JP2007140734A - Fuel consumption saving operation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel consumption saving operation system for surely and effectively obtaining fuel consumption operation effects by making a driver properly keep an inter-vehicle distance with a vehicle traveling ahead. <P>SOLUTION: This fuel consumption saving operation system is provided with an inter-vehicle distance detection means (2) for detecting an inter-vehicle distance with a vehicle traveling ahead; an accelerator opening detection means (4) for detecting an accelerator opening; a speed detection means (6); and a control means (10). When the acceleration opening signal is a predetermined value or more, and a relative speed with the vehicle traveling ahead is a predetermined value or more, and the inter-distance with the vehicle traveling ahead is a predetermined value or less, the control means (10) notifies a driver that it is necessary to keep the inter-vehicle distance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel-saving driving system and a control method, and more particularly, to a fuel-saving driving system and a control method thereof when following a preceding vehicle.

  Various techniques for giving driving advice to a driver and evaluating the driving method of the driver have been proposed for fuel-saving driving (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

In this technology (Non-Patent Document 1), advice and evaluation of fuel-saving driving are performed using only the signal of the own vehicle as a judgment material. Therefore, appropriate advice and evaluation have not always been made in the traffic flow, that is, in relation to other vehicles.
For example, if driving with sufficient distance between cars is performed in advance, even if the preceding vehicle decelerates by turning right or left, etc., it is not necessary for the own vehicle to operate the brakes, and the kinetic energy possessed by the vehicle is effectively utilized. However, in the technique such as Patent Document 1, no advice or evaluation is performed in such a case.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-10007

  The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and the fuel-saving driving effect is reliably and effectively achieved by keeping the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle appropriate for the driver. The purpose is to provide an obtained fuel-saving driving system and its control method.

The fuel-saving driving system of the present invention includes an inter-vehicle distance detecting means (2) for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle, an accelerator opening detecting means (4) for detecting an accelerator opening, and a vehicle speed detecting means (6). And a control means (10), wherein the control means (10) has an accelerator opening signal that is not less than a predetermined value, a relative speed with respect to the preceding vehicle is not less than a predetermined value, and a distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle. When the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the driver is informed that the inter-vehicle distance is to be secured (claim 1).
Here, the predetermined value of the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is a distance that does not approach the dangerous region if the accelerator is loosened even if the brake is not operated at a certain vehicle speed.

The predetermined value of the inter-vehicle distance is preferably a function of the vehicle speed (Claim 2).
In a vehicle in which the normal operation mode and the fuel saving operation mode can be selected, the inter-vehicle distance in the fuel saving operation mode is set larger than the inter-vehicle distance in the normal operation mode. It is preferable.

  In the control method of the fuel-saving driving system described above (the fuel-saving driving system according to claim 1), a step of reading an inter-vehicle distance signal with a preceding vehicle (S1), a step of reading an accelerator opening signal (S2), Including a step of reading a vehicle speed signal (S3), wherein the control means (10) has an accelerator opening that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a relative speed that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. In this case, the control is performed so that the driver is informed that the appropriate inter-vehicle distance is secured (S7).

  According to the fuel-saving driving system of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the inter-vehicle distance detection means (2), the accelerator opening detection means (4), the vehicle speed detection means (6), and the control means (10) The control means (10) has an accelerator opening signal equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a relative speed with respect to the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is equal to a predetermined value (a certain vehicle speed). In this case, if the accelerator is loosened without operating the brake, the driver will be informed that the distance between the vehicles will not be approached to the dangerous area. Therefore, the driver can concentrate on fuel-saving driving without being exposed to danger such as rear-end collision.

  In addition, for example, even when another vehicle is interrupted between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle, it is determined whether the relative speed with the preceding vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the preceding vehicle (interrupted When the vehicle speed of the vehicle) is higher than the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or when the accelerator is not stepped on, erroneous advice and evaluation can be avoided by excluding the advice and evaluation.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In FIG. 1, the fuel-saving driving system according to the first embodiment transfers the data recorded in the vehicle-side equipment U1, the management-side equipment U2, and the vehicle-side equipment U1 to the management-side equipment U2. And a memory card 7 as a transfer means.
Here, the management side refers to, for example, a vehicle management department of a transportation company that owns the vehicle 1.

  The equipment U1 on the vehicle side is a relative distance measuring device (for example, a laser radar) 2 that measures a relative distance from the preceding vehicle, an accelerator opening sensor 4 that is an accelerator opening measuring means, and a vehicle speed measuring means. A vehicle speed sensor 6 and a control unit 10 as control means are provided.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the control unit 10 includes an interface 11, an inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 12, a database 13, a comparison unit 14, a transmission determination unit 15, an advice transmission control unit 16, and an advice display unit. 17 and a speaker 18.

