JP2009255614A - Vehicular control device, and vehicular control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular control device and a vehicular control method capable of suppressing the effect by a brake on the periphery of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicular control device 10 for controlling a brake device and a lamp comprises a flash detection means 11 for detecting the flash of a lamp LS (and/or a lamp LH) recognizable from the outside of a preceding vehicle B, and a brake control means 12 for operating the brake device 40 when detecting the flash of the lamp LS (and/or the lamp LH) of the preceding vehicle B by the flash detection means 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls a brake device and a lamp, and a vehicle control method.

  When the brake pedal is operated to decelerate the vehicle, a stop lamp installed at the rear of the vehicle body is automatically turned on. As a result, the driver of the following vehicle can be alerted. In addition, in order to alert the driver of the following vehicle, a hazard lamp installed at the rear of the vehicle body may blink in response to a switch operation by the user during an emergency or when the vehicle is stopped.

Conventionally, as an in-vehicle device that alerts the driver of the following vehicle, an emergency braking signal system (hereinafter referred to as an “EBS system”) that automatically blinks a stop lamp at the time of sudden braking. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By causing the stop lamp to blink automatically at the time of sudden braking, it is possible to suppress the influence of sudden braking on the periphery.
JP 2002-52977 A

  Inventions that suppress the influence of the brake on the surrounding area as in the conventional vehicle-mounted device have been made so far, but still more effectively suppress the influence of the brake on the surrounding area. There has been a demand for a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, Comprising: It aims at providing the control apparatus for vehicles, and the control method for vehicles which suppress that the influence by a brake extends to the periphery.

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention comprises a blinking detecting means for detecting blinking of a lamp visible from the outside of the preceding vehicle,
Brake control means for operating a brake device when the flashing detection means detects flashing of the lamp of the vehicle ahead;
It is a control device for vehicles provided with.

2nd invention is the control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 1st invention, Comprising: The distance detection means which detects the distance with the said front vehicle is further provided,
The brake control means activates the brake device according to the distance detected by the distance detection means when the blink detection means detects blinking of the lamp of the preceding vehicle.

  A third invention is a vehicle control device according to the first or second invention, wherein when the brake device is actuated by the brake control means, a lamp that blinks a lamp that is visible from the outside of the host vehicle. Control means is further provided.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle control device according to the third aspect of the present invention, wherein the ramp control means is configured such that when the brake device is actuated by the brake control means, the lamp control means has a cycle different from that during sudden braking. Flash the lamp on the vehicle.

5th invention is the control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 3rd or 4th invention, Comprising: The distance detection means which detects the distance with the said front vehicle is further provided,
When the brake device is operated by the brake control unit, the lamp control unit blinks the lamp of the host vehicle at a cycle corresponding to the distance detected by the distance detection unit.

6th invention is the control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 4th or 5th invention, Comprising: The said blink detection means respond | corresponds with blinking of the said lamp of the said front vehicle, and the driving state of the said preceding vehicle of this blinking Detect the cycle and
The brake control means activates the brake device according to the cycle detected by the blink detection means when the blink detection means detects blinking of the lamp of the preceding vehicle.

A seventh invention is a vehicle control device according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, and pedal operation detecting means for detecting an operation of a brake pedal;
A brake control release means for releasing the brake control by the brake control means when an operation of the brake pedal is detected by the pedal operation detection means;
Is further provided.

An eighth invention is a vehicle control device according to any one of the third to fifth inventions, the switch operation detecting means for detecting a switch operation of a hazard lamp,
Lamp control release means for releasing lamp control by the lamp control means when the switch operation is detected by the switch operation detection means;
Is further provided.

  A ninth aspect of the invention is the vehicle control device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the invention, wherein the lamp is a stop lamp and / or a hazard lamp installed at the rear of the vehicle body.

