in the figure) and moving speed Vob (here, the value is 0 because the vehicle is stopped) are received, and the traveling distance Lo and speed Vo of the own vehicle are received.
Therefore, the information about the stopped vehicle is presented to the occupant of the vehicle 201 by using the display 14 and the sound emitting device 19 at a position where the vehicle 205 can be avoided with sufficient margin. The timing of this information presentation will be described in more detail in the operation description of the control device 1 described later.

Further, the control device 1 is provided with an inter-vehicle communication device 9 (for a preceding vehicle) and an inter-vehicle communication device 10 (for a following vehicle) in order to communicate the running state of another vehicle between the vehicles. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication devices 9 and 10 transmit and receive vehicle ID information, which is used by the communication partner to identify the own vehicle, to and from another vehicle together with the operation amount and the state amount of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the inter-vehicle communication device 9 for communicating with a vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle and the inter-vehicle communication device 10 following the rear of the own vehicle are both provided.

Next, the operation will be described.

[Driving Support Control Processing] The operation of the control device 1 in the driving support device of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
A description will be given based on the flowchart.

First, in step S301, the inter-vehicle communication device (for the preceding vehicle) 9 determines whether or not the preceding vehicle communication flag indicating that the communication with the preceding vehicle is established is turned on. Goes to step S305, and if not turned on yet, goes to step S302.

In step S302, it is determined whether or not there is a communication establishment request from the inter-vehicle communication device (for preceding vehicle) 9 of the preceding vehicle. If the request is received, the process proceeds to step S303, and if there is no request. If so, the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S303, the inter-vehicle communication device (for the preceding vehicle) 9 of the own vehicle responds to the request signal from the preceding vehicle, and it is determined whether or not the communication is established. If the communication is established, the preceding vehicle communication flag is turned on in step S304, and then the process proceeds to step S305. If the communication is not established, nothing is performed in step S304.
Move to 305.

In step S305, it is determined whether or not the road information target section flag for determining whether or not it is in the road information target section is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to step S306, and if it is turned off, the process proceeds to step S309. To do.

In step S306, the road-vehicle communication device 12
In the road information received from, the length of the road information target section is compared with the running distance accumulated from the base point marker to determine whether the running distance exceeds the section length. If it exceeds, the process proceeds to step S308, and if not, the process proceeds to step S307.

In step S307, it is determined whether the predetermined time has passed after the start marker has passed and the road information reception flag indicating that the road information has been received is off. If the determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S308, and if the determination is NO, the process proceeds to step S311.

In step S308, it is determined that the road information target section has ended, the road information target section flag is turned off, and all the flags described in the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4 are turned off.

In step S309, it is determined whether or not a base point marker that signifies the start of the road information target section has been passed, and if it has passed, the road information target section flag is turned on in step S310, and the flow advances to step S311. If it has not passed, this routine is terminated without performing the subsequent processing.

In step S311, it is determined whether or not the following vehicle communication flag indicating that the inter-vehicle communication device (for the following vehicle) 10 is establishing communication with the communication device of the following vehicle is turned on, and it is already turned on. In this case, step S315
If not yet turned on, go to step S
Move to 312.

In step S312, for the inter-vehicle communication device (for the following vehicle) 10 and for the inter-vehicle communication device of the following vehicle,
It sends a request to establish communication and commands the operation to receive the response.

Then, in step 313, it is determined whether or not communication has been established with the inter-vehicle communication device of the following vehicle, and if established, the succeeding vehicle communication flag is turned on in step S314, and if it has not been established yet. , Step S315
Go to.

In step S315, it is determined whether or not the road-to-vehicle communication device (vehicle side) 12 has received road information from the road-side vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 18 in the communicable area 203 of FIG. If so, step S316
If not, the process proceeds to step S317.

In step S316, road information related to the traveling of the vehicle such as obstacles and curves is extracted from the received information.

In step S317, it is determined whether obstacle information exists in the road information extracted in the previous step,
If it exists, the process proceeds to step S318 to turn on the road-vehicle obstacle information flag, and if it does not exist, the process proceeds to step S319 without doing anything.

In step S319, it is determined whether or not the following vehicle communication flag is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S320, and if it is off, the process proceeds to step S322.

In step S320, it is determined whether or not there is obstacle data in the inter-vehicle communication road information transmitted from the following vehicle. If there is obstacle data, the process proceeds to step S321.
If not, the process proceeds to step S322.