The interface 11 relays signals from various sensors (a signal from a laser radar, an accelerator opening signal, a vehicle speed signal) to the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit 12 and the comparison unit 14.
The database 13 stores a control map described below, a history of each data during traveling, the number of times that a display / alarm has been issued, and a target vehicle that has issued the display / alarm.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the control map stored in the database 13.
The control map (FIG. 3) is a map showing the relationship between the vehicle speed V and the inter-vehicle distance L to be ensured between the preceding vehicle. In the example shown in the figure, two modes, the fuel saving operation mode and the normal operation mode, can be selected. A solid line A is prepared as a map of the fuel saving operation mode, and a broken line B is prepared as a map of the normal operation mode. Has been.
If the vehicle speed is the same, the inter-vehicle distance in the fuel-saving operation mode is set longer than the inter-vehicle distance in the normal operation mode. This is because in the fuel-saving driving mode, it is necessary to provide a sufficient inter-vehicle distance in order to suppress the brake operation as much as possible and increase the fuel consumption as compared with the normal driving mode.
Although not shown in the figure, the map can be made variable according to the difference in vehicle mass (for example, the difference between an empty vehicle, a loaded vehicle, etc.).

  In FIG. 2 again, the comparison unit 14 compares the inter-vehicle distance calculated by the inter-vehicle distance calculation unit and information from each sensor with the threshold value and the control map stored in the database. Based on the comparison result, the transmission determination unit 15 displays advice on the distance between the vehicles, for example, “Let's take the distance between vehicles”, advice on the accelerator operation, for example, “Let's relax the accelerator”, or give a voice warning. Determine whether or not

The advice transmission control unit 16 transmits a control signal to the advice display unit 17 and the speaker 18 in order to issue the advice determined to be transmission by the transmission determination unit 16.
And the advice display part 17 and the speaker 18 display the advice content according to the control signal which the advice transmission control part 16 transmitted, or announce.

Here, in this system, in addition to the vehicle-side equipment U1, a management-side equipment U2 is also provided (see FIG. 1).
The management-side equipment U2 includes a management-side control unit (a road information management personal computer) 20 and a printer 22 as output means.
Various information stored in the control unit 10 on the vehicle side is input to the management-side equipment U2 via the memory card 7, and is organized, statistically analyzed, and analyzed as a daily or monthly result. Accumulated and used to create new control maps and provide advice to individual vehicle drivers.

  Note that the management-side control unit 20 is configured to be able to input various information possessed by the database 13 of the in-vehicle control unit 10 by wireless transmission / reception means (not shown).

Next, the control method of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
First, in step S1, the control unit 10 reads the inter-vehicle distance signal from the laser radar 2, in step S2, the accelerator opening signal from the accelerator opening sensor 4, and in step S3, the vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 6 is read. Read.

  In step S4, it is determined whether or not the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in step S4), the process proceeds to step S5. If the accelerator opening is not less than the predetermined value (NO in step S4), the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S5, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed difference from the preceding vehicle, that is, the relative speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If the relative speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in step S5), the process proceeds to step S6. If the relative speed is not less than the predetermined value (NO in step S5), the process proceeds to step S8.
Here, if the advice is simply based on the relationship between the vehicle speed and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, unnecessary advice is given when, for example, another vehicle is interrupted between the vehicle and the vehicle. May be erroneously evaluated, such as “no fuel-saving driving”.
Therefore, the determination process of step S5 is provided, and if the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle (the vehicle that has been interrupted) is higher than the vehicle speed of the own vehicle or if the accelerator is not stepped on, it is excluded from advice and evaluation. , Avoiding false advice and ratings.

  In step S6, a predetermined value corresponding to the vehicle speed, that is, a threshold value of the inter-vehicle distance that gives advice and warning is selected from the map of the database 13 (see FIG. 3), and it is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle distance at that time is equal to or less than the threshold value. To do. If the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than the threshold (YES in step S6), the process proceeds to step S7. If the inter-vehicle distance exceeds the threshold (NO in step S6), the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, for example, the control unit 7 causes the advice display unit 17 to display “Let the accelerator loose” or “Let's take the distance between the vehicles” or the speaker 18 with a similar sound warning. A control signal is sent so that Thereafter, the process returns to step S1, and the steps after step S1 are repeated again.

  In step S8, if the advice is displayed on the advice display unit 17, the control unit 7 erases the display or resets the overall control, returns to step S1, and repeats step S1 and subsequent steps again.

  In the first embodiment, by comparing the average inter-vehicle distance in the case of fuel-saving driving and the average inter-vehicle distance actually operated, it is indicated how much the inter-vehicle distance is maintained and the fuel-saving driving is performed. You can also.