A tenth aspect of the invention is a flashing detection step for detecting flashing of a lamp visible from the outside of the preceding vehicle;
A brake control step of operating a brake device when flashing of the lamp of the vehicle ahead is detected by the flashing detection step;
A vehicle control method comprising:

  An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the vehicle control method according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, comprising: a lamp control step of blinking a lamp visible from the outside of the host vehicle when the brake device is actuated by the brake control step. In addition.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the control apparatus for vehicles and the control method for vehicles which suppress the influence by a brake reaching to the periphery can be provided.

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

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of an in-vehicle system related to the vehicle control apparatus of the present invention. The vehicle control device 10 controls a vehicle brake device and a lamp visible from the outside of the vehicle, and is turned on in response to a predetermined switch operation (for example, an engine ignition switch on operation). . The vehicle control device 10 is mainly configured by a microcomputer mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle control device 10 includes an outside camera 20, a radio communication device 30, a brake device 40, a treading force switch 50, a stop lamp 60 via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). A hazard lamp 70, a hazard lamp switch 80, and a distance detection sensor 90 are connected.

  The vehicle control device 10 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM for storing a control program, a readable / writable RAM for storing calculation results, a timer for measuring time, a counter for measuring the number of times of calculation, an input interface, And an output interface. The vehicle control device 10 includes a flashing detection unit 11, a brake control unit 12, a distance detection unit 13, a lamp control unit 14, a pedal operation detection unit 15, a brake control release unit 16, a switch operation detection unit 17, and a lamp control release unit. 18 is stored in a recording medium such as a ROM, and processing of these programs is executed by the CPU to implement various means. Details of the various means will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing an example of the traveling state of the host vehicle on which the vehicle control device 10 is mounted. In FIG. 2, A is the host vehicle, B is the preceding vehicle, C is the following vehicle, and each of the vehicles A, B, and C is traveling in the same direction on the same lane. Each of the vehicles A, B, and C is equipped with an EBS system that automatically blinks a stop lamp during sudden braking.

  The vehicle exterior camera 20 captures the vehicle traveling direction, and is installed so as to capture the direction including the forward vehicle B. For example, the outside camera 20 is a CCD camera or a CMOS camera installed near a body panel, a bumper, a front grille, a license plate, a fish-eye camera or an omnidirectional camera capable of wide-angle imaging, and can be imaged at night An infrared camera or the like may be used. Further, the outside camera 20 may be a single camera or a plurality of cameras.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image captured by the outside camera 20. In this video, the rear part of the front vehicle B is imaged. In FIG. 3, LS is a stop lamp, LH is a hazard lamp, and LB is a brake lamp. In FIG. 3, the stop lamp LS of the preceding vehicle B is automatically blinked by the EBS system. That is, in the forward vehicle B, a sudden brake is driven.

  The wireless communication device 30 may have a general configuration and acquires information provided by the preceding vehicle B. For example, the wireless communication device 30 communicates with a wireless communication device mounted on the preceding vehicle B to acquire information on the display state of the lamp LS (and / or the lamp LH) of the preceding vehicle B.

  The brake device 40 is, for example, a disc brake device, and includes a disc-shaped disc rotor that rotates together with wheels, and a pair of left and right friction pads that are in contact with and separated from the disc rotor. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the pedaling force is converted into the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid and transmitted to the hydraulic pressure chamber via the brake fluid piping, causing the disc rotor to press the pair of left and right friction pads. Converted. The braking force is expressed by the frictional force when the disc rotor is pressed and clamped by the pair of left and right friction pads.

  The pedal effort switch 50 senses the depression force of the brake pedal by the driver.

  The stop lamp 60 is turned on in response to a brake pedal operation, and alerts the driver of the following vehicle C. The stop lamp 60 is installed at a position visible from the outside, more preferably at a position visible from the following vehicle C. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the stop lamp 60 is installed in a rear window at the center of the rear part of the vehicle body or is installed in a rear spoiler.

