JP2009255629A - Contact avoidance support device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately perform contact avoidance support control to an oncoming vehicle approaching an own-vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: An oncoming vehicle discrimination means M2 discriminates an oncoming vehicle from the relative speed of an object detected by an object detection means M1 and the own-vehicle, and an oncoming vehicle route prediction means M3 predicts an oncoming vehicle route, and an oncoming vehicle interval detection means M4 detects an inter-vehicle distance or in-vehicle time between a plurality of oncoming vehicles, and a contact avoidance support means U avoids the contact of the own-vehicle with the oncoming vehicle according to the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time, or changes the content of contact avoidance support for reducing any damage when the own-vehicle is brought into contact with the oncoming vehicle. When the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles is short, a driver concentrates his or her attention on the oncoming vehicle, and when the inter-vehicle distance of inter-vehicle time is long, the driver does not concentrate on his or her attention on the oncoming vehicle. Then, the content of the contact avoidance support is changed according to the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time, for performing necessary and sufficient contact avoidance support corresponding to the attention force of the driver. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes an object detection unit that detects an object around the host vehicle, an oncoming vehicle determination unit that determines an oncoming vehicle from the object detected by the object detection unit and the relative speed of the host vehicle, and the oncoming vehicle determination unit. Based on the oncoming vehicle course prediction means for predicting the course of the oncoming vehicle determined in step 1, the predicted own car course and the oncoming car course, the contact possibility of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is determined, and the contact possibility is determined to be high. The present invention relates to a vehicle contact avoidance support device including contact avoidance support means for performing contact avoidance support when the operation is performed.

  As a technology that avoids contact between the vehicle and obstacles or reduces damage caused by contact, obstacles are detected using sensors such as radar devices and TV cameras, and the vehicle speed and yaw rate of the vehicle are detected. Voluntary to the driver when there is a high possibility that the vehicle and the obstacle come into contact with each other by predicting the course of the vehicle from the vehicle movement state and predicting the course of the obstacle from the movement state of the obstacle detected by the sensor. It is known that a warning for prompting a contact avoidance operation is issued, and when a driver avoidance operation is not performed, a steering actuator is driven to perform contact avoidance support.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a method in which priority is given to a vehicle group according to the type of the leading vehicle in the vehicle group and the moving speed of the vehicle group, and danger notification is performed based on the priority.
Japanese Patent No. 4008252

  By the way, if the operation timing of the contact avoidance support device is too early, it may cause the driver to have excessive expectation or give the driver a sense of incongruity. Conversely, the operation timing of the contact avoidance support device is too late. Therefore, it is desirable to set the operation timing of the contact avoidance support device according to each case.

