JP2008269170A - Vehicle traveling controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle traveling controller for making vehicle groups configured of a plurality of vehicles travel side by side in line. <P>SOLUTION: This vehicle traveling controller 1 is provided with a plurality of control means 3 for controlling a plurality of vehicles and communication means 13 for enabling the plurality of control means 3 to control each other. One control means 3 of the plurality of control means 3 controls the other control means 3 to make the plurality of vehicles travel in line, and divides serial vehicle groups traveling in line into a first vehicle group and a second vehicle group, and puts the first vehicle group and the second vehicle group travel in parallel for switching the line of the plurality of vehicles from the serial vehicle group to the parallel vehicle group. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control device that controls a vehicle group composed of a plurality of vehicles to travel in a row.

Conventionally, for example, when the destinations of a plurality of vehicles are the same or when a plurality of vehicles are transported simultaneously, a group of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicles is run in a row, and the entire group of vehicles is As described in Patent Document 1, a vehicle travel control device that can be moved as is proposed.
JP 2000-322696 A

  However, in such a vehicle travel control device, it is only assumed that a plurality of vehicles are arranged in a line and run in a platoon, and there are two or more lanes on one side of a normal vehicle, so as to alleviate traffic congestion. If it is necessary to parallel, or even if the vehicle is a single-seat small vehicle such as so-called personal mobility and one lane is a single lane, it is necessary to cope with it if it is necessary to parallel to reduce traffic congestion There was a problem that I could not.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle travel control device capable of paralleling a vehicle group composed of a plurality of vehicles.

In order to solve the above problem, a vehicle travel control device according to the present invention provides:
A plurality of control means for controlling each of the plurality of vehicles; and a communication means for enabling the plurality of control means to be controlled with each other,
Any one of the plurality of control means controls the other control means to drive the plurality of vehicles in a row,
Dividing the tandem trains into a first car group and a second car group, and by arranging the first car group and the second car group in parallel, It is characterized by switching from a vehicle group to a parallel vehicle group.

  According to this, it becomes possible to switch from a parallel vehicle group to a parallel vehicle group according to the situation.

here,
From the rearmost vehicle of the vehicle group in the column to the vehicle located in front of the number of quotients obtained by dividing the number of vehicles constituting the column vehicle group of the plurality of vehicles by 2 is the second vehicle group,
It is preferable that the vertical vehicle group excluding the second vehicle group is the first vehicle group.

Here, it is preferable that any one of the control means is a control means for controlling a leading vehicle of the vehicle group in the column.

  According to this, after letting the driver of the leading vehicle drive manually, the other vehicle constituting the vehicle group in the column other than the other control means by the one control means, By controlling via the communication means, it is possible to follow the leading vehicle. In addition, since the leading vehicle, which is required to ensure safety, can be driven manually, it is possible to improve the safety of the platooning.

  Further, the second vehicle group is defined as the second vehicle group from the last vehicle in the column group to the vehicle located before the number of quotients obtained by dividing the number of vehicles constituting the column group of the plurality of vehicles by two. The vertical vehicle group excluding the second vehicle group is defined as the first vehicle group, and the second vehicle group is arranged in parallel with the first vehicle group so that the vertical vehicle group is well balanced. It is possible to switch to the parallel vehicle group.

  It should be noted that the number of quotients obtained by dividing the number of vehicles by two is not necessarily exact, and may include a width of ± 1 or ± 2. Further, when specifying the first vehicle of the second vehicle group, the vehicle may be counted including the rearmost vehicle of the vehicle group in the column or not.

  Along with this, for example, by driving based on the control of the leading vehicle control means of the first vehicle group of the first vehicle of the second vehicle group or by manual driving of the driver of the leading vehicle of the second vehicle group After the leading vehicle of the second vehicle group is arranged in parallel with the first vehicle group, information such as the steering angle and the vehicle speed of the leading vehicle is transmitted to the control unit of the succeeding vehicle via the communication unit. The leading vehicle control means can control the following vehicle control means so that the following vehicle follows the leading vehicle. Thereby, the row of the plurality of vehicles can be switched from the vertical vehicle group to the parallel vehicle group by simpler means.

