JP2005138816A - Control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control device for a vehicle capable of issuing an alarm concerning a road gradient instantly and suppressing generation of a brake fading or a vapor lock. <P>SOLUTION: The control device for the vehicle includes an ECU 8 which calculates previously the gradients of the roads connected with each intersection lying on the running route for the vehicle when such is set, issues an alarm sound from a speaker 10 in case the gradient of the outgoing road is a down-slope having a greater gradient than the specified, and gives warning about the size of the gradient of the outgoing road, the brake fading, vapor lock, etc. When the road on which the vehicle runs is a down-slope continued for a certain distance or more, the braking force of the vehicle by the foot brake is lessened, and also the gear position in the transmission is set to Low, or a generator is left making a regenerative operation, and thereby the braking force of the vehicle is enhanced, and generation of the brake fading or vapor lock is suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular control device that performs warning regarding a road gradient and brake operation control.

  Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that warns a user of a brake fade when there is a downhill on a travel guidance route for guiding a vehicle to a destination.

In this conventional apparatus, for example, the altitude at the current position of the vehicle and the altitude at a point on the travel guide route that is 2000 m away from the current position of the vehicle in the horizontal direction are detected, and the difference between these two altitudes is used as the amount of downward gradient. calculate. When the calculated amount of descending slope is 200 m or more, the conventional device sounds a warning sound and outputs a warning message such as “Be careful about the brake fade ahead” to give a warning about the fade of the brake.
JP 11-91550 A

  In the conventional apparatus, the down-gradient amount of the travel guidance route is calculated based on the current position of the vehicle, and a warning about the fade of the brake is given.

  However, the conventional apparatus is based on the premise that the vehicle travels along the travel guide route, and does not take into account the case where the vehicle deviates from the travel guide route. For this reason, when the vehicle deviates from the set travel guidance route, the downward gradient amount is recalculated at that time, so it takes some time before warning regarding brake fading and vapor lock. Even when the above-described warning is performed, if the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a long downhill, there is a high possibility that a brake fade or vapor lock will occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control device capable of promptly warning a road gradient and suppressing the occurrence of brake fade and vapor lock. To do.

  To achieve the above object, the vehicle control device according to claim 1 acquires detection information for detecting a current position and a traveling direction of the vehicle, and map information including at least road information and road gradient information. Means, a detection result of the detection means, and a calculation means for calculating a road gradient of each road connected to the intersection from the map information acquired by the acquisition means, specifying the intersection where the vehicle enters next, When the vehicle enters the intersection and then exits from the intersection, the vehicle is provided with warning means for obtaining a road gradient of the road from which the vehicle leaves from the calculation means and for warning if this is larger than a predetermined road gradient. It is characterized by.

  The aforementioned calculation means calculates the road gradient of each road connected to the next intersection where the vehicle enters regardless of whether the road corresponds to the travel route. The warning means obtains the road gradient of the exit road from the calculation means when the vehicle exits from the above-mentioned intersection, regardless of whether the exit road corresponds to the travel route, which is a predetermined road gradient. Warn if larger. Therefore, in this vehicle control device, even when the vehicle deviates from the travel route and enters another road, it is possible to immediately give a warning.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided setting means for setting the travel route of the vehicle, and when the travel route is set by the setting means, the calculation means is configured to connect each road connected to each intersection on the travel route. It is desirable to calculate the road gradient in advance. As a result, even when the vehicle is traveling at high speed on the travel route or when multiple intersections on the travel route are close to each other, the calculation of the road gradient is not completed when the vehicle leaves the intersection. The situation can be prevented from occurring, and the warning means can give a warning immediately and reliably.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that the warning unit issues a warning when the road gradient acquired from the calculation unit is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient. This is because when the road gradient of the exit road is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient, the vehicle is more likely to accelerate than an uphill having the same road gradient, and it is necessary to alert the user.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, it is desirable that the warning means issues a warning regarding brake fade and vapor lock. This is because warnings regarding brake fade and vapor lock are important for the user to drive the vehicle.

  As described in claim 5, it is desirable that the warning means also warns the magnitude of the road gradient of each road. This is because the magnitude of the road gradient of the exit road correlates with the number of times the user depresses the brake of the vehicle and the time of depressing the brake, which are related to the occurrence of brake fade and vapor lock.