  According to the fuel-saving driving system of the first embodiment of the configuration and the control method described above, the laser radar 2, the accelerator opening sensor 4, the vehicle speed sensor 6, and the control unit 10 are included. The opening signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the relative speed with the preceding vehicle is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, and the distance from the preceding vehicle is a predetermined value (at a certain vehicle speed, the accelerator is released without operating the brake). If the distance is less than the distance where the preceding vehicle does not approach the dangerous area), the advice display unit 17 and the speaker 18 inform the driver that the inter-vehicle distance is secured. Therefore, the driver can concentrate on fuel-saving driving without being exposed to danger such as rear-end collision.

  In addition, for example, even when another vehicle is interrupted between the front vehicle and the host vehicle, the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle (interrupted vehicle) is greater than the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or the accelerator is not stepped on. In some cases, erroneous advice and evaluation can be avoided by excluding the advice and evaluation.

  Here, when an unnecessary auxiliary brake (for example, an exhaust brake or a retarder) is operated, it is possible to give advice and prompt the user to release them.

Furthermore, fuel efficiency can be further improved by automating the fuel injection amount restriction.
Specifically, for example, a control signal for suppressing the fuel injection amount is transmitted to an engine controller (not shown) when an advice such as “Let the accelerator relax” is transmitted. As a result, a sufficient inter-vehicle distance can be automatically maintained, and unnecessary brakes can be reduced, so that a great fuel efficiency improvement effect can be obtained.

There is a device for maintaining a constant inter-vehicle distance in the active cruise control (ACC) of the existing technology, and this device operates an auxiliary brake and a main brake for keeping the inter-vehicle distance constant with the preceding vehicle. As a characteristic of this apparatus, since the brake operation is performed in accordance with the acceleration / deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the kinetic energy is discarded and the fuel consumption is deteriorated.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle is set longer than that of the conventional technology, and the fuel injection is performed when the relative speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value with respect to the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and all the traveling vehicles. It is configured to reduce the amount.
As a result, the fuel injection amount can be reduced early, so that fuel can be saved.

When the preceding vehicle accelerates and follows the vehicle to accelerate it, the fuel injection amount is increased slowly. As a result, the followability with respect to the preceding vehicle is deteriorated, but the degree of wave driving in which acceleration / deceleration is repeated is reduced, and a sufficient inter-vehicle distance can be secured.
As a result, the efficiency of the engine is increased and the frequency of brake operation of the vehicle is also reduced, so that fuel efficiency is further improved.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is an embodiment in which the laser radar 2, the accelerator opening sensor 4, and the vehicle speed sensor 6, which are detection means for each parameter, are connected to the in-vehicle control unit 10 through dedicated circuits. is there.

  On the other hand, in the second embodiment of FIG. 5, the signals from the sensors are collected in advance as digital signals in the LAN repeater 9 by the in-vehicle communication network “in-vehicle LAN”, and are transmitted to the in-vehicle control unit 10 by the communication cable W. It is configured to be stored. Except for these configurations, the second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

  In the second embodiment, necessary information can be obtained at low cost without adding each sensor by using in-vehicle LAN information.

  It should be noted that the illustrated embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

The block diagram of the fuel-saving driving system of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. The detailed block diagram of the control unit of 1st Embodiment. An example of the control map of 1st Embodiment. The control flowchart explaining the control method of 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which showed the whole structure of 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle 2 ... Vehicle distance detection means / Laser radar 4 ... Accelerator opening degree sensor 6 ... Vehicle speed sensor 10 ... Control unit 12 ... Vehicle distance calculation part 13 ... Database 14 ... Comparison unit 15 ... Delivery judgment unit 16 ... Advice transmission control unit 17 ... Advice display unit 18 ... Speaker

Claims (3)

  The vehicle has an inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, an accelerator opening detecting means for detecting an accelerator opening, a vehicle speed detecting means, and a control means. Let the driver know that the inter-vehicle distance is to be secured when the vehicle is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the relative speed with the preceding vehicle is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, and the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is less than or equal to the predetermined value. A fuel-saving driving system characterized by being configured in the manner described above.   The fuel-saving driving system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value of the inter-vehicle distance is a function of a vehicle speed.   The control method of the fuel-saving driving system according to claim 1, comprising a step of reading an inter-vehicle distance signal with a preceding vehicle, a step of reading an accelerator opening signal, and a step of reading a vehicle speed signal, When the accelerator opening is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the relative speed with the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the appropriate inter-vehicle distance is secured for the driver. A control method for a fuel-saving driving system, characterized in that control is performed so as to notify the user of the effect.

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