JP2010149833A - Eco-drive support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an eco-drive support device for indicating drive operation assist information taking into consideration even the peripheral status information of a vehicle in addition to a viewpoint of improving fuel economy. <P>SOLUTION: The eco-drive support device includes a use area selecting means for selecting any of an optimal use area or an allowable use area stored in a use area storage means according to the peripheral state information of the vehicle acquired by a vehicle peripheral information acquiring part 400, the peripheral traffic state of the vehicle acquired by a peripheral traffic state acquiring part 700 and an inclination of the vehicle acquired by a travel information acquiring part 200, a determining means for determining whether or not a use point calculated by a use point calculating means is included in a usee area selected by the use area selecting means, and a display 600 for changing display corresponding to a determination by the determining means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an eco-drive support device that is mounted on a vehicle and relates to an improvement in fuel efficiency of a power source such as an engine of the vehicle, and that assists a driver with driving operation.

  Trends of minimizing the energy consumed by vehicles and reducing the burden on the environment as much as possible in recent years due to consideration of the excessive consumption of energy such as fossil fuels and the resulting deterioration of the environment. It is in. In response to this trend, various efforts have been made to improve fuel efficiency in vehicles.

  By the way, the fuel consumption of a power source such as an engine in a vehicle (or energy consumption efficiency when the vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. However, in this specification, the term “fuel consumption” is unified for any power source) Is influenced by the driving operation by the driver. One of the above-described approaches is research on a device that advises the driver to perform a driving operation that improves fuel consumption.

As an example of such a thing, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-220851), when the economy shift mode is selected, whether or not the driving operation by the driver is suitable for improving the fuel consumption. An operation state display device that determines whether or not the eco lamp is switched on / off in accordance with this is disclosed. Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-105559) discloses an accelerator opening display device capable of displaying information for guiding a driver so as not to deviate from an operation region suitable for fuel efficiency. Yes.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-220851 JP 2008-105559 A

  However, both of the display devices described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 can prompt an optimal driving operation from the viewpoint of fuel efficiency when the host vehicle is traveling on the road alone. When a large number of other vehicles are traveling around the host vehicle, there is a problem in that it is not possible to perform display for assisting the optimum driving operation in consideration of the traveling conditions of other vehicles in the surroundings. .

  That is, in the conventional technology, if the driver is caught only by the driving operation assist information by the display device and travels along the driving assist information, there is a possibility that the safe traveling in consideration of the surrounding environment around the own vehicle may not be performed. For example, in the case where the optimum driving operation from the fuel economy side causes a traffic jam, the conventional display device only displays the optimum driving operation assist information from the fuel consumption side. If the person drives the vehicle according to only the driving operation assist information by the display device, as a result, a driving operation that does not match the surrounding situation is performed. As described above, the conventional display device has a problem that it is not possible to present the driving operation assist information in consideration of the situation around the vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, an invention according to claim 1 is an eco-drive support device that is mounted on a vehicle and assists a driver in driving operation with respect to improvement in fuel consumption of a power source of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle A use point calculation that calculates a use point of the power source based on a parameter indicating a use situation of the power source, a travel information acquisition unit that acquires an inclination angle of the vehicle, and a parameter acquired by the travel information acquisition unit And a use area storage means for storing an optimum use area where the fuel efficiency of the power source is good and an allowable use area which includes the optimum use area and is wider than the optimum use area, and obtains the surrounding situation information of the vehicle A vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit, a surrounding traffic situation acquisition unit that acquires a traffic situation around the vehicle, and the vehicle surrounding information acquired by the vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit, The optimum use area stored in the use area storage unit according to the traffic situation around the vehicle acquired by the peripheral traffic condition acquisition unit and the inclination angle of the vehicle acquired by the travel information acquisition unit Or a first use area selection unit that selects either one of the allowable use areas and a first use point that determines whether the use point calculated by the use point calculation unit is included in the use area selected by the use area selection unit. It has a determination means and a display unit for changing the display according to the determination by the first determination means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the eco-drive support device according to the first aspect, the surrounding traffic condition acquisition unit acquires information related to a signal that the vehicle is scheduled to pass.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the eco-drive support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding traffic condition acquisition unit acquires information relating to other vehicles traveling around the vehicle. Features.

  The eco-driving support device according to claims 1 to 3 of the present invention improves the total fuel consumption in consideration of future signal state changes, driving conditions of surrounding vehicles other than the front and rear vehicles, and the inclination of the driving path. Eco-drive support is provided and the eco-drive sign is displayed accordingly. That is, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel efficiency, the driving operation assist information in consideration of the surrounding state information of the vehicle, the surrounding traffic state information, the surrounding state information of the vehicle, and the terrain information on which the vehicle travels is also included. It is possible to make a presentation.