  The vehicle control device according to claim 6, detection means for detecting the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, acquisition means for acquiring map information including at least road information and road gradient information, and detection results of the detection means When the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more from the map information acquired by the acquisition means, the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is reduced and the braking by other brakes mounted on the vehicle is controlled. A control means for improving power is provided.

  Thus, in the vehicle control device of the present invention, the control means reduces the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle and is mounted on the vehicle when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more. Improve the braking force by other brakes. Thus, in the vehicle control device, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, in other words, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a long downhill, The braking force can be reduced and the occurrence of fade and vapor lock can be suppressed.

  As described in claim 7, it is desirable that the control means increase the gear ratio in the transmission of the vehicle as an improvement of the braking force by another brake mounted on the vehicle. By increasing the gear ratio in the transmission of the vehicle, even if the engine brake acts on the vehicle and the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is reduced, the traveling speed of the vehicle can be sufficiently reduced.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is provided with conversion means for converting the traveling speed of the vehicle into electric energy, and the control means converts the conversion speed into the conversion means as an improvement in braking force by another brake mounted on the vehicle. It is desirable to get the action done. By converting the traveling speed of the vehicle into electric energy by the conversion means, the traveling speed of the vehicle can be sufficiently reduced even if the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is decreased.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The vehicle control device of this embodiment calculates in advance the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the travel route of the vehicle. When the vehicle leaves the intersection, a warning is issued if the calculated road gradient of the exit road is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined gradient angle.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control device is incorporated in the car navigation device 1 and operates.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the position detector 2 includes a geomagnetic sensor 21, a gyroscope 22, a distance sensor 23, and a GPS receiver 24.

  The geomagnetic sensor 21 has a configuration in which an exciting winding for exciting the annular ferromagnetic material such as permalloy, for example, and two orthogonal detection windings for direction detection are wound. And the voltage which generate | occur | produces in two detection windings by applying an alternating voltage to an excitation winding is measured, and the advancing direction of a vehicle is detected as an absolute direction based on this. The gyroscope 22 includes, for example, a crystal resonator, and detects the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle from vibration based on Coriolis force generated when the resonator is vibrated. Then, a change in the traveling direction of the vehicle, that is, the traveling direction is calculated as a relative direction from the rotational angular velocity.

  The distance sensor 23 detects the moving distance of the vehicle based on, for example, rotation signals of wheels and axles (not shown) mounted on the vehicle. The GPS receiver 24 receives a GPS signal for position measurement transmitted from a GPS satellite (not shown), which is an artificial satellite, and detects the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the point where the vehicle is currently traveling.

  The position detector 2 detects the current position of the vehicle with high accuracy by interpolating the detection results of the four devices described above. Depending on the required detection accuracy, any one of the four devices described above may be selectively used. Further, the detection of the current position of the vehicle may be performed based on detection signals from other sensors such as a steering sensor.

  The display 3 is, for example, an in-vehicle liquid crystal display, and the display area is divided into two vertically. Among the two divided display areas, various navigation displays are performed in the display area on the upper side of the screen, and various messages are displayed in the display area on the lower side of the screen.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the display 3 displays a road gradient size on the exit road and a warning message prompting attention to brake fading and vapor lock when the vehicle exits the intersection. (Refer to FIG. 2).

  It should be noted that a vehicle-mounted head-up display or the like may be used for various navigation displays and warning message displays.

  The map data input device 4 has, for example, a CD-ROM as a storage medium, and stores map information including road information, building information, address information of each area, zip code information, and the like as map data. The map data input device 4 stores map image data for displaying a map image on the display 3.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the map data input device 4 stores altitude data indicating the altitude at each point in order to calculate the road gradient of each road. Note that the map data, map image data, and altitude data described above may be stored in a hard disk, a DVD-ROM, or the like. In addition, when the map image includes node data that is data regarding points where roads intersect, merge, and branch, and link data that is data indicating roads between the points, the gradient of each road is included in the link data. It may be included.

  The operation switch 5 is composed of a plurality of mechanical switches and instructs the start and end of various navigation operations. These instructions may be performed by a touch switch including a touch panel that displays an operation key on the display 3 and detects that the operation key is pressed.