  Here, when the one control means causes the second vehicle group to be parallel to the first vehicle group, the second vehicle group may be parallel to the roadway side of the first vehicle group. preferable.

  According to this, it is possible to perform manual driving by the driver in the leading vehicle on the sidewalk side that is more demanded to ensure safety. Accordingly, it is possible to safely perform the row running of the plurality of vehicles in parallel with sufficient consideration of the pedestrians jumping out.

  Further, when the second vehicle group is arranged side by side on the sidewalk side of the first vehicle group, the driver of the leading vehicle of the second vehicle group manually sets the leading vehicle of the second vehicle group. It is preferable that the control means of the lead vehicle controls the control means of the other vehicle via the communication means so that the other vehicle follows the lead vehicle by driving.

  This also allows the driver to manually drive the leading vehicle on the side of the sidewalk, where there is a high demand for ensuring safety. It is possible to safely perform platooning.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vehicle travel control apparatus which can carry out platooning | running | working of the vehicle group comprised by several vehicles can be provided.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle travel control device according to the present invention. The vehicle travel control device 1 includes a vehicle travel control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2, a car navigation ECU 3, an ABS (anti-lock brake system) 12, an inter-vehicle communication device 13, which are provided in each of a plurality of vehicles. And a millimeter wave radar 14, a camera 15, a brake ECU 16, an engine ECU 17, and a steering ECU 18.

  The vehicle referred to here is so-called personal mobility for single passengers, which has a traveling performance on a normal roadway, makes the movement range of an individual more free, and in a normal car alone Compared to getting on board, the space occupied by the vehicle is minimized, and the energy consumption required for movement per person is also minimized, so that a vehicle having a higher contribution is made by the environment and energy saving. According to such personal mobility, even in a vehicle on one lane on one side, parallel platooning can be performed as appropriate when parallel platooning is required due to a request for traffic congestion reduction or the like.

  The vehicle travel control ECU 2, the car navigation ECU 3, the inter-vehicle communication device 13, the millimeter wave radar 14, the camera 15, the brake ECU 16, the engine ECU 17, and the steering ECU 18 are CAN (Controller) that is a communication standard for vehicles. Are connected to each other by an area network.

  The vehicle travel control ECU 2 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus that interconnects them, and functions as a control unit that performs each control described below in accordance with a program stored in the ROM.

  The car navigation ECU 3 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus that interconnects them. The car navigation ECU 3 performs a search unit 3a, a guide unit 3b, and a display unit that perform each control described below in accordance with a program stored in the ROM. It functions as 3c.

  The car navigation ECU 3 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna 4, an IMU (Inertia Measurement Unit) 5, a steering sensor 6, a receiver 7, a database 8, a display 9, and a speaker 10. The touch panel 11 is connected.

  The GPS antenna 4 receives radio waves from three of the plurality of satellites over the earth, and based on these radio waves, the search means 3a of the car navigation ECU 3 uses the principle of triangulation, for example, Measure the position, ie longitude and latitude.

  Here, the IMU 5 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle, and the steering sensor 6 is provided in a vehicle steering device to detect the steering angle. The touch panel 11 is an input device for a user to input search conditions such as a destination. The database 8 is composed of a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and displays map information for display and map information for search. Store and remember.

  The display 9 displays the route searched by the search means 3a of the car navigation ECU 3 based on the input destination together with map information for display based on a command of the guide means 3b of the car navigation ECU 3.

  The ABS 12 is a device that prevents the wheel from being locked during braking. The vehicle speed used for the control is calculated from the wheel speed acquired from a wheel speed sensor (not shown), and the car navigation ECU 3 calculates the vehicle speed from the ABS 12. Obtained by transmission according to a communication standard such as CAN.

  Furthermore, the receiver 7 is based on light or radio wave beacons, and receives traffic information (congestion information, road width information, disaster and accident occurrence information) from VICS (Vehicle Information & Communication System). Including).

  The position of the vehicle by the search means 3a of the car navigation ECU 3 using the GPS antenna 4 described above is measured when the vehicle is located in a valley of a high-rise building or in the tunnel because of the characteristics of using radio waves from a satellite. When the vehicle is traveling, or when the vehicle is traveling under a viaduct, the GPS antenna 4 cannot receive the radio wave from the satellite, so that the position of the vehicle cannot be measured.