1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle on which an eco-drive support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. It is a figure which shows the outline of a block structure of the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the driving | running method in which a vehicle can reach | attain a predetermined speed with sufficient fuel consumption from a stop state. It is a figure explaining various peripheral situations until a vehicle reaches a predetermined speed from a stop state. It is a figure explaining the driving | running method with which the eco-drive assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention determines that a fuel consumption is good. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the eco-drive assistance process and operation | movement of the eco-drive assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the parameter used for determination of the surrounding situation relevant to the own vehicle and other vehicles. It is a figure explaining the parameter used for determination of the surrounding situation relevant to the own vehicle and other vehicles. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the engine speed of the engine mounted in a vehicle, and an engine torque. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the engine speed of the engine mounted in a vehicle, and an engine torque. It is a figure which shows the example of an eco-drive sign display on the display 610 in the eco-drive assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an eco-drive sign display on the display 610 in the eco-drive assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the outline of the vehicle by which the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention is mounted. It is a figure which shows the outline of a block structure of the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed without obtaining the timing information in which a signal changes. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed based on timing information when a signal changes. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (signal dependence) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the signal information acquired in the side traffic condition information acquisition part 700 in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed without obtaining the traffic situation information around the vehicle. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed based on the traffic condition information around a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (congestion degree dependence) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed without considering the inclination of the road on which the vehicle travels. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed based on the inclination of the road where a vehicle runs. It is a figure explaining the case where eco-drive assistance is performed based on the inclination of the road where a vehicle runs. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (inclination angle dependence) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the definition of the inclination-angle of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (overall) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (overall) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the subroutine of the determination condition selection process (overall) in the eco-drive assistance device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle on which an eco-drive support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and FIG. 2 shows an outline of a block configuration of the eco-drive support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Note that the eco-drive support device of the present embodiment is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, a hybrid vehicle, and an electric vehicle, but may be mounted on other moving means. At this time, the energy consumption efficiency of a power source such as a motor, a power source combining a motor and an engine, and the like are collectively referred to as “fuel consumption” in this specification.

1 and 2, 10 is a vehicle, 32 is a steering wheel, 54 is an accelerator pedal, 100 is an ECU, 200 is a travel information acquisition unit, 210 is a vehicle speed sensor, 220 is an engine speed sensor, 230 is an engine torque sensor, 400 Is a vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit, 410 is a millimeter wave radar, 420 is a camera, 500 is a driving operation unit, 510 is an accelerator sensor, 540 is an accelerator reaction force control unit, 560 is a steering vibration control unit, 600 is an interface unit, and 610 is Reference numeral 630 denotes a speaker.

  The vehicle 10 is equipped with the eco-drive support device of the present invention, and will be described by taking an example of a vehicle that runs using ordinary gasoline as a fuel and an engine as a power source. As described above, the eco-drive support of the present invention is described. The type of vehicle on which the device is mounted is not limited to this.

  The ECU 100 is an abbreviation for an electronic control unit, and is a general-purpose information processing mechanism including a CPU, a ROM that holds a program that operates on the CPU, and a RAM that is a work area of the CPU. The ECU 100 cooperates and operates with each component connected to the illustrated ECU 100. Further, the ECU 100 executes various control processes in the eco-drive support device of the present invention based on programs and data stored and held in storage means such as a ROM in the ECU 100. The “use point calculation means”, “use area selection means”, “first determination means”, “deviation calculation means”, and “second determination means” described in the claims are the operations of the ECU 100. It is expressed in a superordinate concept. In the present embodiment, each of the above means is realized by the ECU 100 and a program executed on the ECU 100. However, these means are not limited to this, and hardware such as a logic circuit is used. It may be realized only by wear. Further, the “use area storage unit” described in the claims expresses the configuration of a storage medium for storing electronic data such as the ROM. The concept is merely to store a fuel consumption curve representing the fuel efficiency of the power source of the vehicle (FIG. 10 to be described later), but the fuel efficiency curve obtained from a predetermined calculation formula that determines the fuel efficiency of the power source from the design is also available. If included, it is defined as “use area acquisition means”. In the present embodiment, description will be made using the use area storage means, but the use area can be replaced with the acquisition means. In this case, it is replaced when the fuel efficiency is calculated by a predetermined calculation formula.