In step S321, it is determined whether or not the road-vehicle obstacle information flag is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S323, and if it is off, the process proceeds to step S324.

Also in step S322, it is determined whether the road-vehicle obstacle information flag is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S325, and if it is off, the process proceeds to step S330.

In steps S323 to S325,
The newly received data as the obstacle information this time is compared with the previously stored obstacle information, and the latest information having the latest information detection time is stored as the latest obstacle information at that time. Of these, in step S323, road-vehicle obstacle data and inter-vehicle obstacle data, and in step S324,
Inter-vehicle obstacle data, in step S325, the road-vehicle obstacle data is compared with the previously stored obstacle data.

In step S326, it is determined whether or not the preceding vehicle communication flag is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to step S327 and the latest obstacle data currently stored is directed to the preceding vehicle. After transmitting, the process proceeds to step S328, and if the preceding vehicle communication flag is off, the process proceeds to step S328 without doing anything.

In step S328, the operation mode (three types of information providing mode, alarm mode, and control mode) corresponding to the obstacle information is determined.

In step S329, a command corresponding to each operation mode determined in the previous step is output to each actuator, and this routine ends.

In step S330, there is no information that affects the running of the vehicle, but it is within the road information providing section, and an information presentation screen prompting the user to drive with caution (for example, "be careful of a sharp curve") ) Information presentation display 1
Issue a command to output to 4.

Next, the operation mode determination processing contents corresponding to the specific obstacle information in step S328 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in.

Three types of modes, that is, an information providing mode, an alarm mode, and a control mode are set as the operation mode here. Among these, the information providing mode is a mode in which an image and a sound corresponding to the target road information are output to the display 14 and the sound generator 15, respectively. The alarm mode is a mode in which the alarm buzzer is output from the alarm alarm 13 while continuing the operation of the information providing mode. In the control mode, the brake actuator 1 outputs the command value for automatic braking while continuing the display and the alarm alarm.
6 and a mode for outputting to the engine throttle control device 17.

First, in step S401, step S
In the obstacle information updated in S323 to S325, the necessary deceleration Greq for stopping from the traveling state of the own vehicle is calculated at the obstacle position Xstop by the following formula (necessary deceleration calculation means). Gref = Vo ² / (2 · Xstop) In step S402, it is determined whether Greq is larger than the default value Ginfo, and if it is larger, the process proceeds to step S403. Return to routine No. 4.

In step S403, Greq is the default value Gwar.
It is determined whether it is larger than n, and if it is larger, step S
If it is smaller, the operation mode is set to the information providing mode in step S405, and the process returns to the routines of FIGS. 3 and 4.

In step S404, Greq is the default value Gcon.
It is determined whether it is larger than t, and if smaller, step S
In 406, the operation mode is set to the alarm mode, and if it is larger, the operation mode is set to the control mode in step S407 and the process returns to the routines of FIGS. 3 and 4. Note that steps S402 to S407 correspond to the travel support control means of claim 5.

Here, the default values Ginfo, Gwarn, and Gcont are G
Satisfies the relationship of info <Gwarn <Gcont, Ginfo is the deceleration (eg 2m / s ² ) when a general driver stops with a margin during normal driving, and Gwarn requires a relatively sudden stop. Deceleration (eg, 4 m / s ² ), Gcont is the deceleration (eg, 6 m / s ² ) when a general driver stops at maximum force (default value setting means).

[Driving Support Operation] An operation example in this embodiment described above with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 6 shows two vehicles A and B in the information providing section.
Shows the operation of each vehicle when the vehicle continuously enters.

First, when the vehicle A precedes the marker 202 and enters the information target section, the vehicle A follows the following vehicle B.
A communication establishment request signal is transmitted to B, and B responds to this, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication between vehicle A and vehicle B is established.

After that, the vehicle A receives the road information reception area 203.
However, at this point in time, no obstacle has occurred and the stopped vehicle data has not been transmitted from the roadside vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 18 to the vehicle A.

Then, after the vehicle A leaves the road information receiving area, the vehicle 205 enters the obstacle detection area 204 on the road.
Is stopped due to a failure.

Thereafter, the vehicle B is in the road information receiving area 203.
When passing, the position information of the stopped vehicle 205 can be received, and the road-to-vehicle communication device 12 receives the obstacle information.

Since vehicle A and vehicle B have already established vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle B transmits obstacle information to vehicle A.