  Further, the stop lamp 60 blinks at a predetermined cycle (for example, 3 Hz) by the EBS system when the brake pedal is depressed with a stronger force than usual, such as sudden braking. In this case, the driver's vision of the following vehicle C can be strongly stimulated to awaken the driver.

  The hazard lamp 70 blinks at a predetermined period (for example, 2 Hz) in response to a switch operation by the user at the time of emergency or stop, and alerts the driver of the following vehicle C. The hazard lamp 70 is installed at a position visible from the outside, more preferably at a position visible from the following vehicle C. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the hazard lamps 70 are installed in a pair of left and right at the rear (and front) of the vehicle body and blink simultaneously on the left and right. The hazard lamp 70 may also be used as a blinker.

  The distance detection sensor 90 is a sensor that detects the distance D to the vehicle B ahead, and is constituted by a known radar sensor, for example. The radar sensor 90 includes a transmission circuit that emits a pulsed laser, a circuit that receives a pulse laser reflected back from an obstacle, a timer circuit that measures a time from transmission to reception, and a measurement It consists of a microcomputer that calculates the distance to the obstacle based on the time. The radar sensor 90 continuously transmits laser pulses while changing the laser pulse transmission direction so that the laser operates a predetermined range in the vehicle traveling direction. Therefore, when the forward vehicle B is within a predetermined range in the vehicle traveling direction, the distance D between the host vehicle A and the forward vehicle B can be sensed.

  Here, various means 11 to 18 included in the vehicle control device 10 will be described.

  The blinking detection unit 11 is a unit that detects blinking of the lamp LS (and / or the lamp LH) visible from the outside of the preceding vehicle B. For example, the blinking detection unit 11 detects blinking of the lamps LS and LH of the preceding vehicle B based on the peripheral video captured by the outside camera 20 and information provided from the preceding vehicle B via the wireless communication device 30. To do.

  When detecting blinking of the lamps LS and LH based on the surrounding video, the blinking detecting means 11 first performs image processing on the surrounding video, and determines the lamps LS and LH and their coordinate positions (pixels) in the surrounding video. To detect. Image processing includes, for example, a method of performing matching processing based on standard image data of lamps LS and LH registered in advance, and a red (lamp LS color) or yellow (lamp LH color) lamp using color peripheral video. There are methods for detecting LS and LH regions. Subsequently, the blinking detection unit 11 detects blinking of the lamps LS and LH based on whether or not the luminance at the coordinate positions of the lamps LS and LH changes periodically.

  In addition to detecting the blinking of the lamps LS and LH, the blinking detection unit 11 may detect a cycle Tb corresponding to the traveling state of the vehicle B ahead of the blinking of the lamps LS and LH. The blinking cycle Tb is detected, for example, by measuring the luminance cycle at the coordinate positions of the lamps LS and LH in the peripheral image with a timer. Thereby, the traveling state of the front vehicle B can be detected.

  Furthermore, the blinking detection means 11 may detect whether or not the plurality of lamps LH are blinking simultaneously, in addition to detecting the blinking of the lamps LS and LH. Thereby, blinking of the hazard lamp LH and blinking of the blinker can be identified.

  The brake control unit 12 is a unit that operates the brake device 40 when the flashing detection unit 11 detects the flashing of the lamp LS (and / or the lamp LH) of the preceding vehicle B. When the brake device 40 is operated, for example, the brake control means 12 operates a hydraulic pump provided in the brake device 40 to increase the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid and develop a braking force.

  Thereby, the own vehicle A can be automatically decelerated at the time of the sudden brake of the front vehicle B, and the abnormal approach of the own vehicle A and the front vehicle B can be prevented or suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the influence of the sudden braking of the preceding vehicle B on the periphery.

  Further, the brake control unit 12 may operate the brake device 40 in accordance with the blinking cycle Tb detected by the blinking detection unit 11. This blinking period Tb corresponds to the traveling state of the preceding vehicle B as described above.