  The travel information acquisition unit 200 is configured to acquire information related to actual travel of the vehicle 10, and is provided with at least a vehicle speed sensor 210, and senses the speed of the vehicle 10 (own vehicle speed). ing. Note that as the travel information acquisition unit 200, other sensors such as a gyro may be provided. The engine speed sensor 220 is a sensor that detects the engine speed from an engine mounted on the vehicle 10 (not shown), and the engine torque sensor 230 is a sensor that detects torque output by the engine. is there. In the present embodiment, based on the use range (see FIG. 10) in which the engine can be operated efficiently based on the relationship between the engine speed and the engine torque obtained by the engine speed sensor 220 and the engine torque sensor 230, the driving operation is performed. Is determined to be appropriate or inappropriate in terms of fuel consumption. In addition to this determination, when a sudden change in the accelerator opening is detected, it may be determined that the driving operation is inappropriate in terms of fuel consumption regardless of the absolute value of the accelerator opening.

  The vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 400 is configured to acquire information on the outside of the vehicle 10 and the like around the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 400 includes a millimeter wave radar 410 and a camera 420 on the front side and the rear side of the vehicle 10. . The millimeter wave radar 410 measures a distance between a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 10 and an obstacle. The distance between the front vehicle and the rear vehicle measured here is input to the ECU 100. Further, from the measured inter-vehicle distance and the speed information of the host vehicle acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 210, the ECU 100 determines the relative speed obtained by subtracting the speed of the host vehicle from the speed of the vehicle traveling forward and rearward of the host vehicle. Perform calculations. Further, the “vehicle peripheral information acquisition means” described in the claims expresses the configuration of the millimeter wave radar 410 and the like in a high-level concept.

  In addition, the camera 420 acquires an image relating to a vehicle, an obstacle, or a road surface traveling in front. The acquired image data is transmitted to the ECU 100, and image analysis is performed by the ECU 100, for example, to obtain distance information with respect to the vehicle ahead, or to obtain the friction coefficient of the road surface by determining the state of the road surface. The obtained friction coefficient is used to calculate the braking distance or the idle running distance.

  The driving operation unit 500 has a configuration related to driving of the vehicle 10. In the eco-drive support device of the present invention, the driving operation unit 500 includes, for example, an accelerator sensor 510, an accelerator reaction force control unit 540, and a brake assist control unit 550. Yes.

  The accelerator sensor 510 detects the depression amount (angle) of the accelerator pedal 54, and the brake sensor 520 detects the depression amount (angle) of the brake pedal 55. In particular, the accelerator sensor 510 operates the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle, so it is defined as “driving operation detecting means” that detects the driving operation. In this embodiment, the accelerator sensor 510 will be described. However, as an alternative to the accelerator sensor 510, a throttle valve (not shown) for adjusting the amount of intake air supplied to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, a hybrid vehicle, or the like. A control signal that is a signal for controlling the electric motor may be used, and these are not excluded from the scope of rights.

  The accelerator reaction force control unit 540 generates a force (arrow A in FIG. 1) against the driver's depression of the accelerator pedal 54 by an actuator (not shown) or the like, and this force is applied to the accelerator pedal 54 as an accelerator reaction force. It is a control unit that communicates. Such an accelerator reaction force control unit 540 is instructed by the ECU 100 to prevent excessive fuel consumption. By such an accelerator reaction force control unit 540, the driver feels the reaction force from the accelerator pedal 54 and is instructed that his / her driving is significantly out of the fuel efficiency improvement driving operation. The “driving operation guiding means” described in the claims expresses the configuration of the accelerator reaction force control unit 540 and the like in a superordinate concept.

  Further, the reaction force generated by the accelerator reaction force control unit 540 pushes back the accelerator pedal 54 by the driver and avoids further sudden acceleration of the vehicle 10.

  The steering vibration control unit 560 is mounted on the steering 32 operated by the driver of the vehicle 10 and performs control to apply vibration to the palm of the driver, and the steering vibration control unit 560 operates. Thus, it is possible to guide the driver to perform a predetermined driving operation. The “driving operation guiding means” described in the claims expresses the configuration of the steering vibration control unit 560 and the like in a superordinate concept.