  Therefore, when the GPS antenna 4 cannot receive radio waves from the satellite, the search means 3a of the car navigation ECU 3 uses the vehicle speed detected by the ABS 12, the yaw rate detected by the IMU 5, and the steering angle detected by the steering sensor 6. Then, the distance and direction of the vehicle are calculated and the position of the vehicle is measured. This increases the accuracy of the measurement of the total vehicle position together with the measurement of the position of the vehicle using the GPS antenna 4.

  And the guidance means 3b of the car navigation ECU 3 is searched by the search means 3a, the map information for display in the database 8, the position of the own vehicle measured by the above-described method, the destination inputted by the touch panel 11, and the search means 3a. The route is also displayed on the display 9.

  The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 13 includes a transmitter and a receiver (not shown) that control the ECU, and is mounted on each vehicle to realize wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication using a spread spectrum system. Information such as vehicle position, vehicle speed, steering angle, and the like can be transmitted and received between the vehicle travel control ECUs 2 of the vehicle and can be mutually controlled.

  The millimeter wave radar 14 includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits a millimeter wave of a predetermined wavelength, and the time until the millimeter wave is reflected by an obstacle and returned to the receiver. The distance to the obstacle and the relative vehicle speed are detected by changing the frequency.

  The camera 15 is provided in front of the roof in the passenger compartment, and images the front and side of the vehicle. The captured image data of the front and side of the vehicle is transmitted to the vehicle travel control ECU 2 via the CAN. To do.

  The brake ECU 16 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus that interconnects them, and controls a caliper brake (not shown) of the vehicle according to a program stored in the ROM. Based on the command, a braking force is applied to the vehicle.

  The engine ECU 17 is composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus that interconnects them. According to a program stored in the ROM, the accelerator map is based on a command from the vehicle travel control ECU 2, for example, according to the accelerator opening. The engine control amount and the like are determined with reference to the target torque, and the transmission is controlled with reference to the shift map so that the target acceleration or vehicle speed is obtained.

  The steering ECU 18 is composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus that interconnects them, and controls the steering angle of a steering device (not shown) of the vehicle according to a program stored in the ROM.

  The vehicle travel control ECU 2 acquires the vehicle position information and traffic information from the car navigation ECU 3 via CAN, and acquires the inter-vehicle distance information with the preceding vehicle from the millimeter wave radar 14. Mainly, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the head vehicle in the vehicle group transmits information on its own vehicle position, vehicle speed, and steering angle to the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the other vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication device 13 to control the vehicle travel of the other vehicle. The ECU 2 controls the brake ECU 16, the engine ECU 17, and the steering ECU 18 of the other vehicle based on the information and the inter-vehicle distance information with the preceding vehicle acquired from the millimeter wave radar 14.

  Further, the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle determines whether or not the platooning is performed based on the presence or absence of a control command to the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the other vehicle, and based on the traffic information acquired from the car navigation ECU 3. Then, control is performed to switch the vehicle group of a plurality of vehicles traveling in a tandem from a vertical vehicle group to a parallel vehicle group, or from a parallel vehicle group to a vertical vehicle group. In this case, the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle divides the tandem group of vehicles traveling in the platoon into the first vehicle group A and the second vehicle group B, and the first vehicle group A and the second vehicle group. By arranging B in parallel, the platoon of the plurality of vehicles is switched from the vertical vehicle group to the parallel vehicle group.

  Here, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle switches the vehicle group of the plurality of vehicles from the rearmost vehicle of the vehicle group of the columns, when switching the vehicle train from the vehicle group of the column to the parallel vehicle group. The second vehicle group B is the vehicle located in front of the number of quotients divided by two as the quotient, and the first vehicle group A is the vertical vehicle group excluding the second vehicle group B. The second vehicle group B is juxtaposed with the first vehicle group A.

  Furthermore, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle in the second vehicle group B can use the image data acquired by the camera 15 to secure a parallel space when switching from the vertical vehicle group to the parallel vehicle group. In addition, it is determined whether or not a space capable of vertical column is secured when switching from parallel to vertical column.

