JP2005035401A - Vehicle collision control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a practical vehicle collision control system regarding a vehicle control system for preparing for vehicle collision such as vehicle collision prevention such as PCS control or ACC control or protection of an occupant from collision of the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: This system is equipped with a radar device 14 for detecting a front existing object, an operation device 82 such as a brake device or a seatbelt device, and a collision corresponding control device 10 for determining possibility of collision with the detected front existing object and controlling the operation device 82. The system is also provided with a target existing object specifying part 90 for specifying a target for controlling among the detected front existing objects, and a specifying condition changing part 80 for changing conditions for specifying in the specifying part 90. For example, a number of the targets to be specified is changed by a form of control. More concretely, in the system wherein ACC control and PCS control can be carried out at the same time, when the number of the targets to be specified is constant, one of the targets is specified for PCS control and the remainder is specified for ACC control when ACC control is carried out, and all of the targets are specified as the targets for PCS control when ACC control is not carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control system for dealing with vehicle collisions such as so-called PCS control and ACC control, such as vehicle collision prevention and occupant protection from vehicle collisions.

  In recent years, with respect to the control of vehicles such as automobiles, development of control technology for dealing with a collision with a front object existing in front of the host vehicle has progressed. As such control, for example, there is control that prevents or avoids collision with a front object, and there is also control that protects the occupant in anticipation of a collision occurring. As a representative of the former, for example, so-called ACC control (Auto-Cruise-Control or Adaptive-Cruise-Control) is well known. Generally speaking, the ACC control is control such as adjusting the output of the engine device or the like so as to follow the preceding vehicle in a state where the inter-vehicle state with the preceding vehicle is set. As a representative of the latter, so-called PCS control (Pre-Clash-Safety) is well known. Generally speaking, the PCS control is a control in which a collision of a vehicle is predicted and a protection device such as a seat belt is activated before the collision. It is always desired to be more practical for such collision response control.

As a technique related to collision control, for example, there is a technique described in [Patent Document 1] below regarding ACC control, and for example, [Patent Document 2] described below regarding PCS control. Such technologies exist. They detect one front entity, judge the possibility of collision with the one front entity, and perform collision response control. In an actual vehicle driving environment, a plurality of front entities are detected. Therefore, it is not satisfactory in terms of reliability. On the other hand, the following [Patent Document 3] describes a technique for detecting a plurality of front objects and performing collision response control.
JP 2001-30792 A JP 2000-62555 A JP-A-8-339500

  However, although the technique described in [Patent Document 3] detects a plurality of forward existence objects by a radar device, it seems to be based on a certain condition (in the above technique, it exists at the shortest distance). ), The possibility of collision with only one control object is determined, which is not sufficient in terms of reliability, and in that respect it is difficult to say that the system is practical. Further, as described above, the collision handling control includes, for example, control with different purposes such as ACC control and PCS control. For example, in the case of a system that executes a plurality of controls with different purposes in parallel, The target may be different depending on In such a case, when a controlled object is specified under certain conditions, it may not be a practical system. Therefore, it is conceivable to specify a plurality of front objects as objects to be controlled. For example, when the number is large, the burden on the detection device, the control device, etc., that is, the burden on the system increases, and the processing speed is slow. In that respect, it is not a practical system. On the other hand, if the processing speed is to be overcome by hardware, the cost of the system itself increases greatly, so that it is difficult to make the system practical in terms of cost. In view of such circumstances, the present invention has been made to obtain a practical collision-response vehicle control system.

  A collision-responsive vehicle control system according to the present invention includes a front entity detection device that can detect a plurality of front entities existing in front of the host vehicle, a vehicle speed reduction device that decelerates the host vehicle, and an occupant protection that protects the occupant during a collision. A collision-responsive vehicle control system comprising: an operation device such as a device; and a collision-response control device that performs a collision-response control that is a control of the operation device based on a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a front entity. A target entity specifying unit that specifies one or more target entities that are target front entities in the front entity detected by the front entity detector, and a specific item in the target entity specifying unit A specific condition changing unit that changes a specific condition that is a condition for the collision, and the collision response control device performs a collision response control based on a possibility of a collision between the one or more target objects and the host vehicle. Characterized in that it is intended to.

  According to the collision-response vehicle control system of the present invention, it is possible to change the specifying condition when specifying the control object from among the plurality of front objects detected by the front object detection device. For example, it is possible to change the type of control object, the number of control objects, and the like, for example, by changing the specific conditions according to various factors such as the purpose, form of the control, and the processing capacity of the system. Detailed description will be given in the following [Aspect of the Invention] (1).

  According to the collision response vehicle control system of the present invention, it is possible to change an object to be controlled in collision response control such as PCS control and ACC control, and efficient collision response control can be performed. . Therefore, according to the present invention, a practical collision response vehicle control system is realized.

Aspects of the Invention

  In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”, a concept including the present invention) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the invention, and is not intended to limit the combination of the constituent elements constituting the invention to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention.

  In each of the following terms, (1) corresponds to claim 1, (2) corresponds to claim 2, (4) corresponds to claim 3, (6) corresponds to claim 4, (8) corresponds to claim 5 and (11) corresponds to claim 6.

(1) a forward entity detection device capable of detecting a plurality of forward entities existing in front of the host vehicle;
An operating device such as a vehicle speed reducing device for decelerating the host vehicle, an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant in the event of a collision,
A collision response vehicle control system comprising: a collision response control device that executes a collision response control that is a control of the actuator based on the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a front entity,
A collision target vehicle control system for identifying one or more target entities, which are target front objects in control, from among the front entities detected by the front entity detection device; A specific condition changing unit that changes a specific condition that is a condition for specifying in the target entity specifying unit, and the collision response control device is configured to detect the possibility of a collision between the one or more target entities and the host vehicle. The collision response vehicle control system is characterized by executing a collision response control based on the above.