The vehicle A can receive the obstacle information which could not be received by the road-to-vehicle communication device based on the information from the vehicle B, and can present the information of the stopped vehicle to the driver at a sufficient timing. Is possible.

FIG. 7 assumes a situation in which three vehicles A, B and C continuously travel at the same point.
When the vehicle B and the vehicle C enter the road information target section in this order and the vehicle A passes through the road information receivable area 203,
The stopped vehicle 205 has not been detected yet, and it is possible to receive the vehicle B when the vehicle B passes through the area 203 as shown in FIG.
Is exactly the same as.

Here, the communication part between the vehicle B and the vehicle C is added, and after the vehicle B has passed the marker 202, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is established between the vehicle B and the vehicle C.

Therefore, when the vehicle C passes through the road information receivable area 203 by the road-to-vehicle communication device and receives the position and speed information of the stopped vehicle 205 at this time, the vehicle C sends the information to the vehicles B and A. Data is sent in sequence.

That is, as long as the following vehicle holds the inter-vehicle communication device, the latest obstacle information can be successively received, and it is possible to cope with the time change of the obstacle information. Therefore, for example, when the traffic volume is relatively high, the stopped vehicle 20
If No. 5 occurs, then the stopped vehicles may be connected one after another to develop into a traffic jam, but even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, the position of the trailing end of the stopped vehicle changes from the following vehicle. Is transmitted, it becomes possible to provide information at a timing that considers the change.

Next, the effect will be described.

(1) In the control device 1, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the succeeding vehicle is displayed after passing through the predetermined area where the road-to-vehicle communication device 12 of the own vehicle can receive the road information. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 10 receives the latest road information from the following vehicle, and uses the latest road information as input information for driving assistance. Therefore, even if the road information can be received only in a limited area, the information from the following vehicle can be used. The latest road information as much as possible can be obtained, and the latest road information can be used as input information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

(2) When the control device 1 determines that the position / state of an obstacle or a curve is an object related to the progress of the own vehicle based on the latest road information, it causes an obstacle in the traveling direction of the own vehicle. Information indicating that there is an object or a curve is presented by the display 14 and the voice generator 15. Therefore, the driver can display information such as obstacles by the presentation screen from the display 14 and the voice information from the voice generator 15. I can know.

(3) Display 1 in controller 1
4 and the voice generator 15 have presented obstacle information, but if it is determined that appropriate avoidance measures have not been taken, the warning alarm 13 is issued as a command to issue an alarm.
Since it is output to, the driver can be urged to take immediate avoidance measures by an alarm when appropriate avoidance measures are not taken for the information presentation.

(4) In the control device 1, the display 1
4 and the voice generator 15 have presented obstacle information, but when it is determined that an urgent avoidance operation is required, a command to automatically operate the brake is output to the brake actuator 16. Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid an obstacle or a curve existing in the traveling direction of the own vehicle by automatic braking that is not operated by the driver.

(5) In step S401, the required deceleration Greq for stopping the vehicle from the traveling state at the position of the obstacle or the curve is calculated, and steps S402 to S402 are performed.
In 407, when the calculated required deceleration Greq exceeds the default value Ginfo which is the smallest value, the information presentation mode is set, and the calculated required deceleration Greq is a default value which is an intermediate value.
When Gwarn is exceeded, the alarm mode is entered, and when the calculated required deceleration Greq exceeds the maximum value Gcont, which is the maximum value, the automatic braking control mode is entered.
When eq increases, the information provision mode → alarm mode → control mode will be gradually changed, and obstacles and sharp curves existing in the traveling direction of the own vehicle will be avoided by appropriate support action. be able to.

(Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment, communication between vehicles is established by the inter-vehicle communication device before entering the area where the road information can be received from the road-to-vehicle communication device on the road side. This is a configuration that enables driving support such as control. The basic configuration of the device in this embodiment is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, and only the operation of the control device 1 is different, so only this part will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9. To do.

First, in step S701, it is determined whether or not the vehicle having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is in a vehicle group traveling state using the inter-vehicle communication devices 9 and 10. In the case of vehicle group traveling, it is determined in step S702. If the vehicle group is not traveling, the process proceeds to step S703. Here, the vehicle group traveling is a traveling in which at least the vehicle speed and absolute position of each vehicle are communicated, and the vehicle speed and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle are automatically adjusted, or the driver is taught an adjustable target value. Say

In step S702, it is scanned whether or not there is a vehicle having a road-to-vehicle communication device in the group of traveling vehicle groups (road information receivable vehicle scanning means).