  The control content of the vehicle travel control ECU 2 described above will be described with reference to flowcharts and specific examples of vehicle groups. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the car navigation ECU 3 constituting a part of the vehicle travel control device 1 according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 6 are applied to the vehicle travel control device 1 according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect of the vehicle group of several vehicles. 3 to 6, the left side indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle, the lower side indicates the sidewalk side, and the upper side indicates the roadway side.

  First, in S <b> 1, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 acquires an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle from the millimeter wave radar 14, and acquires image data of the front and side of the vehicle by the camera 15.

  Further, in S2, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 steers information from the car navigation ECU 3 such as its own vehicle position, vehicle speed, traffic information (congestion information, road width information, disaster, accident occurrence information) from the steering ECU 18. The angle is acquired via CAN, and information such as the position, vehicle speed, and steering angle of the other vehicle is acquired from the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the other vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication device 13.

  In addition, in S3, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a in the original column group of vehicles determines whether or not the train travel is currently being performed based on the presence or absence of the train travel control command for the other vehicle. If the traveling is being performed, the process proceeds to S4, and if the formation traveling is not being performed, the control is terminated.

  Subsequently, in S4, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a in the vehicle group shown in FIG. 3 determines whether or not the current platooning is a column vehicle group from the position information of the other vehicle, and the column vehicle group If it is, the process proceeds to S5, and if it is not a parallel vehicle group, that is, if it is a parallel vehicle group, the process proceeds to S13.

  In S5, it is determined from the traffic information whether or not parallel is appropriate. If appropriate, the process proceeds to S6, and if not appropriate, the control is terminated. Here, the case where the parallel is appropriate is, for example, a case where traffic congestion has occurred and the width of the road is sufficient in parallel, and the case where the parallel is not appropriate is that the width of the road is not sufficient in parallel. Or when the road is a school zone, or when there is a disaster on the road and there is a high need for safety.

  In S6, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a determines the leading vehicle of the second vehicle group B. That is, the number of vehicles constituting the vehicle group of the plurality of vehicles in the column group from the original vehicle group e of the original column group, that is, the number 2 of the quotient obtained by dividing 5 by 2 as shown in FIG. The second vehicle group B includes the vehicle e and the vehicle d positioned in the front, and the first vehicle group A is a series of vehicle groups a, b, and c excluding the second vehicle group B. That is, the leading vehicle in the second vehicle group B is the vehicle d.

  Further, in S6, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a causes the driver of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B to drive the vehicle group B in parallel with the vehicle group A so as to drive the leading vehicle d. An instruction is given using the display 9 and the speaker 10, and the steering ECU 18 of the host vehicle a is controlled so as to move the first vehicle group A to the sidewalk side, and the other vehicles b and c of the first vehicle group A are controlled. The steering ECU 18 is controlled.

  Subsequently, in S7, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a has the second vehicle group B arranged in parallel on the side of the first vehicle group A on the side of the road from the vehicle side image data obtained by the camera 15. It is determined whether a possible space has been secured. If it is determined that the space has been secured, the process proceeds to S8. If it is not determined that the space has been secured, the process returns to S6.

  Further, in S8, the driver of the leading vehicle d in the second vehicle group B is arranged in parallel with the leading vehicle a in the first vehicle group A based on the instruction received in S6. In this way, the steering angle of the leading vehicle d in the second vehicle group B is controlled.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 9, the vehicle travel control EC <b> 2 of the vehicle e other than the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B is obtained via the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle acquired by the millimeter wave radar 14 and the inter-vehicle communication device 13. Based on the steering angle and vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B, the brake ECU 16, the engine ECU 17 and the steering ECU 18 of the vehicle e are controlled to control the vehicle e to the second vehicle group. Control is performed so as to follow the leading vehicle d of B.

  Furthermore, in S10, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a of the first vehicle group A uses the vehicle side image data acquired by the camera 15 to reach a position where the first vehicle d of the second vehicle group B can be paralleled. If it is determined whether or not it has been moved, and it is determined that it has moved to a position where it can be paralleled, the process proceeds to S11. If not, the process returns to S8.