  The interface unit 600 is provided in a driver seat of the vehicle 10 and is configured to provide information related to the vehicle 10 to the driver. A display 610 in the interface unit 600 is a display device such as a liquid crystal. By displaying character / graphic information on the display 610, it is possible to visually notify the driver of predetermined information. Such a display 610 allows the driver of the vehicle 10 to receive driving operation assist information from the eco-drive support device in consideration of the surrounding situation information of the vehicle in addition to improving the fuel efficiency. For example, a display such as a sign indicating that eco-driving is being performed can be confirmed on the display 610. Various methods are conceivable for such an eco-drive sign display method. A method of specifically displaying driving operation assist information such as an eco-drive sign on the display 610 will be described in detail later. The “display changing means” described in the claims expresses the configuration of the display 610 and the like in a high-level concept.

  The interface unit 600 also includes a speaker 630 so that voice guidance and warning can be given to the driver as necessary. The display 610 and the speaker 630 of the interface unit 600 function as presenting means for the driver when the driving operation is significantly deviated from the fuel efficiency improvement driving operation. “Presentation means” described in the claims expresses the configuration of the display 610, the speaker 630, and the like in a high-level concept. The concept of notifying the driver is defined as “notification means” as a concept encompassing “driving operation guiding means” and “presentation means”.

  Next, an image of driving operation assist information according to the surrounding situation presented by the eco-drive support device of the present invention will be described. Assume a situation where a vehicle equipped with the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment accelerates to 60 km / h from a stopped state, for example. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a driving method in which the vehicle can reach a predetermined speed (60 km / h) with good fuel consumption from a stopped state. In FIG. 3, the hatched area indicates acceleration (driving operation) that allows the vehicle to be driven with good fuel efficiency. For example, even in a conventional apparatus, when such driving operation is performed, The driver was notified by displaying an eco-drive sign indicating that he was driving.

  However, depending on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, it may not be possible to perform a driving operation only from the viewpoint of fuel consumption. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining various surrounding situations until the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed (60 km / h) from a stopped state. FIG. 4A shows the surrounding situation when there is a margin in the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and there is no margin in the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. FIG. 4B shows a surrounding situation when there is a predetermined margin in both the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. FIG. 4C shows the surrounding situation when there is no margin in the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle and there is a margin in the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle. In this way, there can be various surrounding situations as described above until the vehicle is accelerated to a predetermined speed (60 km / h) from the stop state.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a driving method in which the eco-drive support device according to the embodiment of the present invention determines that the fuel consumption is good. FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are graphs showing a region with good fuel consumption in terms of speed with respect to time based on a fuel consumption curve determined by the design of the power source with the vertical axis representing speed and the horizontal axis representing time. ing. The driving method with good fuel consumption, which is the first driving region described in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, is an engine of a determination graph based on the original characteristics of the vehicle engine in FIG. Is expressed using speed and time based on the fuel consumption curve determined by the design of the power source described in the optimum use area where the vehicle can be operated efficiently. The driving method permitted by the surrounding situation that is the second driving region shown in FIG. 5A is poor in fuel efficiency as compared with the driving method that has good fuel consumption that is the first driving region. The vehicle speed can be increased with respect to time compared to a driving method with good fuel efficiency. This is expressed using speed and time based on a fuel consumption curve determined by an allowable use region provided by a surrounding situation in a determination graph when allowing use on the high output side of the vehicle engine of FIG. Is. Although the driving method allowed by the surrounding situation which is the third driving region described in FIG. 5C is lower in fuel consumption than the driving method having good fuel consumption which is the third driving region, The fuel consumption is equivalent to that of the driving method allowed depending on the surrounding situation, which is a region, and the vehicle speed can be reduced with respect to time compared to the driving method with good fuel consumption which is the first driving region. This is expressed by using speed and time based on a fuel consumption curve determined by an allowable use area provided by a surrounding situation in a determination graph when allowing use on the low output side of the vehicle engine of FIG. Is. The driving method that is allowed depending on the surrounding conditions in FIGS. 5B and 5C is designed to achieve the same fuel efficiency in this embodiment, but this is the case with FIGS. 10A and 10B. This is based on the fuel consumption curve of the engine, and depending on the design of the engine that is the driving source, one may be designed to be superior to the other without being designed to have the same fuel consumption. The details of FIG. 5 will be described based on the relationship of FIG.

  FIG. 5 (A) shows the standard of the driving method for displaying the eco-drive sign under the surrounding situation shown in FIG. 4 (A). In the case shown in FIG. 4A, since there is a margin in the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle and there is no margin in the inter-vehicle distance with the rear vehicle, in the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, In addition to the driving method of FIG. 5, the vertical line (FIG. 5 (A ) Is driven (accelerated) according to the driving method shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5B, that is, both the front vehicle and the front vehicle have a margin. In some cases, the eco-drive sign is displayed even if the vehicle speed is increased relative to the vehicle speed in the usage region where the fuel consumption of the host vehicle is good.