  Thus, the host vehicle A can be appropriately decelerated in consideration of the traveling state of the front vehicle B, and the influence of the deceleration of the host vehicle A (that is, the effect of the sudden brake of the front vehicle B) extends to the periphery. Can be suppressed. For example, the host vehicle A can be moderately decelerated to suppress the collision between the host vehicle A and the following vehicle C, or to suppress the occurrence of traffic jams.

  Furthermore, the brake control means 12 may operate the brake device 40 according to the distance D detected by the distance detection means 13 described later. For example, when the distance D between the host vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B is a predetermined value Do (for example, 100 m) or more, the brake device 40 is not operated, and when the distance D is less than the predetermined value Do, the brake device 40 is operated. May be. In addition, the brake device 40 may be operated so that the deceleration increases as the distance D decreases.

  Accordingly, when the distance D between the host vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B is sufficiently long, the host vehicle A can be slowly decelerated. Since sudden braking of the host vehicle A can be reduced, collision between the host vehicle A and the following vehicle C can be suppressed.

  The predetermined value Do may be fixed, but may be changed according to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle A so that a sufficient braking distance is obtained.

  The distance detection means 13 is a means for detecting the distance D with the preceding vehicle B. For example, the distance detection unit 13 detects the distance D based on an electrical signal corresponding to the distance D from the distance detection sensor 90. Further, when the vehicle camera 20 is composed of a pair of stereo cameras, the distance D may be detected based on the parallax of the lamp LS (and / or the lamp LH) in the pair of surrounding images.

  The lamp control unit 14 is a unit that blinks the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A when the brake device 40 is operated by the brake control unit 12.

  Accordingly, the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A can be automatically blinked when the host vehicle A is automatically decelerated, and the driver of the following vehicle C can be alerted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the automatic deceleration of the host vehicle A (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the preceding vehicle B) from reaching the periphery.

  In addition, when the brake device 40 is actuated by the brake control means 12, the lamp control means 14 has the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A at a period Ta different from that during sudden braking (when the EBS system is activated). May be blinked. For example, it blinks with a period Ta longer than that during operation of the EBS system to weaken the driver's vision of the following vehicle C.

  The driver of the following vehicle C who sees the lamps 60 and 70 of the host vehicle A can recognize that the host vehicle A is automatically decelerated and that the brake pedal operation is not performed during sudden braking. Accordingly, the subsequent vehicle C can be appropriately decelerated in consideration of the deceleration (running state) of the host vehicle A, and the influence of the deceleration of the subsequent vehicle C (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the front vehicle B) extends to the periphery. Can be suppressed. For example, the following vehicle C can be slowly decelerated to suppress the occurrence of collision accidents and traffic jams.

  When the vehicle control device 10 is mounted, the following vehicle C monitors the blinking period Ta of the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A by the blinking detection unit 11, and the brake control unit 12 The brake device 40 is operated according to the blinking period Ta. Accordingly, the subsequent vehicle C can be appropriately decelerated in consideration of the deceleration (running state) of the host vehicle A, and the influence of the deceleration of the subsequent vehicle C (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the front vehicle B) extends to the periphery. Can be suppressed.

  Further, when the brake device 40 is actuated by the brake control means 12, the lamp control means 14 has the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A at a period Ta corresponding to the distance D detected by the distance detection means 13. ) May blink. For example, when the distance D between the host vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B is short, the deceleration of the host vehicle A tends to increase. Therefore, the lamps 60 and 70 of the host vehicle A are blinked with a short period Ta, and the following vehicle C driver's vision is strongly stimulated.

  The driver of the following vehicle C who sees the lamps 60 and 70 of the host vehicle A can estimate the deceleration of the host vehicle A from the blinking period Ta. Accordingly, the subsequent vehicle C can be appropriately decelerated in consideration of the deceleration (running state) of the host vehicle A, and the influence of the deceleration of the subsequent vehicle C (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the front vehicle B) is Can be suppressed.