  In short, the collision-response vehicle control system described in this section is a control object from among a plurality of front objects detected by a front object detection device (hereinafter simply referred to as “detection device”). The specific condition can be changed when specifying the control object, and for example, the control object can be changed. The specific mode will be described in detail later, but the specific condition can be changed according to various factors such as the purpose and form of the control, the processing capacity of the system, and the like. For example, it is possible to change the type of control object, the number of control objects, and the like. A practical system is realized because efficient collision response control can be performed.

  The “front entity detection device” is not particularly limited in specific mode. For example, a radar device using a laser beam, a radar device using a radio wave, a camera, and image data captured by the camera are processed. Various devices such as an image recognition device that recognizes a front object including an image processing device can be used. It is desirable that the detection device can detect a plurality of front objects regardless of whether it is a stationary object or a moving object (preceding vehicle, oncoming vehicle, etc.). It is desirable that the detection device acquires at least one of a distance between each of the plurality of forward existence objects and the own vehicle, an orientation with respect to each of the own vehicles, and a relative speed between each of the front objects and the own vehicle. If possible, it is desirable that they can be acquired simultaneously. Considering this point, it is desirable that the detection device is a millimeter wave radar device, more specifically, an FM-CW radar device and a radar device capable of scanning by digital beam forming (DBF) technology. A radar device that uses millimeter waves as detection waves is a radar device that uses radio waves of relatively long wavelengths as detection waves. Unlike radar devices that use lasers, the radar devices use diffraction phenomena, reflections from road surfaces, and the like. For example, it is possible to acquire information such as the distance, direction, and relative speed even if the vehicle is a front object that is at least partially hidden behind the preceding vehicle.

  The “actuating device” is not particularly limited. For example, in addition to the vehicle deceleration device that decelerates the host vehicle exemplified above, an occupant protection device that protects the occupant in the event of a collision, various types of control that can be controlled by collision control A vehicle-mounted device can be an actuating device. “Vehicle deceleration device” is typically a brake device (hydraulic brake device or the like), for example, but it can also be expected to have a braking force by an engine brake, a regenerative brake or the like. Vehicle drive force generators such as the above can also be included in the vehicle speed reducer, and in cases where gear changes are limited to make those braking forces more effective, the transmission device is also It can be part of the vehicle speed reducer. “Occupant protection device” includes, for example, a seat belt device (preferably equipped with a pretensioner), an airbag device, a steering device having an impact absorbing mechanism in a steering column, and a brake that retracts and absorbs the impact when an impact occurs. This applies to pedal devices such as pedals. Other vehicle-mounted devices include, for example, a steering device having a steering mechanism for avoiding a collision, a suspension device that can change the vehicle height to reduce impact, and a high possibility of a collision with the driver. An alarm device for notifying the vehicle, a rear indicator light device such as a brake lamp for notifying a vehicle behind the vehicle and a communication device, and the like also correspond to the operation device described in this section.

  The “collision response control device” is mainly a computer and can be a control device that performs collision response control such as ACC control and PCS control. The ACC control is a control aiming to follow the preceding vehicle within a set vehicle speed range. Specifically, in order to prevent a collision with the preceding vehicle, the ACC control appropriately maintains the inter-vehicle state with the preceding vehicle. It is. In the PCS control, when a collision with a front object is predicted, the occupant protection device starts operating (including preparation for operation) prior to the collision, or performs braking to avoid the collision. Control. As described above, there are various types of collision handling control. The collision handling control device may be any control device that can execute any one or more of these controls. However, from the viewpoint of efficient control and a practical system, a device capable of executing a plurality of those controls, specifically, both ACC control and PCS control can be executed. A device is desirable.

  The target entity that is the front entity that is the target in the collision handling control differs depending on the control mode, type, and the like. For example, since the above-described ACC control is follow-up control to the preceding vehicle, the target object is limited to the preceding vehicle that is a forward vehicle that moves in the same direction as the host vehicle. Moreover, since the PCS control described above is a control based on the possibility of a collision widely, not only the preceding vehicle but also a stationary object, an oncoming vehicle, and the like are set as target objects. Therefore, the aspect described in this section in which the specific condition of the target object can be changed is particularly effective in such a system that can perform a plurality of controls with different target specific objects. Note that the possibility of a collision with a target object varies depending on the type of collision response control, and is not handled uniformly. In other words, the possibility of collision is a relative concept that varies depending on the type of control. For example, in general, in the case of PCS control, the operation device is set to start in a state where the possibility of collision is higher than in the case of ACC control.

  In the collision handling control, it is convenient to determine the height at which the host vehicle can collide with the target object based on parameters such as the distance to the target object, the arrival time with respect to the target object, and the collision time. The arrival time here is the time required to reach the position where the forward existence exists at the current own vehicle speed, and is the time not depending on the moving speed of the target existence. On the other hand, the collision time is the time required to collide with the target entity when the relative speed with the target entity is maintained. When the target object is a preceding vehicle, the distance can be called an inter-vehicle distance, and the arrival time can be called an inter-vehicle time. In the case of a system capable of performing various types of control, one or more appropriate ones of the above parameters may be adopted according to the control to be performed, and the actuator may be controlled based on the adopted parameters.

  The “target entity specifying unit” has a function of specifying from the front entities detected by the detection device, but may be provided in the collision response control device in the system. May be provided. That is, for example, when the detection data of a plurality of front entities detected by the detection device is sent to the collision response control device, and the target presence is specified in the processing in the collision response control device, the target entity identification is performed. The unit becomes a part of the collision handling control device. Further, when the detection device has a control unit mainly composed of a computer, for example, when the target object is specified by the control unit, the target object specification unit is included in the detection device. The “specific condition changing unit” has a function of changing a specific condition that is a condition for specifying the target entity, and is provided in the collision response control device in the same manner as the target entity specifying unit. It may also be provided in the detection device. The target entity specifying unit and the specific condition changing unit are not limited to being provided in the same device. For example, the target entity specifying unit is provided in the detection device, and the specific condition changing unit is provided in the collision response control device. It is also possible to adopt the embodiment described above.