  The remote controller 6 is a multi-function remote controller provided with various function keys, for example, and instructs the start and end of various navigation operations via the remote control sensor 7. These instructions may be given by the operation switch 5 described above.

  The ECU 8 is a navigation ECU, and executes various navigation operations in accordance with instructions from the operation switch 5 and the remote controller 6. Specifically, the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the position detector 2 are acquired, the map image data around the position is read from the map data input device 4, and the map image on which the mark indicating the vehicle is superimposed Is displayed on the display 3. Further, the travel route to the destination input by the user from the operation switch 5 or the remote control 6 is set, and the vehicle is guided according to the travel route.

  Particularly in the present embodiment, when the travel route to the destination is set, the ECU 8 stores the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the travel route in the map data input device 4. Calculated from elevation data. Specifically, a three-dimensional curved surface is created from the elevation data at each point on each road, and the average value of the angles formed by the horizontal plane is calculated. At that time, the road gradient of each road is calculated up to the point where the downhill and the uphill continue until the road is connected to the next intersection. Therefore, for example, when the intersection from the intersection to which the road is connected has a V-shaped valley shape or an inverted V-shaped mountain shape, the above-mentioned intersection to the bottom of the valley The section to the summit is the calculation target when calculating the road gradient. The calculated road gradient of each road is collected for each intersection and stored in the memory 9.

  When the vehicle starts traveling, the ECU 8 next time the vehicle passes the intersection based on the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the position detector 2 and the map data acquired from the map data input device 4. Identify the intersection to enter. Then, when the vehicle enters the intersection and then exits from the intersection, the road gradient of the exit road is read from the memory 9, and it is checked whether this is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient. If the slope is larger than a predetermined road gradient, a warning message for prompting attention to brake fade and vapor lock is displayed on the display 3 together with the magnitude of the road gradient of the exit road (see FIG. 2). ). At that time, a warning sound is also output from the speaker 10.

  The memory 9 is, for example, a DRAM, and is used as a temporary data storage area when the ECU 8 performs various navigation operations. In particular, in the present embodiment, the memory 9 stores the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the travel route calculated by the ECU 8.

  Note that these data may be stored in a memory card or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the vehicle control device of the present embodiment calculates the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the travel route. The process of this flowchart is executed every time the user sets a travel route.

  In step 301, the ECU 8 searches for all intersections on the set travel route. In step 302, one of the searched intersections is selected. In step 303, the altitude data stored in the map data input device 4 is read out, and the road gradient of each road connected to the intersection selected in step 302 is calculated and stored in the memory 9.

  In step 304, it is determined whether or not all intersections on the travel route have been selected. If all intersections have been selected, the process ends. If there is an intersection that has not been selected, the process returns to step 302 and the above-described processing is repeated.

  As a result, even when the vehicle is traveling at high speed or when multiple intersections on the travel route are close to each other, the calculation of the road gradient of the exit road is not completed when the vehicle exits from the intersection. Such a situation does not occur, and the warning can be performed reliably.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart relating to processing in which the vehicle control device of the present embodiment issues a warning to the user. The process of this flowchart is executed every time the vehicle leaves each intersection.

  In step 401, the ECU 8 reads the road gradient of the exit road from the memory 9. In step 402, it is determined from the road gradient read in step 401 whether or not the exit road is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient. If it is determined that the exit road is a downhill greater than a predetermined road gradient, the process proceeds to step 403. If not, the process ends.

  In step 403, a warning sound is output from the speaker 10. In step 404, the magnitude of the road gradient of the exit road and a warning message regarding brake fade and vapor lock are displayed at the bottom of the screen of the display 3 and the process is terminated. If the exit road is a downhill that is larger than the predetermined road slope, it is necessary to notify the user of the magnitude of the road slope, and warn the user about the brake fade and vapor lock. Because there is.

  As described above, when the vehicle travel route is set, the vehicle control device according to the present embodiment calculates in advance the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the travel route, and stores it in the memory 9. Remember. When the vehicle exits from the intersection, the road gradient of the exit road is read from the memory 9, and if this is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined slope angle, a warning sound is output from the speaker 10 and the exit road Are displayed on the lower side of the screen of the display 3 and the warning regarding the fade of the brake and the vapor lock. As a result, even when the vehicle deviates from the travel route and enters another road, a warning can be given immediately.

  Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.

  In the vehicle control device of this modification, the road gradient of each road connected to the next intersection where the vehicle enters next is calculated in advance, and when the vehicle enters the road connected to the intersection, Make warnings quickly. The points described above are different from the above-described embodiment.

  In addition to the functions in the above-described embodiment, the ECU 8 of this modification has a function of calculating the road gradient of each road connected to the intersection where the vehicle enters next while the vehicle is traveling. Specifically, the ECU 8 specifies an intersection at which the vehicle enters next from the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the position detector 2 and the map data read from the map data input device 4 while the vehicle is traveling. The road gradient of each road connected to the intersection is calculated in real time and stored in the memory 9.

  Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of calculating the road gradient of each road connected to the next intersection where the vehicle enters in the vehicle control apparatus of the present modification. The processing of this flowchart is executed after the vehicle deviates from the travel route and enters another road or when the travel route is not set from the beginning. In other words, when the travel route of the vehicle is set and the vehicle is traveling on the travel route, the process of this flowchart is not executed, and the road gradient calculated by the flowchart of FIG. 3 is used. A warning will be issued.

  In addition, the process of this flowchart is performed whenever a vehicle passes each intersection.

  In step 501, the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the position detector 2 are acquired. In step 502, map data around the current position of the vehicle acquired in step 501 is read from the map data input device 4.

  In step 503, the intersection where the vehicle enters next is specified from the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle acquired in step 501 and the map data read from the map data input device 4 in step 502.

  In step 504, each road connected to the intersection specified in step 503 is searched from the map data read in step 502. Then, the road gradient on each road described above is calculated based on the altitude data stored in the map data input device 4 and stored in the memory 9.

  As described above, in the vehicle control device according to the present modified example, any vehicle connected to the intersection is calculated by calculating in advance the road gradient of each road connected to the intersection where the vehicle enters next while the vehicle is traveling. When the vehicle is about to leave the road, a warning can be promptly given about the road gradient of the road.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The vehicle control device of the present embodiment reduces the braking force by the foot brake and improves the braking force by the engine brake and the regenerative brake when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more. It is.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the car navigation device 11 detects the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle, and displays a map image around the current position of the vehicle on a display (not shown) together with a mark indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle. . In addition, a guidance operation for guiding the vehicle according to the travel route to the destination is also performed.

  Furthermore, the car navigation apparatus 11 stores the road gradient on each road in the city as gradient data, and the road on which the vehicle is traveling is determined based on the data and the detected current position and traveling direction of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not it is a downhill that continues for more than a distance. When it is determined that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the car navigation device 11 outputs a start signal. Thereafter, when it is determined that the road has become flat or uphill, the car navigation apparatus 11 outputs an end signal.

  The car navigation apparatus 11 has a flag (not shown) inside. This flag is set to 1 when it is determined that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, and it is determined that the above-mentioned road has become flat or uphill This flag is reset to 0.

  The road gradient on the road on which the vehicle is traveling may be calculated using altitude data as in the first embodiment described above.

  The foot brake pedal 12 includes a potential meter, for example, and outputs a depression signal indicating the degree of depression when the driver steps on the pedal. The degree of depression of the foot brake pedal 12 may be output after being converted into digital data using an A / D converter or the like.

  The braking device 13 reduces the traveling speed of the vehicle by pressing a brake shoe (not shown) against a lining (friction material) provided on a drum (not shown) that rotates with the wheel. The method for reducing the traveling speed of the vehicle is not limited to this. For example, the traveling speed of the vehicle may be decreased by pressing a brake shoe against a disk (not shown) that rotates with the axle.

  The AT control unit 14 is a unit that changes the gear position in the transmission 15 of the vehicle to automatic (AT) according to the traveling speed of the vehicle calculated by a speed calculator (not shown). Specifically, the AT control unit 14 sets the gear position of the transmission 15 to low when the traveling speed of the vehicle is zero, that is, when the vehicle starts traveling. As the vehicle travel speed increases, the gear position of the transmission 15 is automatically changed to second, third, and top sequentially.