  In S11, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a of the first vehicle group A instructs the display 9 and the speaker 10 of the first vehicle d to decelerate to the driver of the first vehicle d of the second vehicle group B. Then, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the vehicle e following the second vehicle group B decelerates the vehicle e by controlling the brake ECU 16 of the vehicle e based on the inter-vehicle distance from the leading vehicle d acquired by the millimeter wave radar 14. Control.

  In this way, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 places the second vehicle group B in parallel with the first vehicle group A, and in S12, the transition to parallel travel is completed as shown in FIG.

  If it is determined in S4 that the vehicle group is not a column, the process proceeds to S13. In S13, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a in the first vehicle group A determines whether the column is appropriate from the traffic information. If it is determined that it is determined to be appropriate, the process proceeds to S14. If it is determined that it is not appropriate, the control is terminated.

  Note that when the column is determined to be appropriate, for example, when there is no traffic jam, when there is traffic jam but the road width is not enough in parallel, or the road is in the school zone There are cases where there is a disaster on the road and there is a high need to prioritize safety.

  Subsequently, in S14, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A performs the deceleration control of the second vehicle group B to the driver of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B. An instruction is given by the display 9 and the speaker 10 of the leading vehicle d.

  Further, in S15, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A acquires an image of the side of the vehicle e of the camera 15 of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not a space that can be arranged in the vertical direction is secured. If it is determined that the space is secured, the process proceeds to S16. If it is not determined that the space is secured, the process returns to S14.

  Subsequently, in S16, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A displays the display 9 so that the driver of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B follows the first vehicle group A. And the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the following vehicle e in the second vehicle group B controls the engine ECU 17 of the vehicle e on the basis of the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle d acquired by the millimeter wave radar 14. Control to follow d.

  Further, in S17, the driver of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B moves the leading vehicle d to the sidewalk side based on an instruction from the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A. The vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the vehicle e acquires the steering angle and the vehicle speed from the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the vehicle d via the inter-vehicle communication device 13 to control the steering angle of the vehicle e. The steering ECU 18 is controlled to control the engine ECU 16 and the brake ECU 17 of the vehicle e so that the vehicle e follows the vehicle d.

  In S18, after the second vehicle group B follows the rear of the first vehicle group A, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a of the first vehicle group A uses the display 9 and the speaker 10 to The driver a is instructed to maintain the center of the lane, and in S19, as shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a in the first vehicle group A completes the transition to the parallel travel. To do.

  According to the vehicle travel control device 1 of the present embodiment realized by these control contents, the following operational effects can be obtained. That is, the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B is designated by the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A, and the leading vehicle d is controlled by controlling the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle d. The other vehicle e is controlled by the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle d via the inter-vehicle communication device 13. The vehicle can follow the leading vehicle d. In addition, since the leading vehicle d required to ensure safety can be driven manually, it is possible to improve the safety of the platooning.

  Further, the second vehicle group B is defined as the second vehicle group B from the last vehicle e of the original column group to the vehicle d positioned by the quotient 2 obtained by dividing the number of vehicles 5 constituting the column group by two. The vertical vehicle group excluding the second vehicle group B is designated as the first vehicle group A, and the second vehicle group B is arranged in parallel with the first vehicle group A, so that the parallel vehicle groups are arranged in a balanced manner. The vehicle groups A and B can be switched.

  In addition, in the vehicle group as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle b is moved to the roadway side of the vehicle a, the distance between the vehicles a and c is reduced, and the vehicle d is moved to the roadway side of the vehicle c. Compared to the method of reducing the distance between the vehicle c and the vehicle e, according to the present embodiment, the vehicle d may be moved to the roadway side of the vehicle a to cause the vehicle e to follow the vehicle d. In switching from the column to the parallel vehicle group, the procedure can be simplified and the control content of the vehicle travel control ECU 2 can be simplified.

  At the same time, the first vehicle group A is caused to manually drive the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B based on the control of the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a of the first vehicle group A. , The information such as the steering angle and the vehicle speed of the leading vehicle d is transmitted to the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the succeeding vehicle e via the inter-vehicle communication device 13, and the following vehicle e follows the leading vehicle d. Thus, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle d can control the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the following vehicle e. Thereby, it is possible to switch the row of a plurality of vehicles from the vertical vehicle group to the parallel vehicle group by simpler means.