  (2) The collision-response vehicle control system according to (1), wherein the specific condition changing unit changes the specific condition so that the upper limit number of target objects to be specified is changed.

  The aspect described in this section is an aspect in which the upper limit number of the target entity is included in the specific condition. If the upper limit number of specified existence objects is changed, it is possible to improve control efficiency in the collision handling control. For example, in the collision response control device, if the number of existing objects for determining the possibility of a collision is changed according to the purpose of the control, it is not always necessary to determine the possibility of a collision with a large number of forward objects. Therefore, when determining the possibility of collision with a small number of forward objects, even a system with a relatively low processing speed and a low cost can be processed quickly. In other words, in some cases, it is possible to determine a collision with many forward objects, and in that case, a highly reliable system is realized. Thus, if the specific number of target objects can be changed according to the purpose, the system is highly practical.

  (3) The specific condition changing unit is allowed to specify the specific condition, a first condition in which at least one target entity is specified, and a plurality of set target entities. The collision-response vehicle control system according to item (2), which is changed between the second condition and the second condition.

  The aspect described in this section is a further limited aspect of the above aspect in which the number of target object entities that can be specified is changed. The specific number of target objects is changed between two different upper limit numbers, and a simple system is obtained.

  (4) The collision-responsive vehicle control system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the specific condition changing unit changes the specific condition based on a set change condition.

  If the specific condition is changed based on the change condition depending on the purpose and form of the control, a practical system is realized. The specific change condition is not particularly limited, but for example, it is possible to change the specific condition with the traveling state of the host vehicle as the change condition, and based on the information from the car navigation system, For example, it is possible to change various specific conditions such as determining whether or not the vehicle is traveling on a road with many collision accidents, and changing the specific condition using the determination result as a change condition.

  (5) The specific condition changing unit changes the specific condition based on the change condition based on whether or not the traveling speed of the host vehicle exceeds a set threshold speed. Vehicle control system for collision.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the specific condition is changed based on the traveling speed of the host vehicle. That is, this is an aspect in which the traveling state of the host vehicle is used as the change condition. The magnitude of the traveling speed of the host vehicle affects, for example, the possibility of a collision of the host vehicle, and can be one of the execution conditions of the ACC control. Therefore, the system of the aspect which changes a specific condition based on the traveling speed of the own vehicle turns into a system which enables specification of the target existence according to actual control.

  (6) The first control as the collision response control and the second control that is executed under the execution condition that is set in the collision control that has a different purpose from the first control as the collision control. Can be executed in parallel, and the specific condition changing unit is configured to execute the second control as the change condition based on whether the second control is executed or not. The collision-responsive vehicle control system according to (4) or (5), wherein the specific condition is changed.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the specific condition of the target entity is changed based on the control mode. A system that can execute multiple types of control in parallel is a practical system. In such a system, when a certain control is selectively executed, an efficient collision response control is possible if the target object in another certain control can be changed based on the presence or absence of the control.

  (7) The system includes the one that specifies both the target entity in the first control and the target entity in the second control as the target entity specifying unit. Vehicle control system for collisions described in 1.

  Although it is possible to provide a target entity specifying unit for each control, it is convenient if each target entity in a plurality of controls can be specified by one means as in the embodiment described in this section. System.

  (8) When the collision response control device predicts that a collision with a forward object can occur in a relatively short time, the occupant protection device is activated prior to the collision, braking for avoiding the collision, etc. The preceding vehicle follow-up control that executes the immediately preceding collision control as one of the first control and the second control and follows the preceding vehicle while preventing a collision with the preceding vehicle is performed as the first control. The collision-responsive vehicle control system according to (6) or (7), which is executed as the other of the second control.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the PCS control and the ACC control described above can be executed in parallel. The control immediately before the collision corresponds to PCS control, and the vehicle following control corresponds to ACC control. These two controls are controls having different purposes, and both are controls that have been put into practical use. Therefore, a system capable of performing these two controls simultaneously is extremely practical. Note that the ACC control may be the first control, the PCS control may be the second control, and the specific condition of the target object in the ACC control may be changed depending on the presence or absence of the PCS control. A mode in which the first control is performed, the ACC control is the second control, and the specific condition of the target entity in the PCS control may be changed depending on the presence or absence of the ACC control.

  (9) The collision response according to (8), wherein the collision response control device executes the control immediately before the collision as the first control, and executes the preceding vehicle following control as the second control. Vehicle control system.

  The ACC control is mainly used in traveling under a relatively stable traveling environment such as an expressway where the speed of the host vehicle is relatively fast. In view of this, the ACC control is highly arbitrary control compared to the PCS control, that is, control in which the presence or absence of execution is more likely to be arbitrarily performed by the driver. Therefore, it can be said that the aspect which changes the specific condition of the target object used as the object of PCS control by the presence or absence of ACC control like this term is more practical.

  (10) The specific condition changing unit identifies a front entity that is stationary or moving as the target entity in the control immediately before the collision, and precedes the host vehicle as the target entity in the preceding vehicle following control. The collision response control system according to the item (8) or (9), wherein the specific condition is changed on the assumption that only the forward moving object is specified.

  As described above, since the ACC control is intended to follow the preceding vehicle, the target object is the preceding vehicle. In addition, since the PCS control is a control aiming at dealing with a wide range of collisions, the target object is widely specified regardless of whether it is a moving object or a stationary object. In this way, efficient control can be performed by determining the specific condition of the target entity according to the purpose of control.

  (11) The first condition control unit specified by the specific condition changing unit when the second control is executed and the total upper limit number of the target entities specified when the second control is not executed. The collision response control system according to any one of items (6) to (10), wherein the specific condition is changed on the assumption that the upper limit number of the target objects in the same number is the same.