  The regeneration control unit 16 monitors the traveling speed of the vehicle calculated by the speed calculator, causes the generator 17 to perform a regeneration operation when the traveling speed of the vehicle starts to decrease, and uses the surplus driving force of the vehicle for illustration. Do not generate power stored in the battery.

  The brake ECU 18 is configured by a known computer, and when the depression signal is output from the foot brake pedal 12, the brake ECU 18 instructs the braking device 13 to press the brake shoe against the lining with a force corresponding to the depression degree indicated by the signal. To do.

  Furthermore, when the start signal is output from the car navigation device 11, the brake ECU 18 indicates the degree of depression indicated by the depression signal output from the foot brake pedal 12 until the end signal is output from the device. Decrease by a predetermined amount and instruct the braking device 13 to press the brake shoe against the lining with a force corresponding to the degree of depression (that is, reduce the braking force of the vehicle by the foot brake pedal 12). At that time, the AT control unit 14 is instructed to set the gear position of the transmission 15 to low regardless of the traveling speed of the vehicle (decrease the gear ratio), and the regeneration control unit 16 is also instructed. The generator 17 is instructed to perform a regenerative operation regardless of the traveling speed of the vehicle (that is, the braking force of the vehicle by engine braking or regenerative braking is improved). Note that the gear position of the transmission 15 may be set to the second regardless of the traveling speed of the vehicle.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart relating to processing in which the vehicle control device of the present embodiment makes a determination regarding the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The process of this flowchart is executed at predetermined time intervals by the car navigation device 11.

  In step 701, the car navigation apparatus 11 detects the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle. In step 702, the road on which the vehicle is traveling is specified from the current position and the traveling direction of the vehicle detected in step 701.

  In step 703, the flag value is referenced. When the value of the flag is 1, that is, when the vehicle is traveling on a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the process proceeds to step 704. If the flag value is reset to 0, the process proceeds to step 707.

  In step 704, it is determined from the road gradient data specified in step 702 whether the road has become flat or uphill. If it is determined that the road is flat or uphill, the process proceeds to step 705. If not, the process ends. In step 705, an end signal is output to the brake ECU 18. In step 706, the flag is reset to 0, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, in step 707, it is determined from the road gradient data specified in step 702 whether or not the road is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more. If it is determined that the road is a downhill continuing for a predetermined distance or more, the process proceeds to step 708. If not, the process ends. In step 708, a start signal is output to the brake ECU 18. In step 709, the flag is set to 1 and the process ends.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart relating to processing in which the vehicle control device of the present embodiment decreases the traveling speed of the vehicle. The processing of this flowchart is executed every predetermined time.

  In step 801, the brake ECU 18 determines whether or not a start signal is output from the car navigation device 11. If a start signal is output, the process proceeds to step 802. If no start signal is output, the process proceeds to step 805.

  In step 802, the brake device 13 is instructed to press the brake shoe against the lining with a force corresponding to the degree of depression reduced by a predetermined amount from the degree of depression indicated by the depression signal output from the foot brake pedal 12.

  In step 803, the AT control unit 14 is instructed to set the gear position of the transmission 15 to low regardless of the traveling speed of the vehicle. By setting the gear position of the transmission 15 to low, that is, by increasing the gear ratio in the transmission 15, even if the engine brake works on the vehicle and the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is reduced, the traveling speed of the vehicle is reduced. It can be reduced sufficiently.

  In step 804, the regeneration control unit 16 is instructed to cause the generator 17 to perform a regeneration operation regardless of the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the process is terminated. Even if the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is reduced by causing the generator 17 to perform a regenerative operation and converting the excessive driving force of the vehicle into electric energy, the traveling speed of the vehicle can be sufficiently reduced. It can be done.

  On the other hand, in step 805, it is determined whether or not an end signal is output from the car navigation device 11. If the end signal is output, the process proceeds to step 806. If the end signal is not output, the process proceeds to step 806.

  In step 806, the brake device 13 is instructed to press the brake shoe against the lining with a force corresponding to the degree of depression indicated by the depression signal output from the foot brake pedal 12. In step 807, the AT control unit 14 is instructed to set the gear position of the transmission 15 according to the traveling speed of the vehicle. In step 808, the regeneration control unit 16 is instructed to cause the generator 17 to perform a regeneration operation in accordance with the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the process ends.