  When the vehicle control device 10 is mounted, the following vehicle C monitors the blinking period Ta of the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A by the blinking detection unit 11, and the brake control unit 12 The brake device 40 is operated according to the blinking period Ta. Accordingly, the subsequent vehicle C can be appropriately decelerated in consideration of the deceleration (running state) of the host vehicle A, and the influence of the deceleration of the subsequent vehicle C (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the front vehicle B) is Can be suppressed.

  The pedal operation detecting means 15 is means for detecting the operation of the brake pedal. For example, the pedal operation detection means 15 detects the operation of the brake pedal based on an electric signal from the pedal force switch 50.

  The brake control release means 16 is a means for releasing the brake control by the brake control means 12 when the operation of the brake pedal is detected by the pedal operation detection means 15.

  Thereby, the own vehicle A can be decelerated according to the operation amount of a brake pedal at the time of operation of a brake pedal. That is, the host vehicle A can be appropriately decelerated according to the driver's intention.

  When the brake pedal is operated, the brake control may be canceled and the ramp control may be canceled at the same time. In this case, when the brake pedal is depressed with a stronger force than usual, such as sudden braking, the stop lamp 60 blinks at a predetermined cycle by the EBS system.

  The switch operation detecting means 17 is a means for detecting the switch operation of the hazard lamp 70 and detects the switch operation based on the electrical signal from the hazard lamp switch 80.

  The lamp control release means 18 is a means for releasing the lamp control by the lamp control means 14 when the switch operation detection means 17 detects a switch operation. For example, the lamp control release means 18 releases the lamp control by the lamp control means 14 when the hazard lamp switch 80 is turned on.

  Thereby, when the hazard lamp switch 80 is operated, the display states of the lamps 60 and 70 can be switched according to the switch operation. That is, the lamps 60 and 70 can be switched to an appropriate display state according to the driver's intention.

  Here, an example of processing performed by the vehicle control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle control device 10 executes the processing after step S101 shown in FIG. 4 every predetermined time.

  First, the vehicle control device 10 detects that at least one of the stop lamp LS and the hazard lamp LH that are visible from the outside of the preceding vehicle B is detected by the blink detection unit 11 (step S101, YES). The distance D between the host vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B is detected by the distance detection means 13 (step S102). Thereafter, when the distance D is less than the predetermined value Do (step S103, YES), the brake device 40 is operated by the brake control means 12 (step S104).

  On the other hand, when the blinking of the lamps LS and LH is not detected (step S101, NO), and when the distance D is greater than or equal to the predetermined value Do (step S103, NO), the brake device 40 is not operated, The process ends.

  After actuating the brake device 40 (step S104), the vehicle control device 10 causes the lamp control means 14 to blink the stop lamp 60 (and / or the hazard lamp 70) visible from the outside of the host vehicle A ( Step S105).

  Subsequently, when the operation of the brake pedal is detected by the pedal operation detecting means 15 (step S106, YES), the vehicle control device 10 releases the brake control by the brake control releasing means 16 (step S107).

  On the other hand, when the operation of the brake pedal is not detected (step S106, NO), the current process is terminated.

  Finally, when the on-operation of the hazard lamp switch 80 is detected by the switch operation detecting means 17 (step S108, YES), the vehicle control device 10 releases the lamp control by the lamp control releasing means 18 (step S108). S109), the current process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the ON operation of the switch 80 is not detected (step S108, NO), the current process is terminated.

  With the above configuration, the vehicle control device 10 and the vehicle control method of the present embodiment can automatically decelerate the host vehicle A when the forward vehicle B is suddenly braked. Can be prevented or suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the influence of the sudden braking of the preceding vehicle B on the periphery.

  In addition, the lamp 60 (and / or the lamp 70) of the host vehicle A can be automatically blinked when the host vehicle A is automatically decelerated, and the driver of the following vehicle C can be alerted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the automatic deceleration of the host vehicle A (that is, the influence of the sudden braking of the preceding vehicle B) from reaching the periphery.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be added.