  To put it plainly, the aspect described in this section is an aspect in which the upper limit number of target objects to be identified is constant regardless of the presence or absence of the second control. For example, when the first control is PCS control and the second control is ACC control and the target entity specifying unit specifies a certain number of target entities, when both controls are executed, the PCS Precisely specify a fixed number of target objects to be controlled (which may be target objects for ACC control), specify the remainder as target target objects only in ACC control, and perform ACC control. When is not executed, a mode is included in which all of the predetermined number of target entities are specified as target entities for PCS control. Extremely speaking, despite the fact that a certain number of target entities can be identified at all times, the target entity can be identified efficiently according to the form of control, so the balance between cost and reliability is good. A very practical system is realized.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is by no means limited to the following examples, and in addition to the following examples, there are various types based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art including the aspects described in the above [Aspect of the Invention] section. It can implement in the various aspect which gave the change and improvement of these.

<System hardware configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a collision response vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the present system is configured to include several electronic control units (a control device mainly composed of a computer, hereinafter abbreviated as “ECU”). The ECU that constitutes the core of the system is a collision handling ECU 10 as a collision handling control device. The collision handling ECU 10 will be described in detail later. In general, the collision handling ECU 10 includes a front object existing in front of the host vehicle and the host vehicle. Collision handling control is performed by grasping the relative positional relationship and the like, and controlling an actuator described later based on the relative positional relationship and the like.

  The collision handling ECU 10 is connected to various sensor devices via a sensor LAN 12 (in-vehicle LAN and other LANs are the same), and controls those sensor devices, and from these sensor devices, Obtain peripheral information and information on the behavior of the vehicle. In this system, as a sensor device related to the present invention, a radar device 14 (a radar 16 as a detection device, a radar ECU 18 that processes detected data, etc.) as a forward entity detection device that detects a forward entity. Are provided). The radar device 14 transmits the data of the forward existence detected by the radar device 14 to the collision handling ECU 10, and the collision handling ECU 10 performs the collision handling control based on the data. The radar device 14 will be described in detail later. A yaw rate sensor 22 that detects the yaw rate of the host vehicle is also connected to the LAN 12.

  The collision handling ECU 10 is also connected to a control system LAN 30, and various operating devices are connected to the LAN 30. Many of the various operation devices are electronically controlled, and the ECU and the collision-responsive ECU 10 are connected via the LAN 30. As an operating device deeply related to the present invention, in the figure, an engine device as a driving force generating device including an engine ECU 32 and an electronic throttle actuator (hereinafter referred to as “ACT”) 34, a transmission ECU 36 and a transmission Transmission device including ACT 38, brake device including brake ECU 42 and brake ACT 44, steering device including steering ECU 46 and steering ACT 48, seat belt device including seat belt ECU 50 and seat belt ACT 52, airbag ECU 54 and airbag ACT 56 And an alarm device 58 is shown. These operating devices operate based on a control signal from the collision handling ECU 10. The operation of these actuators will be described in detail later.

  The present system is provided with an ACC switch 62 that is a main switch for ACC control and is operated by a driver when executing ACC control. The ACC switch 62 is connected to the engine ECU 32. . The brake device has a wheel speed sensor 64, and the steering device has a steering angle sensor 66. The collision handling ECU 10 determines the state of the switch 62, the traveling speed of the host vehicle (calculated by averaging the wheel speeds of the four wheels) detected by the sensors 64 and 66, the steering angle (the steering wheel operating angle). Or the steering angle of the steered wheel) is obtained as the status information of the host vehicle.

<Radar device>
The radar 16 included in the radar device 14 is a millimeter wave radar that uses millimeter waves as detection waves, and is an FM-CW radar device that uses a transmission signal in which frequency modulation (FM) is performed on a continuous wave (CW). The radar device 14 is mounted on the host vehicle, detects a front entity such as a vehicle ahead, a road sign, and the like, and can acquire a relative positional relationship and a relative speed between the front entity and the host vehicle at the same time. In the radar 16, an adaptive array antenna filter is used, and an antenna beam is formed and scanned by a digital beam forming (DBF) technique, and a front entity is detected as point information. The detection principle of the FM-CW radar device, the DBF technology, etc. are described in detail in patent applications (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-130945, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-220220) by the applicant of the present application, and are already well-known techniques. Detailed description in this specification will be omitted.

  The radar apparatus 14 detects a front entity within the set detection range. More specifically, scanning is performed within a set angle range in front of the host vehicle (for example, a range of 10 ° to 20 °), and the farthest detection distance is set (for example, a value such as 200 m). It is supposed not to detect the forward existence that exists. Further, when traveling on a curved road, the present radar device 14 is based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 66 and the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 64 (based on the yaw rate by the yaw rate sensor 22). It is also possible to estimate the travel schedule line of the host vehicle and change the detection range of the front existence object in the left-right direction according to the travel schedule line.

  The radar device 14 continuously performs detection at extremely short time intervals (for example, several tens of milliseconds). The radar ECU 18 included in the radar device 14 is mainly composed of a CPU, processes detection data acquired each time acquired by the radar 16, and based on the latest detection results of a plurality of times, a forward presence object to be detected. To be detected (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as “detected object”). In other words, the radar device 14 has a function of following and monitoring a specific front entity. This specific process is performed on the basis of the obtained relative positional relationship, change in relative speed, and the like, and a front entity that does not need to be detected is excluded from the monitoring target. Although this process is not particularly limited, for example, since it is described in detail in the above-mentioned patent application (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-220220) of the present applicant, the description thereof is omitted here. By this process, a front object according to the purpose, such as a preceding vehicle or a stationary object such as a stopped vehicle on the road, is set as a monitoring object.

In the radar apparatus 14, three parameters are acquired as information related to the detected object. The three parameters (sometimes referred to as “detected object parameters”) are the distance between the detected object and the own vehicle, the direction of the detected object based on the own vehicle, and the relative speed between the detected object and the own vehicle. If FIG. 2 is utilized, they can be expressed as a distance l, an azimuth θ, and a relative velocity v, respectively. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of vehicles (preceding vehicle, stop vehicle, oncoming vehicle) exist as forward existence objects in front of the host vehicle C ₀ on a two-lane road. In this figure, the distance l, the azimuth θ, and the relative speed v of the oncoming vehicle C ₁ existing at the closest distance from the host vehicle C ₀ are shown. In the present specification, the relative speed v is positive when the detected object and the host vehicle C ₀ approach each other, and is negative when the detected object and the host vehicle C ₀ are separated from each other.