  However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 assigns priorities according to the type of the leading vehicle in the vehicle group and the moving speed of the vehicle group, and notifies the danger based on the vehicle group priority. There is a possibility that the vehicle collides with all the vehicles constituting the vehicle group, and it is necessary to operate the contact avoidance support device for each vehicle in the vehicle group at an individual operation timing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to accurately perform contact avoidance support control for an oncoming vehicle approaching the host vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 1, an object detection means for detecting an object around the own vehicle, an object detected by the object detection means, and a relative speed of the own vehicle. Oncoming vehicle determining means for determining an oncoming vehicle, oncoming vehicle route predicting means for predicting the course of the oncoming vehicle determined by the oncoming vehicle determining means, and on the basis of the predicted own vehicle path and oncoming vehicle path In the vehicle contact avoidance assisting device that includes a contact avoidance assisting unit that determines contact possibility of a vehicle and performs contact avoidance support when it is determined that the contact possibility is high. On-vehicle distance detection means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance or an inter-vehicle time between the oncoming vehicles of the vehicle, wherein the contact avoidance support means is responsive to an inter-vehicle distance or an inter-vehicle time between a plurality of oncoming vehicles detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means. Contact avoidance support device for a vehicle, characterized in that to change the contents of the contact avoidance assistance is proposed.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the oncoming vehicle interval detection means includes a determination target oncoming vehicle that is a determination target of contact avoidance assistance, and the determination target oncoming vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time with the preceding oncoming vehicle traveling forward in the traveling direction is detected, and the contact avoidance assisting means determines the content of the contact avoidance support for the determination target oncoming vehicle according to the detected inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time. A vehicle contact avoidance support device is proposed which is characterized by being changed.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the configuration of claim 1 or claim 2, the contact avoidance support means includes an inter-vehicle distance between a plurality of oncoming vehicles detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means or A vehicle contact avoidance support device is proposed that makes contact avoidance support easier or stronger as the time between vehicles increases.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the configuration of any one of claims 1 to 3, the contact avoidance support means includes a plurality of facings detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means. There is proposed a vehicle contact avoidance support device that makes it difficult to perform contact avoidance support or weakens contact avoidance support as the distance between vehicles or the time between vehicles becomes shorter.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the oncoming vehicle is determined by the oncoming vehicle determining unit from the relative speed of the object detected by the object detecting unit and the own vehicle, and the oncoming vehicle path predicting unit is determined by the oncoming vehicle determining unit. Between the plurality of oncoming vehicles detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detecting means by the oncoming vehicle interval detecting means. Depending on the distance between vehicles or the time between vehicles, the content of the contact avoidance support that avoids contact with the oncoming vehicle or reduces damage caused by contact is changed. If the inter-vehicle distance or the inter-vehicle time between a plurality of oncoming vehicles is short, the driver concentrates attention on the oncoming vehicle. Conversely, if the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time is long, the driver does not concentrate attention on the oncoming vehicle. By changing the content of the contact avoidance support according to the distance or the time between vehicles, the necessary and sufficient contact avoidance support according to the driver's attention can be performed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the oncoming vehicle interval detection means is configured to determine a distance between an oncoming vehicle to be determined for contact avoidance assistance and a preceding oncoming vehicle that travels forward in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle to be determined. Detecting the time between vehicles, the contact avoidance support means changes the content of the contact avoidance support for the oncoming vehicle to be judged according to the detected distance between the vehicles or the time between the vehicles. It can be carried out.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means is longer, that is, when the driver's attention to the oncoming vehicle becomes distracting, contact avoidance support Since the means facilitates contact avoidance support or strengthens contact avoidance support, the effect of avoiding contact with an oncoming vehicle or the effect of reducing damage during contact can be enhanced.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detecting means is shorter, that is, when the driver's attention is concentrated on the oncoming vehicle, the contact avoidance support means However, the contact avoidance support is made difficult to be performed or the contact avoidance support is weakened, so that it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable due to the excessive contact avoidance support being performed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a contact avoidance support device, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of contact avoidance support control, and FIG. 3 is a steering avoidance amount setting method. 4 is a map for retrieving the operation timing from the steering avoidance amount, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the inter-vehicle distance of the oncoming vehicle, FIG. 6 is a map for retrieving the operation timing correction amount from the inter-vehicle distance, and FIG. 7 is the inter-vehicle distance. It is a map which searches a coefficient from.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wave radar device Sr mounted on the front of the vehicle body to detect an object in front of the vehicle (for example, an oncoming vehicle) transmits electromagnetic waves (millimeter waves) to a detection area in front of the vehicle. The transmission / reception means 11 that receives the reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave reflected by the object, and the arithmetic processing unit 12 that processes the signal from the transmission / reception means 11 are configured. The arithmetic processing unit 12 of the radar device Sr includes an object detection unit M1, an oncoming vehicle determination unit M2, an oncoming vehicle route prediction unit M3, and an oncoming vehicle interval detection unit M4.

  The contact avoidance control means U including an electronic control unit connected to the oncoming vehicle course prediction means M3 and the oncoming vehicle interval detection means M4 of the arithmetic processing unit 12 of the radar device Sr may cause the own vehicle to come into contact with the oncoming vehicle. Is determined, the operation of the brake actuator 13, the steering actuator 14 and the alarm device 15 is controlled in order to avoid the contact or reduce the damage of the contact.