In step S703, as the road information processing other than platooning, the same processing as the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4 of the first embodiment is performed.

In step S704, it is determined whether or not there is a vehicle capable of road-to-vehicle communication among the preceding vehicles. If yes, the preceding vehicle communication flag is turned on in step S705, and if there is no vehicle, the process proceeds to step S706 and precedes. Turn off the car communication flag.

In step S707, it is determined whether or not there is a vehicle capable of roadside-to-vehicle communication among the following vehicles. If yes, the following vehicle communication flag is turned on in step S708, and if there is no such vehicle, the following vehicle communication flag is turned off.

In step S710, it is determined whether or not a road information target section flag, which will be described later, is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to step S711, and if it is turned off, the process proceeds to step S714.

In steps S710 to S715, it is determined whether the road information is within the target section. Since the processing content is exactly the same as steps S305 to S310 in FIG. 3, description thereof will be omitted.

In steps S716 to S731, the latest obstacle is extracted from the obtained obstacle information, and based on the information, processing for presenting information for assisting the driver and instructing control contents is performed. The processing content is step S3 in FIG. 3 and FIG.
The description is omitted because it is similar to 15 to S330.

As described above, according to the operation described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 8 and 9 in the configuration of FIG. 1, the road information is formed in the state where the vehicle group is formed by the inter-vehicle communication to adjust the inter-vehicle distance. When the vehicle enters the area where the vehicle can be received, even if the road information is exchanged within a limited range as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to always receive the latest obstacle information from the following vehicle. For example, similarly to the situation shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the first embodiment, at the time when the head of the vehicle group passes the marker of the base point, the stopped vehicle is not yet detected as the obstacle information, and the vehicle group is not detected. When a stopped vehicle is detected and received as road information when an intermediate vehicle passes, the received vehicle can sequentially transmit the stopped vehicle information to the preceding vehicle.

Next, the effect will be described.

In the driving support system of the second embodiment, the first
In addition to the effects of the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(6) In step S702, it is scanned whether or not there is a vehicle having a road-to-vehicle communication device in the group of vehicle groups traveling, and the control device 1 causes the control device 1 to perform the road-to-vehicle communication device. After passing through the predetermined area where the road information can be received by 12, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the following vehicle detected in step S702 is received from the following vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device 10, and Since the latest road information is used as the input information for driving support, even if the own vehicle does not directly have the road information, the vehicle that can receive the road information is scanned by the inter-vehicle communication and the With the obtained road information, the latest road information as much as possible can be obtained, and this latest road information can be used as input information information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

(Third Embodiment) In the third embodiment, even in the case of a vehicle having no road-vehicle communication device, road information can be received if a vehicle having the structure of FIG. 1 exists in the vehicle group. Is an example.

That is, if the operation of the second embodiment is expanded, as shown in FIG. 10, even if a vehicle having a configuration without a road-to-vehicle communication device is included in the vehicle group, the configuration of FIG. If there is a vehicle having the above in the vehicle group, the vehicle having only the configuration of FIG. 10 can also receive the road information. At this time, the vehicle having only the inter-vehicle communication device repeats receiving the latest road information from the preceding vehicle or the following vehicle and transmitting the same to other vehicles according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. .

Next, the flowcharts of FIGS. 11 and 12 will be described.

Since steps S901 to S912 are the same as the steps other than step S703 of steps S701 to S713 in FIG. The process corresponding to step S703 is not executed in the vehicle of this configuration because it does not have the road-vehicle communication device.

In steps S913 to S917, when the preceding vehicle has the road-vehicle communication device (step S913),
When the preceding vehicle enters the area where the road information can be received from the road (step S914), the traveling distance until the vehicle reaches the point is calculated (step S915), and the vehicle crosses the point. At the moment (step 916), the road information target section flag is turned on (step S917).

Then, in step S918, it is determined whether or not there is obstacle information from the preceding vehicle. If yes, the preceding vehicle obstacle information is turned on in step S919, and if there is no obstacle information, the process directly proceeds to step S920.

In step S920, it is determined whether or not there is a following vehicle communication flag, that is, whether or not there is a vehicle having a road-to-vehicle communication device in the following vehicle. If yes, the process proceeds to step S921. Step S9
Proceed to 23. In step 921, it is further determined whether or not the obstacle data is received from the following vehicle. If the obstacle data is received, the process proceeds to step S924, and if not, the process proceeds to step S925.