If further described with reference to FIG. 2, in the radar device 14, each of the vehicles C ₁ -C ₇ of seven is a front entity is the detection object. In other words, the radar device 14 can detect a plurality of front objects. When there are a plurality of vehicles C _{1 to} C _{7 in} the state shown in FIG. 2, three detection object parameters of distance l, azimuth θ, and relative speed v are acquired for each vehicle C _{1 to} C ₇ ( The vehicles C _{1 to} C ₇ may be collectively referred to as C _n , and their parameters may be collectively referred to as distance l _n , azimuth θ _n , and relative speed v _n ). Although a detailed description is omitted, the radar 16 uses a relatively long wavelength radio wave as a detection wave, and unlike a laser radar or the like, the radar 16 also includes other front entities hidden behind one front entity. It can be detected using diffraction phenomenon.

  In the present system, the detection object data including the detection object parameter is transmitted from the radar apparatus 14 to the collision handling ECU 10, that is, the detection object data is output. However, the data regarding all detected detection objects is not always output. . In the radar apparatus 14, the number of detection objects to be output is limited in consideration of the processing capability of the collision handling ECU 10, the processing burden of the radar ECU 18, and the like. More specifically, the upper limit number of front objects (hereinafter, referred to as “target objects” or abbreviated as “target objects” in some cases) as targets in the collision response control is set to a fixed number and output from the radar device 14. Processing to narrow down the detected object data to those of the detected object up to the upper limit number is performed. This narrowing-down process is a process performed by the radar ECU 18 and can be referred to as a target object specifying process because it is a process of specifying the target object from the detected objects.

<Outline of collision response control>
This system is designed to perform two types of collision response control with different purposes. One of the two collision response controls is the activation of the occupant protection device prior to the collision and the braking to avoid the collision when it is predicted that a collision with a forward entity can occur in a relatively short time. The other is a so-called ACC control, which is a so-called ACC control that immediately follows the preceding vehicle while preventing a collision with the preceding vehicle. The PCS control is always performed while the host vehicle is traveling, and the ACC control is performed or not performed depending on the driver's arbitrary condition, the traveling state of the host vehicle, and the like. That is, the collision handling control includes the first control that is always performed and the second control that is selectively performed, and both are performed in parallel while the second control is performed. In the system, the first control is PCS control and the second control is ACC control.

  The PCS control and the ACC control have different front objects as targets in the control due to the difference in purpose. In the PCS control, regardless of whether it is a moving object such as a traveling vehicle or a stationary object such as a stopped vehicle, the control is widely performed in the control, whereas in the ACC control, the vehicle such as a preceding vehicle is preceded. Is limited to forward moving objects. In the present system, the target ECU is identified by the radar ECU 18 based on this assumption. As described above, there is an upper limit on the number of data outputs related to the target entity, and since ACC control is selectively executed, this system performs ACC control. The specific condition of the target entity is changed based on the presence or absence of the object, that is, based on the form of the collision handling control. Specifically, when performing the ACC control, both the PCS control object and the ACC control object are identified. When not performing the ACC control, only the PCS control object is identified. The specific conditions are appropriately changed within the limit of the number of data outputs.

<Specific processing in collision response control and target entity identification>
In this system, the collision handling control is mainly performed by the collision handling ECU 10, and the target object specifying process is mainly performed by the ECU 18. Each of the ECUs 10 and 18 is mainly composed of a computer, and each of them executes a predetermined program to perform collision response control and target object identification processing. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a collision response control program (FIG. 3 (a)) executed by the collision response ECU 10 and a radar detection processing program (FIG. 3 (b)) executed by the radar ECU 18, which are related to the present invention. The simple flowchart which described only the part to perform is shown.

  The collision response control program is configured to include a specific condition changing routine and an actuator control routine, and the radar detection processing program is configured to include an object existence specifying routine. The actuator control routine is executed to control the actuator, and the target entity specifying routine is executed to perform the target entity specifying process. Further, by executing the specific condition changing routine, a specific condition changing process for changing a condition in specifying the target entity is performed. Both of the above two programs have a very short time interval (for example, several tens of milliseconds) after the predetermined initial processing is performed immediately after the start of operation of the host vehicle (ignition switch is turned on) and until the operation is stopped. Repeatedly executed. Hereinafter, actual control and processing under the situation of FIG. 2 will be described in detail along the execution of those routines. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the specific condition changing process, the target entity specifying process, and the operation device control are performed in this order.

i) Specific Condition Change Process FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a specific condition change process routine for executing the specific condition change process. The specific condition changing process will be described with reference to this flowchart. First, in step 11 (hereinafter abbreviated as “S11”, the same applies to other steps), the state of the ACC switch 62 is determined. If the ACC switch 62 is in the ON state, the process proceeds to the next S12, and the host vehicle speed v ₀ that is the traveling speed of the host vehicle is the ACC execution lower limit speed v _{0 · ACC} (for example, 40 km) that is the set threshold speed. It is determined whether or not the speed is higher. If the ACC execution lower limit speed v _{0 · ACC} is exceeded, the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC is set to 1 in S13. That is, the ACC execution mode is set. If the ACC switch 62 is not in the ON state, or the host vehicle speed v ₀ is equal to or less than the ACC execution lower limit speed v _{0 · ACC} , the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC is set to 0, and the ACC non-execution mode is set.