  When the transmission / reception means 11 of the radar device Sr transmits an electromagnetic wave (millimeter wave) in front of the vehicle body and receives the reflected wave reflected by the object, the object detection means M1 detects the distance, direction and relative speed of the object. Is calculated. The objects detected by the radar device Sr include an oncoming vehicle that runs in the opposite direction from the front of the host vehicle, a forward vehicle that runs in the same direction in front of the host vehicle, and a roadside object that does not move. The oncoming vehicle determination means M2 determines that an object whose relative speed with respect to the own vehicle is larger than the vehicle speed of the own vehicle exceeds a predetermined value is an oncoming vehicle. The preceding vehicle can be distinguished from the oncoming vehicle because the relative speed with respect to the own vehicle is smaller than the vehicle speed of the own vehicle exceeding a predetermined value. A roadside object that does not move can be identified as an oncoming vehicle because the relative speed to the host vehicle matches the vehicle speed of the host vehicle.

  The oncoming vehicle course prediction means M3 estimates the future predicted course of the oncoming vehicle from the past movement trajectory of the oncoming vehicle determined by the oncoming vehicle determination means M2. The oncoming vehicle interval detection means M4 detects the inter-vehicle distance between the oncoming vehicle Vb1 closest to the own vehicle Va and the oncoming vehicle Vb2 second closest to the own vehicle Va when the oncoming vehicle determination means M2 determines a plurality of oncoming vehicles Vb. (See FIG. 5). If there are oncoming vehicles Vb3, Vb4, Vb5... Close to the third, fourth, fifth,... Behind the second oncoming vehicle Vb2, the third and subsequent opposition to the oncoming vehicle Vb1 closest to the own vehicle Va. The distance between the vehicles Vb3, Vb4, Vb5... Is also detected.

  The contact avoidance support means U predicts the course of the host vehicle Va from the vehicle speed and yaw rate of the host vehicle Va, and predicts the predicted course of the oncoming vehicle Vb (Vb1, Vb2, Vb3...) Predicted by the oncoming vehicle course prediction unit M3 and the host vehicle. The brake actuator is compared with the predicted course of Va, it is determined that there is a possibility that the own vehicle Va and the oncoming vehicle Vb come into contact with each other when they interfere, and the contact is avoided or the damage of the contact is reduced. 13. Control the operation of the steering actuator 14 and the alarm device 15.

  Next, the content of the contact avoidance control of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S1, an obstacle such as the oncoming vehicle Vb is detected by the object detection means M1, and in step S2, the predicted course of the host vehicle Va is calculated by the contact avoidance support means U, and the oncoming vehicle is detected by the oncoming vehicle course prediction means M3. The predicted course of Vb is calculated. In the following step S3, the steering avoidance amount required for avoiding contact between the own vehicle Va and the oncoming vehicle Vb with a predetermined margin is calculated by the contact avoidance support means U.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (A), when there is a possibility that the predicted course of the own vehicle Va and the predicted course of the oncoming vehicle Vb interfere with each other, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the own vehicle Va Calculates the left steering amount necessary for steering to the left side to avoid contact and the right steering amount necessary for the host vehicle Va to steer right side to avoid contact. In the case of FIG. 3B, since the left steering amount is smaller than the right steering amount, the left steering amount is selected as the final steering avoidance amount.

  If the steering avoidance amount does not exceed the predetermined value in the subsequent step S4, it is determined that the possibility of contact is low or the possibility of contact has disappeared, and the contact avoidance control is stopped in step S5. If the steering avoidance amount exceeds the predetermined value in step S4, an alarm timing that is a timing for operating the alarm device 15 in step S6 and a contact avoidance timing that is a timing for operating the brake actuator 13 and the steering actuator 14 are determined. calculate. As apparent from FIG. 4, the operation timings of the brake actuator 13, the steering actuator 14, and the alarm device 15 are set to increase as the steering avoidance amount increases.

  In the subsequent step S7, the alarm distance (distance from the position where the contact is predicted until the alarm is started) is calculated by multiplying the alarm timing by the relative speed of the host vehicle Va and the oncoming vehicle Vb, and the contact avoidance control distance ( The distance from the position where contact is predicted to the start of contact avoidance control) is calculated by multiplying the contact avoidance control timing by the relative speed of the host vehicle Va and the oncoming vehicle Vb. As described with reference to FIG. 4, the operation timing increases when the steering avoidance amount is large, that is, when the possibility of contact is high. Therefore, by determining the alarm distance and the contact avoidance control distance as in the equation of step S7, the alarm or contact avoidance control is started sufficiently before the position where the contact is predicted when the possibility of contact is high. be able to.