  FIG. 5 (B) shows the criteria of the driving method for displaying the eco-drive sign under the surrounding situation shown in FIG. 4 (B). In the case shown in FIG. 4B, since there is a margin in the inter-vehicle distance between the front vehicle and the rear vehicle, driving is performed in a usage region where the original fuel consumption of the engine of the own vehicle is good regardless of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle. It should be possible to perform acceleration at a vehicle speed corresponding to that by performing acceleration with good fuel efficiency. In such a case, in the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, the eco-drive is performed only when driving (acceleration) is performed by the driving method indicated by the diagonal driving method (the driving method with good fuel efficiency in FIG. 5). Display a sign.

  FIG. 5C shows the standard of the driving method for displaying the eco-drive sign under the surrounding situation shown in FIG. In the case shown in FIG. 4 (C), there is no allowance for the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle, and there is an allowance for the inter-vehicle distance with the rear vehicle. In addition to the method, driving by the driving method indicated by the vertical line (the driving method permitted by the surrounding situation in FIG. 5C) whose acceleration is smaller than the driving method indicated by the oblique lines (the driving method having good fuel efficiency in FIG. 5C) (Acceleration) and the situation before and after the vehicle in FIG. 4 (C) and FIG. 5 (C), that is, when there is no allowance for the intervehicular distance with the preceding vehicle, The eco-drive sign is displayed even if the vehicle speed is lowered relative to the vehicle speed in a usage region where the vehicle has good fuel efficiency.

  In the above, based on the surrounding environment information such as the distance between the vehicle ahead and the vehicle behind, the vehicle speed for the driving method with good fuel consumption and the upper and lower limits of the vehicle speed for the driving method allowed according to the surrounding conditions are set, and the eco-drive sign However, the eco-drive support device of the present invention is not limited to such surrounding environment information, and the eco-drive sign display standard is determined according to other surrounding environment information. Can be changed.

  Next, processing and operation of the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the eco-drive support process / operation of the eco-drive support apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 6, when the eco-drive support processing operation of the eco-drive support device is started in step S100, the process proceeds to step S101, where the engine speed value (R) is determined from the engine speed sensor 220, and the engine torque. An engine torque value (T) is acquired from the sensor 230. Subsequently, in step S102, a subroutine related to the determination condition selection process is executed.

Here, the determination condition selection processing subroutine will be described. In the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, a determination condition for determining whether or not to perform eco-drive sign display is selected by this determination condition selection processing subroutine. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a determination condition selection process subroutine in the eco-drive support device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 7, when a subroutine for determination condition selection processing is started in step S200, the process proceeds to step S201, where information on the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle is transmitted from the millimeter wave radar 410, camera 420, etc. in the vehicle peripheral information acquisition unit 400. To get.

  In step S202, it is determined whether or not there is a forward vehicle that is another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle. If the determination result in step S202 is YES, the process proceeds to step S203, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S207.

  In step S207, which proceeds when the determination in step S202 is NO, it is determined whether there is a rear vehicle that is another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle. If the determination result in step S207 is YES, the process proceeds to step S208, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S206.

  When the determination in step S207 is NO, neither the front vehicle nor the rear vehicle exists. Therefore, in step S206, (B) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and determination is made based on this, and display such as an eco-drive sign is executed.

  Here, the concept of the optimum use area of the engine mounted on the vehicle 10 and the allowable use area wider than the optimum use area including the optimum use area will be described. Note that the optimum use area and the allowable use area are stored in a storage unit such as the ROM, and the ECU 100 is configured to use for the determination.

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the engine speed of the engine mounted on the vehicle and the engine torque. In FIGS. 10A to 10C, all the graphs are within the range surrounded by the dotted line. However, this is the optimal optimum use area of the vehicle 10 engine. If there is an engine usage point (engine speed, engine torque) within this optimum usage range, the vehicle is operating with good fuel efficiency, and if there is no such usage point within the optimum usage range. It can be determined that the driving operation with good fuel efficiency is not performed. Such a concept has existed in the prior art, but in the eco-drive support device of the present invention, depending on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10, even if it is out of the optimum use range, the fuel consumption is improved. A use area (allowable use area) for determining that a good driving operation is being performed is set. 10A to 10C, the optimum use range where the engine can be efficiently operated and the allowable use range allowed according to the surrounding conditions are the fuel efficiency standards, that is, the ambient use range. This is a criterion according to the situation, and the optimum use area and the allowable use area are changed by the use area storage means or the use area acquisition means of this superordinate concept. In addition, since the case where it changes with a use area | region acquisition means also includes the case where fuel consumption is calculated with a predetermined | prescribed arithmetic expression, in this case, it becomes possible to calculate by changing a predetermined arithmetic expression.