The fact that the ACC switch 62 is in the ON state and that the host vehicle speed v ₀ is equal to or higher than the ACC execution lower limit speed v _{0 · ACC} is an execution condition for the ACC control. It is considered as a change condition for changing. The ACC execution determination flag F _ACC and the host vehicle speed v ₀ are transmitted to the radar ECU 18 in S15.

ii) Target entity specifying process FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a target entity specifying routine for executing the target entity specifying process. If the target entity specifying process is described with reference to this flowchart, first, in S21, the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC and the vehicle speed v ₀ transmitted from the collision handling ECU 10 and already received are read out. Next, in S22, data of a front entity that is a detected object is acquired. As described above, the detected object data includes three detected object parameters (distance l, azimuth θ, relative velocity v), and each detected object as shown in a table format in FIG. The detected object parameter (l _n , θ _n , v _n ) for each object C _n is acquired. In the situation of FIG. 2, the parameters of the vehicles C _{1 to} C ₇ are acquired.

Next, in S23, each of the detection object C _n whether a preceding vehicle is determined. When the detection object C _n is a preceding vehicle, the speed difference between the detection object C _n and the host vehicle C ₀ is not large, and the relative speed v _n is relatively small. Therefore, in S23, when the absolute value of the relative speed v _n is equal to or less than a certain ratio (for example, 20% or less) with respect to the host vehicle speed v ₀ , the detected object C _n is recognized as a preceding vehicle. Specifically, the preceding vehicle determination flag FC _n is set as one of the detected object data. If the preceding vehicle is a preceding vehicle, the flag FC _n of the detected object C _n is set to 1. If it is not a preceding vehicle, the flag FC _n is set to zero.

In subsequent S24, a determination is made based on the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC and it is recognized whether the ACC execution mode or the ACC non-execution mode. Depending on the recognition result, the object specifying condition is changed, and the specifying process corresponding to each of these modes is performed. Specifically, when F _ACC is 1 and the ACC execution mode is recognized, the specific processing at the time of ACC execution mode in S25 and S26 is performed, F _ACC is 0, and in ACC non-execution mode If it is recognized that there is an ACC execution mode specific process in S27.

The identification result of the object is output as object data as shown in a table format in FIG. The object data includes an object parameter (l _m , θ _m , v _m ) and a preceding vehicle determination flag FC _m for each object C _m (C _m is a generic name). C _m is ordered in ascending order of the value of the distance l _{m to} the host vehicle. In this system, it is assumed that C _a , C _b ,... Are ordered, and the object parameters (l _m , θ _m , v _m ) of each object C _m and the preceding vehicle determination flag FC _m are The subscript shall be used. In this system, since the number of output of the object data is 4 as an upper limit, C _m is at most four of C _a , C _b , C _c , and C _d . In the specifying process, the detection object C _{n is} selected and specified, and the parameters of the selected detection object C _n are used as the parameters of the object C _m .

In ACC execution mode specific processing, first, in S25, the moving object near the detection object of a distance l _n with most vehicle C ₀ regardless of the stationary object C _n (l _n = MIN) is, and the object C _a (This object may be referred to as “recent object C _a ”). This process is a process for securing one target in PCS control. Next, in S26, the detection objects C _n (F _ACC = 1) recognized as the preceding vehicle are selected in order from the smallest distance l _n , and the selected detection objects are sequentially selected from the object C _b . C _n is specified up to the upper limit number. When the latest object C _a is a preceding vehicle, the distance l _n is selected and specified in order from the second smallest one. This process is a process for securing a target for ACC control. On the other hand, in the ACC non-execution mode specific process, in S27, regardless of whether the object is a moving object or a stationary object, the distance l _n to the host vehicle C ₀ is selected in order from the closest, and the object C _{a is} selected in that order. The detection object C _n is specified up to the upper limit number. All of the objects C _m specified by this processing are objects in the PCS control.

In the situation of FIG. 2, how the object C _m is actually specified will be described. In FIG. 2, vehicles from C _{1 to} C ₇ are present as front objects. The distance l _n from the host vehicle C ₀ is the smallest at C ₁ and increases toward C ₇ . C ₁ , C ₃ , C ₅ are oncoming vehicles across the center line, C ₄ , C ₆ , C ₇ are preceding vehicles preceding the own vehicle C ₀ , and C ₂ is on the shoulder. It is a stopped vehicle that has stopped. In the ACC execution mode specifying process, as shown in FIG. _7A , C ₁ is specified as the nearest object C _a , and C ₄ , C ₆ , and C ₇ are respectively set as C _b , C _c , and C _d. Specified. On the other hand, in the ACC non-execution mode specifying process, C ₁ , C ₂ , C ₃ , and C ₄ are specified as C _a , C _b , C _c , and C _d , respectively, as shown in FIG. The Thus, the target entity C _m by whether the ACC is executed, will be different. Note that the asterisks in FIG. 7 indicate objects in the PCS control. From the PCS control side, the specifying process includes a first condition in which at least one target entity is specified, and a second condition in which specification of a plurality of target entities is allowed. It can be said that this is a process in which the specific condition is changed.

In the situation of FIG. 2, the front entity is only the vehicle, but even a front entity other than the vehicle can be the detection object C _n and the target object C _m . Although the maximum number of total objects C _m output is constant irrespective of the presence or absence of the ACC, it is also possible to aspects such as the maximum number of the whole is changed. _If the number of detection objects C _n is small and does not reach the upper limit of the object C _m , for example, it is assumed that there is a front object having an infinite distance l _n, and the number of objects is not less than that. As C _m , a process for identifying the assumed forward existence may be performed. The object data of the object C _m identified as described above is transmitted to the collision handling ECU 10 in S28.

iii) Control of Actuator The ACC control and PCS control itself are well-known controls, and the control of the actuator described below is an example. Also in this system, the operation of the actuator may be performed according to known control. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of an actuator control routine for executing control of the actuator under the collision handling control. Will be described along the control of the actuating device in the flowchart, first, in S31, the object data of the object C _m which are transmitted from the radar ECU18 has already received, i.e., the object parameters (l _m, θ _m, v _m ) and the preceding vehicle determination flag FC _m are read. Next, in S32, it is determined from the value of the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC whether the current control mode is the ACC execution mode or the ACC non-execution mode. The subsequent processing differs depending on which mode is selected.