  If the relative distance to the oncoming vehicle Vb is greater than or equal to the warning distance in step S8, no alarm is issued in step S9. If the relative distance to the oncoming vehicle Vb is less than the warning distance in step S8, the alarm device 15 is activated in step S10. To alert the driver to avoid voluntary contact. Further, if the relative distance is greater than or equal to the contact avoidance control distance in step S11, the contact avoidance control is not performed in step S5. If the relative distance becomes less than the contact avoidance control distance in step S11, the target yaw rate necessary for contact avoidance is determined in step S12. In step S13, the steering actuator 14 is operated so as to generate the target yaw rate, and contact avoidance control is executed. At this time, the contact avoidance effect can be further enhanced by simultaneously operating the brake actuator 13.

  The steering actuator 14 calculates a steering torque control amount by k × host vehicle speed × target yaw rate, where k is a coefficient, and feedforward controls the steering actuator 14 so as to generate the steering torque control amount. Alternatively, the steering actuator 14 may be feedback controlled so that the actual yaw rate matches the target yaw rate.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the oncoming vehicle Vb (Vb1, Vb2) approaches the host vehicle Va. The inter-vehicle distance of the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 with respect to the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 close to the host vehicle Va is d1.

  FIG. 6 shows a map for searching for the operation timing correction amount from the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2. When the inter-vehicle distance d1 is 30 m or more, the operation timing correction amount is set to zero. However, when the inter-vehicle distance d1 is less than 30 m, the operation timing correction amount gradually increases to a certain value, and when the inter-vehicle distance d1 is less than 10 m, the operation timing correction is performed. The quantity is held at the constant value.

  Since the operation timing is subtracted from the operation timing searched from the map shown in FIG. 4, the operation timing is corrected so as to decrease as the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 decreases. . As a result, as the inter-vehicle distance d1 is smaller, the warning and the contact avoidance control are performed after approaching the position where contact with the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is predicted. In other words, the smaller the inter-vehicle distance d1, the more difficult it is to perform an alarm or contact avoidance control for the oncoming vehicle Vb2.

  The reason for this is that when the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is small, the driver's attention that paid attention to the oncoming lane due to the approach of the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 is the second oncoming This is because the vehicle Vb2 is maintained as it is, and the driver feels uncomfortable when excessive warning or contact avoidance control is performed. Note that after the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1 passes the own vehicle V1, the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 becomes the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1.

  Conversely, if the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is large, the time from passing the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1 until the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 approaches becomes longer. Since the driver's attention to the lane may be distracted, warning and contact avoidance control can be started early so that reliable contact avoidance and damage reduction can be achieved.

  FIG. 7 shows a map for retrieving the coefficient k from the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2. When the inter-vehicle distance d1 decreases, the coefficient k is set to gradually decrease. As described above, the coefficient k is used when calculating the steering torque control amount by k × own vehicle speed × target yaw rate. By setting the coefficient k as shown in FIG. 7, the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1 When the inter-vehicle distance d1 of the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 decreases, that is, when the driver's attention to the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 increases, the steering torque control amount gradually decreases, so the strength of the contact avoidance control is weakened. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the driver's uncomfortable feeling due to excessive warning and contact avoidance control.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the first embodiment, the strength of the contact avoidance control for the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is changed according to the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2. As shown in FIG. 2, in the second embodiment, instead of the inter-vehicle distance d1, an inter-vehicle time t1 between the leading oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 (the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is the current leading oncoming vehicle). Time until reaching the position of Vb1) is used as a parameter.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the operation timing correction amount is maintained at zero when the inter-vehicle time t1 is from 0 second to 30 seconds, and the operation timing correction amount is increased from zero while the inter-vehicle time t1 is increased from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. When it gradually increases to a predetermined value and the inter-vehicle time t1 exceeds 5 minutes, the operation timing correction amount is held at the predetermined value.