  Further, when the second vehicle group B is arranged in parallel with the first vehicle group A, there is a high demand for ensuring safety by arranging the second vehicle group B in parallel with the roadway side of the first vehicle group A. In the leading vehicle a on the sidewalk side, manual driving by the driver can be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to safely perform a row running with a plurality of vehicles in parallel, with sufficient consideration for pedestrians jumping out.

  When the second vehicle group B is arranged in parallel on the sidewalk side of the first vehicle group A, the driver of the leading vehicle d of the second vehicle group B is driven manually by the driver of the leading vehicle d. The vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle d controls the vehicle traveling control ECU 2 of the vehicle e via the inter-vehicle communication device 13 so that the vehicle e follows the vehicle d, and thus there is a high demand for ensuring safety. The leading vehicle d on the sidewalk can be manually operated by the driver, and thus, the platooning of a plurality of vehicles can be performed in consideration of the pedestrians jumping out.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. be able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, the driver of the second vehicle group B is driven manually by selecting the second vehicle group B on the side to be arranged in parallel from the original column of vehicle groups. However, for example, the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the first vehicle a in the first vehicle group A acquires the position of the vehicle a from the car navigation ECU 3 and offsets the position of the vehicle a by a predetermined distance to the roadway side. The vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the leading vehicle a controls the vehicle travel control ECU 2 of the vehicle d via the inter-vehicle communication device 13 so that the vehicle d is automatically guided to this position. good.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, whether or not the space required in parallel when switching from the column to the parallel is secured is determined using the image data of the front and side of the vehicle a acquired by the camera 15, When the positions of the vehicles a to e are obtained by high-accuracy GPS, it may be determined whether a necessary space can be secured from these positions.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the vehicle is a so-called personal mobility for one-seater. However, this is an example of a vehicle that can run in parallel in one lane on one side. It is possible to apply the technique described above. Further, even in a vehicle such as a passenger car having a normal vehicle width, the above-described technique can be applied in a situation where parallel platooning is possible on a two-lane road or the like.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control apparatus that can travel a group of vehicles composed of a plurality of vehicles in a row or in a selectable manner in parallel, and achieves a desired effect by relatively minor control changes. Therefore, it is particularly useful when applied to small passenger cars such as personal mobility for single passengers. Of course, in the case of a road having a plurality of lanes, it can also be applied to ordinary passenger cars, trucks, buses and the like.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle travel control device according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of one Embodiment of the vehicle travel control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect of the vehicle group of the some vehicle to which the vehicle travel control apparatus concerning this invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect of the vehicle group of the some vehicle to which the vehicle travel control apparatus concerning this invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect of the vehicle group of the some vehicle to which the vehicle travel control apparatus concerning this invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the aspect of the vehicle group of the some vehicle to which the vehicle travel control apparatus concerning this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle travel control apparatus 2 Vehicle travel control ECU
3 Car navigation ECU
4 GPS antenna 5 IMU
6 Steering sensor 7 Receiver 8 Database 9 Display 10 Speaker 11 Touch panel 12 ABS
13 Inter-vehicle communication device 14 Millimeter wave radar 15 Camera 16 Brake ECU
17 Engine ECU
18 Steering ECU

Claims (4)

  A plurality of control means for controlling each of the plurality of vehicles; and a communication means for enabling the plurality of control means to control each other, wherein any one of the plurality of control means is another control means. And controlling the plurality of vehicles to travel in a platoon, dividing a tandem vehicle group that travels in a platoon into a first vehicle group and a second vehicle group, and the first vehicle group and the second vehicle A vehicle travel control device, wherein a group of the plurality of vehicles is switched from a vertical vehicle group to a parallel vehicle group by arranging the groups in parallel.   The second vehicle group includes the last vehicle in the vehicle group in the column to the vehicle located in front of the number of quotients obtained by dividing the number of vehicles constituting the column vehicle group in the plurality of vehicles by 2. The vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle group in the column except the second vehicle group is a first vehicle group.   3. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein any one of the control means is a control means for controlling a leading vehicle of the vehicle group in the column.   When any one of the control means causes the second vehicle group to be arranged in parallel to the first vehicle group, the second vehicle group is arranged in parallel to the roadway side of the first vehicle group. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 3.

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