If it is ACC execution mode, in S33, recent collision time TP _a to the object C _a is calculated. The collision time TP is a time until the host vehicle collides with a front entity, and is a value (l / v) obtained by dividing the distance l to the front entity by the relative speed v with the front entity. The collision time TP is a time that serves as a guide for starting the operation of the operating device under PCS control. In subsequent S34, it is determined whether or not the calculated collision time TP _{a of} the nearest object C _a is equal to or less than the PCS operation start time TP ₀ set as a threshold value (assuming a positive value). ). In the ACC execution mode, only the closest object is the object of PCS control, and it is determined whether or not there is a high possibility of a collision with one object.

If ACC is non-execution mode, in S35, for all of the object C _m, the calculated collision time TP _m to each of them, in the subsequent S36, the collision time of each object C _m calculated TP _m Is less than or equal to the PCS operation start time TP ₀ . The ACC non-execution mode, unlike the ACC execution mode, all objects C _m from the radar device 14 output an object data are subject to PCS control, for all those objects C _m, they It is determined whether or not there is a high possibility of a collision.

If it is determined in S34 that the possibility of collision with the object C _a is recently high, or if it is determined in S36 that collision with any of the objects C _m is high, in S37, under the ACC control In addition to prohibiting the control of the operating device in the above, a process for permitting the control of the operating device under PCS control is performed. In this system, the operation of the actuator is performed under either one of the controls, and the process of S37 is a process for realizing it.

Subsequently, in S38, the control of the operation device, that is, the brake device preparation control, the operation control of the seat belt device, and the like are performed under the PCS control. The brake device preparation control is control for preparing for the brake operation in anticipation of the driver performing the brake operation immediately before the collision. Specifically, a signal for starting a PCS control operation is sent from the collision handling ECU 10 to the brake ECU 42, and the brake ECU 42 starts operation of a hydraulic pump that is a kind of the brake ACT 44. The seat belt device includes, as the seat belt ACT 52, a winding device (pretensioner) that applies tension to the seatbelt, and this pretensioner is operated. Specifically, a pretensioner operation command is issued from the collision handling ECU 10 to the seat belt ECU 50. The seat belt ECU 50 operates the pretensioner in response to the command. In addition, a brake lamp, which is a kind of operating device, is turned on to prevent rear-end collision of a vehicle. Incidentally, S34 in, S36, by performing also the determination based on between different threshold time is shorter than the PCS operation starting time TP _0, it may be determined a collision possibility in two stages. When it is determined that the probability of collision is higher, it is possible to perform operations such as starting the airbag device, performing an avoidance operation by the steering device, and applying an emergency brake by the brake device.

If it is determined in S34 that the possibility of collision with the object C _a is not so high recently, or if it is determined in S36 that the possibility of collision with any object C _m is not so high. In S39, a process for prohibiting the control of the operating device under the PCS control and allowing the control of the operating device under the ACC control is performed. The process of S39 is a process having the opposite meaning to the process of S37 described above.

In subsequent S40, it is determined whether a condition for controlling the actuator under the ACC control is satisfied. One of the conditions is that the ACC execution determination flag F _ACC described above is 1, that is, the ACC execution lower limit in which the ACC switch 62 is ON and the own vehicle speed v ₀ is set. The speed is greater than _{v0 · ACC} . In addition to this condition, the condition here is that the brake pedal is not operated and the accelerator pedal is not operated. When all these conditions are met, the actuator can be controlled under ACC control. If any of the conditions is not satisfied, this routine ends.

If control of the actuating device in the ACC under is possible, in S41, from the object C _m which is recognized as the preceding vehicle follow-up target vehicle which the vehicle is the following target is specified. Specifically, based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 66 and the host vehicle speed v ₀ (may be based on the yaw rate by the yaw rate sensor 22), the planned travel line of the host vehicle is estimated, and the travel Based on the planned line, a planned traveling lane having a predetermined width around the planned line is estimated. Each of the distances l _m of certified between the preceding vehicle object C _m, based on the orientation theta _m, their respective whether present in the planned travel within the lane is determined, present in the intended travel in lane The target object C _m having the shortest distance l _m is identified as the tracking target vehicle among the target objects C _{m to} be operated. In the situation of FIG. 2, C ₄ , C ₆ , and C ₇ are recognized as preceding vehicles, and it is determined that C ₄ and C ₇ exist in the planned lane, and C _{4 that} is close to the host vehicle C ₀ follows. It is specified as the target vehicle.

Subsequently, in S42, inter-vehicle time TA the following target vehicle and the host vehicle C ₀ is calculated. The inter-vehicle time TA is the time until the host vehicle C ₀ reaches the current position of the vehicle to be tracked at the present time, and is a value (l / v ₀ ) obtained by dividing the distance l by the host vehicle speed v ₀ . In the ACC control, the possibility of a collision with the tracking target vehicle is determined based on the inter-vehicle time TA. In the next S43, the determination is made. Specifically, the calculated inter-vehicle time TA may be set as a fixed threshold time TA ₀ (for example, 2 sec, 1.8 sec, 2.0 sec, 2.4 sec, etc. It may be set as a variable value) or not.

If it is determined that the inter-vehicle time TA with the vehicle to be followed is greater than the threshold time TA ₀ , the actuator is controlled under ACC constant speed control in S44. Specifically, the host vehicle speed v ₀ is controlled so as to maintain the vehicle speed set by the driver in a predetermined range (for example, 40 to 100 km / h). Specifically, the collision handling ECU 10 calculates a target acceleration / deceleration that is an acceleration / deceleration required for the host vehicle C ₀ based on the deviation between the set vehicle speed and the host vehicle speed v _0, and uses this target acceleration / deceleration as the engine ECU 32. Send to. The engine ECU 32 operates the electronic throttle ACT 34 in accordance with the target acceleration / deceleration to adjust the output of the engine device.