In steps S924 to S926, similarly to steps S323 to S325 in FIG. 4 and steps S724 to S726 in FIG. 9, the obstacle information received this time is compared with the obstacle information stored last time.
Re-store the latest one.

In step S927, the obstacle information re-stored by the own vehicle is transmitted to the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle.

Steps S928 to S930 are exactly the same as steps S729 to S731 in FIG.

With the configuration of FIG. 10 described above, FIG.
1 and the operating method described in the flowchart of FIG. 12, even if there is a vehicle having a road-to-vehicle communication device in the vehicle group and having the configuration of FIG. 1 and performing the operating method of FIGS. 8 and 9. For example, if it becomes possible to receive road information, and if there is a vehicle with such a road-to-vehicle communication device in the following vehicle,
It becomes possible for the own vehicle to receive newer road information than when it passed through the road information receivable area 203 in FIG. 2, and it is possible to support the driver with new data as much as possible.

Next, the effect will be described.

In the driving support system of the third embodiment, the first
In addition to the effects of the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(7) In the control device 1, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the own vehicle is received from the vehicles around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication devices 9 and 10, and the latest road information is received. Since the road information is used as the input information for driving support, even if the vehicle does not have the road information receiving means, only the inter-vehicle communication devices 9 and 10 are provided.
The latest road information can be obtained from the preceding vehicle or the following vehicle, and the latest road information can be used as input information for driving support for avoiding obstacles.

(8) In step S902, it is scanned whether or not there is a vehicle having a road-to-vehicle communication device in the group of traveling vehicle groups.
The latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the own vehicle detected by 02 is received from the vehicle around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, and the latest road information is input for traveling support. Because it is information,
Even if the vehicle does not have the road information receiving means, the latest road information can be obtained as much as possible from the surrounding vehicles that can receive the road information, only by having the inter-vehicle communication device. It can be input information for driving support for avoiding an obstacle.

(Other Embodiments) The driving support system of the present invention has been described based on the first to third embodiments.
The specific configuration is not limited to these examples, and design changes and additions are allowed without departing from the gist of the invention according to each claim of the claims.

In the first to third embodiments, as road information,
Although the obstacle information (particularly the stopped vehicle) has been described, for the road information that changes from moment to moment such as an approaching vehicle at an intersection or the friction coefficient of the road surface, the same effect can be obtained by the completely same configuration and operation. It goes without saying that you can expect it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram showing a travel support device of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing operating conditions of road-to-vehicle communication in a vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart 1 for explaining a road information processing routine of a control device in the driving assistance system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart 2 for explaining a road information processing routine of a control device in the driving assistance system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation mode determination processing routine of the control device in the travel support device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing a road information processing operation when vehicles A and B continuously enter an information providing section.

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing a road information processing operation in a situation where three vehicles A, B, and C continuously run at the same point.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart 1 for explaining a road information processing routine of a control device in the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart 2 for explaining a road information processing routine of the control device in the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a basic configuration diagram showing a travel support device of a third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart 1 for explaining a road information processing routine of the control device in the driving assistance device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart 2 for explaining a road information processing routine of the control device in the driving assistance system according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 control device (driving support control means) 2 Brake switch 3 Accelerator pedal stroke sensor 4 direction indicators 5 Steering angle sensor (vehicle running state detection means) 6 Yaw rate sensor (vehicle running state detection means) 7 Vehicle acceleration / deceleration sensor (vehicle running state detection means) 8 Wheel speed sensor (vehicle running state detection means) 9 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication equipment (vehicle-to-vehicle communication means) 10 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication equipment (vehicle-to-vehicle communication means) 11 Road marker detector 12 Road-to-vehicle communication device (road information receiving means) 13 Warning alarm (warning means) 14 Display (information presenting means) 15 Voice generator (information presenting means) 16 Brake actuator (automatic braking means) 17 Engine throttle control device 18 Road-to-vehicle communication device (transmitter installed on the road side) 19 Road information detector