  Thus, in the vehicle control device of the present embodiment, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the braking force of the vehicle by the foot brake is reduced with respect to the braking device 13. The braking force of the vehicle is improved by setting the gear position of the transmission 15 to low or by causing the generator 17 to perform a regenerative operation. Thereby, in this vehicle control device, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, in other words, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a long downhill, It is possible to reduce the braking force of the vehicle and suppress the occurrence of brake fade and vapor lock.

  In the first embodiment and the modification described above, map data, map image data, and altitude data are all stored in the map data input device 4. Further, in the second embodiment, the gradient data is stored in the car navigation device 11. However, these data may be acquired via the Internet or the like only when necessary. Accordingly, it is only necessary to prepare a communication device for downloading the above-described data in the map data input device 4 and the car navigation device 11, which is preferable from the viewpoint of design and cost.

  In the first embodiment and the modification described above, a warning is issued when the road gradient of the exit road is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient. Further, in the second embodiment, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the braking force of the vehicle by the foot brake is reduced, and the braking force of the vehicle by the engine brake or the regenerative brake is reduced. Improved. However, even when the aforementioned exit road is an uphill that is larger than a predetermined road slope, or when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an uphill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the above-described operations may be performed. Good. Thereby, the user can drive the vehicle while paying attention to both the downhill and the uphill.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle control apparatus of this embodiment, it is an example of a display image displayed on a display when a vehicle enters or leaves an intersection. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the vehicle control apparatus of this embodiment calculates the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on a travel route. It is a flowchart regarding the process which the control apparatus for vehicles of this embodiment alerts a user. It is a flowchart which shows the process which calculates the road gradient of each road connected to the intersection which a vehicle approachs next in the vehicle control apparatus of this modification. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the control apparatus for vehicles in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart regarding the process which the control apparatus for vehicles of this embodiment performs the judgment regarding the gradient of the road where the vehicle is drive | working. It is a flowchart regarding the process in which the control apparatus for vehicles of this embodiment reduces the traveling speed of a vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car navigation apparatus 2 ... Position detector 21 ... Geomagnetic sensor 22 ... Gyroscope 23 ... Distance sensor 24 ... GPS receiver 3 ... Display 4 ... Map data input device 5 ... Operation switch 6 ... Remote control 7 ... Remote control sensor 8 ... ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Memory 10 ... Speaker 11 ... Car navigation device 12 ... Foot brake pedal 13 ... Braking device 14 ... AT control unit 15 ... Transmission 16 ... Regenerative control unit 17 ... Generator 18 ... Brake ECU

Claims (8)

Detecting means for detecting a current position and a traveling direction of the vehicle;
Acquisition means for acquiring at least map information including road information and road gradient information;
From the detection result of the detection means and the map information acquired by the acquisition means, a calculation means for specifying an intersection where the vehicle enters next and calculating a road gradient of each road connected to the intersection;
When the vehicle enters the intersection and then exits from the intersection, a warning means that obtains a road gradient of the road from which the vehicle exits from the calculation means and warns when this is greater than a predetermined road gradient And a vehicle control device. Setting means for setting a travel route of the vehicle;
The said calculating means, when a travel route is set by the said setting means, it calculates beforehand regarding the road gradient of each road connected to each intersection on the said travel route. Vehicle control device. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the warning means issues a warning when the road gradient acquired from the calculation means is a downhill that is larger than a predetermined road gradient. 4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the warning means issues a warning regarding brake fading and vapor lock. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the warning means also warns the magnitude of the road gradient of each road. Detecting means for detecting a current position and a traveling direction of the vehicle;
Acquisition means for acquiring at least map information including road information and road gradient information;
From the detection result of the detection means and the map information acquired by the acquisition means, when the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a downhill that continues for a predetermined distance or more, the braking force by the foot brake of the vehicle is reduced, and A vehicular control device comprising control means for improving braking force by another brake mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein the control means increases a gear ratio in a transmission of the vehicle as an improvement in braking force by another brake mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle is provided with conversion means for converting the traveling speed of the vehicle into electric energy,
The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control means causes the conversion means to perform a conversion operation as an improvement in braking force by another brake mounted on the vehicle.

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