If it is determined in S43 that the inter-vehicle time TA with the vehicle to be followed is equal to or less than the threshold time TA _0, it is recognized that there is a possibility of collision with the vehicle to be followed, and in S45, the operation is performed under the ACC deceleration control. The device is controlled. Specifically, based on the relative velocity v of the deviation and the following vehicle and the subject vehicle C ₀ and the inter-vehicle time TA and the threshold time TA _0, deceleration of the vehicle C ₀ is performed. Specifically, first, the collision handling ECU 10 calculates the target deceleration G ^* required for the host vehicle C ₀ based on the deviation and the relative speed v. The calculated target deceleration G ^* is sent to the engine ECU 32, the transmission ECU 36, and the brake ECU 42. Each of the ECUs 32, 36, and 42 operates the electronic throttle ACT 34, the transmission ACT 38, and the brake ACT 44 in accordance with the target deceleration G ^* , so that each operating device controls the control in accordance with the target deceleration G ^*. the power is giving the vehicle C _0. More specifically, when the target deceleration G ^* is within a certain range, only the output of the engine device is limited, and when the target deceleration G ^* is large beyond that range, the transmission device is further shifted down. Alternatively, when the shift change is restricted and the target deceleration G ^* is larger, braking by the brake device is performed. In this way, the operating device is operated stepwise in accordance with the target deceleration G ^* .

The above is the specific processing of collision response control and target entity identification by this system. In this system, the control target is changed based on whether or not ACC control is executed. Generally speaking, in the ACC control execution mode, one object is a PCS control object, and in the ACC control non-execution mode, all objects specified in the radar device 14 are PCS control objects. . Therefore, when the ACC control is not executed, the target of the PCS control is expanded, and the immediately before collision is effectively performed. For example, in the situation of FIG. 2, since C ₂ , C ₃ , and C ₄ are also subject to PCS control in the ACC control non-execution mode, C ₃ is traveling at high speed and the collision time TP of C ₃ is Even if it is shorter than C _{1 and} the possibility of a collision is the highest, it is possible to effectively cope with a collision with C ₃ immediately before the collision.

<Functional configuration of this system>
In view of the processing executed according to the collision response control program and the radar detection processing program, the functional configuration of this system can be expressed as shown in the block diagram of FIG. The functional configuration of this system will be described with reference to this figure as follows. The collision handling ECU 10 functioning as a collision handling control device executes a process by the specific condition changing routine to change a specific condition of the target object, and executes a process by the operating device control routine. And an operating device control unit 84 for controlling the operating device 82 such as a brake device and a seat belt device. The actuator control unit 84 mainly executes the processes of S33 to S38 and controls the actuator 82 under PCS control, and mainly executes the processes of S40 to S45 and performs the ACC. And an ACC control unit 88 that controls the actuator 82 under the control. Further, the radar ECU 18 included in the radar device 14 executes processing by the target object specifying routine, and specifies the target object to be controlled from the detected objects according to the specific condition changed by the specific condition changing unit 80. The target entity specifying unit 90 is included.

1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a collision-response vehicle control system that is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the situation for concretely explaining the collision response control which this system performs, Comprising: On the road of 2 lanes, the several vehicle as a front thing exists ahead of the own vehicle. It shows a state. 3 is a simple flowchart of a collision handling control program and a radar detection processing program executed in the collision handling vehicle control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the specific condition change process routine which comprises a collision response control program. It is a flowchart which shows the target object specific routine which comprises a radar detection processing program. 3 is a table schematically showing detected object data acquired by a radar apparatus and output object data. FIG. 3 is a table schematically showing target object data of target objects specified in the situation of FIG. 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the actuator control routine which comprises a collision response control program. It is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the collision corresponding vehicle control system which is embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10: Collision-response ECU (collision-response control device) 14: Radar device (front entity detection device) 16: Radar 18: Radar ECU 62: ACC switch 64: Wheel speed sensor 80: Specific condition changing unit 82: Actuator 84: Actuator control unit 86: PCS control unit 88: ACC control unit 90: Target entity specifying unit

Claims (6)

A front entity detection device capable of detecting a plurality of front entities existing in front of the host vehicle;
An operating device such as a vehicle speed reducing device for decelerating the host vehicle, an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant in the event of a collision,
A collision response vehicle control system comprising: a collision response control device that executes a collision response control that is a control of the actuator based on the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a front entity,
A collision target vehicle control system for identifying one or more target entities, which are target front objects in control, from among the front entities detected by the front entity detection device; A specific condition changing unit that changes a specific condition that is a condition for specifying in the target entity specifying unit, and the collision response control device is configured to detect the possibility of a collision between the one or more target entities and the host vehicle. The collision response vehicle control system is characterized by executing a collision response control based on the above.   The collision specific vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the specific condition changing unit is configured to change the specific condition so that an upper limit number of target objects to be specified is changed.   The collision-compatible vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the specific condition changing unit changes the specific condition based on a set change condition.   The collision handling control device includes a first control as the collision handling control, and a second control that is executed under a set execution condition that is a collision handling control having a different purpose from the first control. The specific condition changing unit is configured to execute the specific condition of the target object in the first control based on whether or not the second control is executed as the change condition. The collision-response vehicle control system according to claim 3, which is to be changed.   Immediately before a collision in which the collision response control device operates the occupant protection device prior to the collision, brakes for avoiding the collision, etc., when it is predicted that a collision with a forward entity can occur in a relatively short time The preceding vehicle follow-up control for executing control as one of the first control and the second control and following the preceding vehicle while preventing a collision with the preceding vehicle is performed. The collision-response vehicle control system according to claim 4, which is executed as the other of the control. The specific condition changing unit is configured to specify the upper limit number of the total of the target entities specified when the second control is executed, and the target in the first control specified when the second control is not executed. 6. The collision handling control system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the specific condition is changed on the assumption that the upper limit number of existing objects is the same number.

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