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B60R 21/00 628 B60R 21/00 628B 630 630C B60T 7/12 B60T 7/12 B H04B 7/26 H04B 7 / 26 F H F-term (reference) 3D046 BB18 GG02 HH02 HH05 HH08 HH20 HH21 HH26 HH36 5H180 AA01 BB02 BB04 BB05 CC24 DD04 EE12 EE15 EE18 FF12 FF13 FF25 FF32 LL01 LL07 LL08 LL09 LL15 5K067 AA35 BB43 FF02 FF03 FF23 FF25 FF31 HH22

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An own vehicle running state detecting means for detecting a running state of the own vehicle such as a vehicle speed and an own vehicle running state obtained from the own vehicle running state detecting means are collated with road information to detect obstacles and curves. If the position / state of the vehicle is determined to be a subject related to the progress of the vehicle, the vehicle travel assistance control device that implements the assistance operation to assist the vehicle traveling is installed on the road side. A road information receiving means capable of receiving a radio wave including road information in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, which is transmitted from the transmitted transmitter, and an inter-vehicle communication means capable of communicating with a vehicle around the own vehicle; The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device receives the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the following vehicle from the following vehicle after passing through a predetermined area where the road information receiving means of the own vehicle can receive the road information. Drive assist apparatus characterized by the input information for the driving support this latest road information. 2. The traveling support device according to claim 1, further comprising: information presenting means for presenting traveling assistance information to an occupant, wherein the traveling assistance control means positions obstacles and curves based on the latest road information. When the state is determined to be an object related to the progress of the host vehicle, the means for outputting to the information presenting means a command for presenting information that an obstacle or a curve exists in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. A driving support device characterized by being present. 3. The traveling support device according to claim 2, further comprising an alarm unit for issuing an alarm to an occupant, wherein the traveling support control unit is suitable despite the fact that the information is presented by the information presenting unit. A travel support device, which is means for outputting a command for issuing an alarm to the alarm means when it is determined that no avoidance measures have been taken. 4. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, further comprising an automatic braking unit that automatically actuates a brake in response to a command independent of a driver's braking operation, wherein the driving assistance control unit includes: A means for automatically outputting a command to the automatic braking means when it is determined that an urgent avoidance operation is necessary despite the information being presented by the information presenting means. A driving support device characterized by the above. 5. The travel support device according to claim 4, wherein a necessary deceleration calculating means for calculating a necessary deceleration for stopping the vehicle from the traveling state at the position of an obstacle or a curve; As the default value, the first default value <second default value <
And a preset value setting unit that satisfies the relationship of a third preset value, wherein the driving support control unit sets the calculated required deceleration to the first.
When the value exceeds the predetermined value, the information presenting means presents the driving support information to the occupant, and when the calculated required deceleration exceeds the second predetermined value, the warning means gives an alarm to the occupant and the calculated necessary deceleration becomes the third. A travel support device, which is means for automatically activating a brake by an automatic braking means when the value exceeds a predetermined value. 6. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein a road capable of receiving a radio wave including road information of a vehicle traveling direction transmitted from a transmitter installed on the road side. Road information receivable vehicle scanning means for scanning a vehicle having an information receiving means from a group of vehicles with which the own vehicle has established communication is provided, and the travel support control means is provided with road information by the road information receiving means of the own vehicle. After passing through a predetermined area capable of receiving, the latest road information received by the road information receiving means included in the following vehicle detected by the road information receivable vehicle scanning means is received from the following vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device. A driving support device characterized in that the latest road information is used as input information for driving support. 7. An own vehicle running state detecting means for detecting a running state of the own vehicle such as a vehicle speed and an own vehicle running state obtained from the own vehicle running state detecting means are collated with road information to detect an obstacle or a curve. When it is determined that the position / state of the vehicle is an object related to the progress of the own vehicle, a driving assistance control device that performs a assistance operation for assisting the traveling of the own vehicle, The vehicle-to-vehicle communication means capable of communicating with the vehicle is provided, and the driving support control means receives the latest road information received by the road information receiving means of the vehicle around the own vehicle from the vehicle around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device. The latest road information is used as input information for driving support. 8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a road information receiving unit capable of receiving radio waves including road information in a traveling direction of the vehicle, which is transmitted from a transmitter installed on the road side. A vehicle information receivable vehicle scanning unit that scans from a vehicle group with which the vehicle has established communication is provided, and the traveling support control unit is configured to detect vehicles around the vehicle detected by the vehicle information receivable vehicle scanning unit. The latest road information received by the road information receiving means included therein is received from the vehicles around the own vehicle by the inter-vehicle communication device, and the latest road information is used as input information for driving support. apparatus.