  In the second embodiment, since the operation timing correction amount is not “subtracted” from the operation timing retrieved from the map shown in FIG. 4 but “added”, the greater the inter-vehicle time t1, that is, As the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is large and the driver's attention to the oncoming lane is distracted, the warning and contact avoidance control for the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 is advanced. It can be carried out.

  Also in the second embodiment, since the coefficient k is set so as to decrease as the inter-vehicle time t1 decreases (see FIG. 7), the first oncoming vehicle Vb1 and the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 When the inter-vehicle time t1 decreases, that is, when the driver's attention to the second oncoming vehicle Vb2 increases, the strength of the contact avoidance control is weakened, so that the driver's uncomfortable feeling due to excessive warning or contact avoidance control is eliminated. Can do.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment, the steering actuator 14 is mainly used for the contact avoidance control and the brake actuator 13 is used supplementarily. However, the brake actuator 13 may be used mainly and the steering actuator 14 may be used auxiliary, and further the brake The actuator 13 and the steering actuator 14 may be used on an equal basis.

  The radar device Sr is not limited to the millimeter wave radar device of the embodiment, and may be a laser radar device.

The block diagram of the contact avoidance assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment Flow chart of contact avoidance support control Illustration of how to set steering avoidance A map to search the operation timing from the steering avoidance amount Illustration of distance between oncoming vehicles Map to search for the operation timing correction amount from the inter-vehicle distance Map to search for coefficient from distance between vehicles Explanatory drawing of the inter-vehicle time of an oncoming vehicle based on 2nd Embodiment Map to search for the operation timing correction amount from inter-vehicle time

Explanation of symbols

M1 Object detection unit M2 Oncoming vehicle determination unit M3 Oncoming vehicle path prediction unit M4 Oncoming vehicle interval detection unit U Contact avoidance support unit Va Own vehicle Vb Oncoming vehicle Vb1 Oncoming vehicle Vb2 Oncoming vehicle

Claims (4)

An object detection means (M1) for detecting an object around the host vehicle (Va);
Oncoming vehicle determination means (M2) for determining the oncoming vehicle (Vb) from the relative speed of the object detected by the object detection means (M1) and the host vehicle (Va);
Oncoming vehicle course prediction means (M3) for predicting the course of the oncoming vehicle (Vb) determined by the oncoming vehicle determination means (M2);
Contact avoidance that determines contact possibility of own vehicle (Va) and oncoming vehicle (Vb) based on predicted own vehicle path and oncoming vehicle path, and performs contact avoidance support when it is determined that contact possibility is high Support means (U),
In a vehicle contact avoidance assistance device comprising:
An oncoming vehicle interval detection means (M4) for detecting an inter-vehicle distance or an inter-vehicle time between a plurality of oncoming vehicles (Vb1, Vb2) determined by the oncoming vehicle determination means (M2);
The contact avoidance support means (U) changes the content of the contact avoidance support according to the inter-vehicle distance or the inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles (Vb1, Vb2) detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means (M4). A vehicle contact avoidance support device characterized by the above. The oncoming vehicle interval detection means (M4) includes a determination target oncoming vehicle (Vb2) that is a determination target for contact avoidance support, and a preceding oncoming vehicle (Vb1) that travels in front of the determination target oncoming vehicle (Vb2). Detecting the distance or time between cars
The said contact avoidance assistance means (U) changes the content of the contact avoidance assistance with respect to the said determination object oncoming vehicle (Vb2) according to the detected inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time. Vehicle contact avoidance support device.   The contact avoidance support means (U) facilitates contact avoidance support as the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles (Vb1, Vb2) detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means (M4) increases. The contact avoidance support device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein contact avoidance support is strengthened.   The contact avoidance support means (U) makes the contact avoidance support less likely to occur as the inter-vehicle distance or the inter-vehicle time between the plurality of oncoming vehicles (Vb1, Vb2) detected by the oncoming vehicle interval detection means (M4). The contact avoidance support device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein contact avoidance support is weakened.

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