  For example, the vehicle control apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes, in addition to the brake control described above, a well-known ABS (Antilock Brake System) control, traction control control that reduces slippage of driving wheels at the time of start and acceleration, and sudden steering operation. Stability control control that suppresses the side slip generated by the above may be performed.

  Moreover, although the blink detection means 11 of the present embodiment detects the blink of the stop lamp LS (and / or the hazard lamp LH) of the preceding vehicle B, as long as the blink of the lamp related to the sudden brake can be detected. The type of lamp to be detected is not limited, and for example, blinking of the brake lamp LB may be detected. Note that the flashing of the lamp related to the sudden braking includes the flashing of the stop lamp 60 by the lamp control means 14 in addition to the flashing of the stop lamp LS by the EBS system.

  Further, the blinking means 11 of the present embodiment may detect blinking of the blinker lamp of the preceding vehicle B in addition to detecting blinking of the lamp related to the sudden braking. It is possible to suppress the influence of a serious brake from spreading to the surroundings.

It is a functional block diagram which shows one Example of the vehicle-mounted system relevant to the control apparatus for vehicles of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the example of a driving state of the own vehicle carrying the vehicle control apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of an image imaged with the camera 20 outside a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows one Example of the process of the control method for vehicles of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle control apparatus 11 Flashing detection means 12 Brake control means 13 Distance detection means 14 Lamp control means 15 Pedal operation detection means 16 Brake control release means 17 Switch operation detection means 18 Lamp control release means 20 Outside camera 30 Wireless communication device 40 Brake Device 50 Treading force switch 60 Stop lamp 70 Hazard lamp 80 Hazard lamp switch 90 Distance detection sensor

Claims (11)

Blinking detection means for detecting blinking of a lamp visible from the outside of the vehicle ahead,
Brake control means for operating a brake device when the flashing detection means detects flashing of the lamp of the vehicle ahead;
A vehicle control device comprising: Further comprising distance detecting means for detecting the distance to the preceding vehicle;
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the brake control unit operates the brake device according to the distance detected by the distance detection unit when the flashing detection unit detects the flashing of the lamp of the preceding vehicle. Control device.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a lamp control unit that blinks a lamp that is visible from the outside of the host vehicle when the brake device is operated by the brake control unit.   4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein when the brake device is operated by the brake control unit, the lamp control unit causes the lamp of the host vehicle to blink at a different period from that during sudden braking. Further comprising distance detecting means for detecting the distance to the preceding vehicle;
5. The lamp control means, when the brake device is operated by the brake control means, causes the lamp of the host vehicle to blink at a cycle corresponding to the distance detected by the distance detection means. Vehicle control device. The blinking detecting means detects blinking of the lamp of the preceding vehicle and a cycle according to a running state of the preceding vehicle of the blinking,
The said brake control means operates the said brake device according to the said period detected by the said blink detection means, if the blink of the said lamp of the said front vehicle is detected by the said blink detection means. Vehicle control device. Pedal operation detecting means for detecting operation of the brake pedal;
A brake control release means for releasing the brake control by the brake control means when an operation of the brake pedal is detected by the pedal operation detection means;
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: Switch operation detecting means for detecting a hazard lamp switch operation;
A lamp control release means for releasing the lamp control by the lamp control means when the switch operation is detected by the switch operation detection means;
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising:   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the lamp is a stop lamp and / or a hazard lamp installed at a rear part of a vehicle body. A flashing detection step for detecting flashing of a lamp visible from the outside of the vehicle ahead;
A brake control step of operating a brake device when flashing of the lamp of the vehicle ahead is detected by the flashing detection step;
A vehicle control method comprising:   The vehicle control method according to claim 10, further comprising a lamp control step of blinking a lamp visible from the outside of the host vehicle when the brake device is operated by the brake control step.

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