  The shaded area in FIG. 10A indicates the allowable use area for determination when the use of the area on the high output side is permitted depending on the surrounding conditions. Such an allowable use area for determination is, for example, when the inter-vehicle distance with the rear vehicle, which is another vehicle that travels behind the host vehicle, is close, and when the engine output on the high output side is necessary, That is, the present invention is applied to the determination when a higher output is required from the power source than the original characteristics of the engine that is the power source.

  Further, the hatched portion in FIG. 10B is an example in which the optimum use area based on the original characteristics of the vehicle 10 engine is the use area for determination. This use area for determination is applied when the vehicle 10 is not affected by the surrounding situation, that is, in a situation where the driving operation of the own pace can be performed.

  In addition, the hatched portion in FIG. 10C indicates an allowable use area for determination when the use of the low output side area is permitted depending on the surrounding conditions. Such an allowable use area for determination is, for example, when the inter-vehicle distance with a preceding vehicle that is another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle is approaching, and when the engine output on the low output side is necessary, In other words, the present invention is applied to the determination in the case where a lower output is required from the power source than the original characteristics of the engine that is the power source.

  As described above, according to the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, since the determination criterion is changed according to the surrounding situation, the driving operation considering the surrounding situation information of the vehicle in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel efficiency. It is possible to present assist information.

Again, returning to the flowchart of FIG. In step S208 that proceeds when the determination result in step S207 is YES, since only the rear vehicle exists, the relationship between the speed of the host vehicle 10 and the speed of the rear vehicle is determined. That is, in this step, it is determined whether or not V _b > V and V _b −V> V _o . Here, the definition related to the speed V will be described. V is the speed of the host vehicle 10, _Vb is the speed of the vehicle behind,
V _o is a predetermined reference speed. FIG. 9B illustrates the determination in this step. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining parameters used for determination of ambient conditions related to the host vehicle and other vehicles. When the determination in step S208 is true, that is, when V _b > V and V _b −V> V _o , the speed of the rear vehicle is higher than the speed of the host vehicle 10,
In addition, since the rear vehicle is approaching with a speed difference of a predetermined value or more, it is determined that the eco-driving is being performed even if the engine is used on the high output side.

  That is, when the determination in step S208 is YES, the process proceeds to step S211 and (A) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum usage area, and the eco-drive determination is performed based on this. If the determination in step S208 is NO, the process proceeds to step 206, where (B) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  In step S203, it is determined whether there is a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle. When the determination result in step S203 is YES, the process proceeds to step S204, and when NO, the process proceeds to step S209.

In step S209, since only the forward vehicle exists, the relationship between the speed of the host vehicle 10 and the speed of the forward vehicle is determined. In this step, it is determined whether or not V> V _f and V−V _f > V _o . V is the velocity of the vehicle 10, V _f is the speed of the vehicle ahead, also, V _o is the speed at which the predetermined criterion.

FIG. 9A illustrates the determination in this step. When the determination in step S209 is true, i.e., when a V> V _f and V-V _f> V _o is the speed of the vehicle 10 is faster than the speed of the vehicle ahead, yet, with a predetermined or more speed difference Since the vehicle is approaching the vehicle ahead, even if the engine is used on the low output side, it is determined that the vehicle is eco-driving.

That is, when the determination in step S209 is YES, the process proceeds to step S206, and (C) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination of eco-drive is performed based on this. If the determination in step S209 is NO, the process proceeds to step 206, where (B) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

In step S204, the determination is made when there are both a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle 10 and a vehicle traveling behind. In such a step S204, X _f >
Whether X _b and X _f -X _b> X _o is determined. Here, a definition related to the distance X will be described. _Xf is the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle, _Xb is the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle, and _Xo is a predetermined reference distance.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining parameters used for determining the surrounding conditions related to the host vehicle and other vehicles, and FIG. 8A illustrates a margin for the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle. 8B shows a situation where the engine should be used even in the high output region, and FIG. 8B shows that the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 10 and the front vehicle and the rear vehicle has a margin, and the high efficiency region inherent to the engine However, FIG. 8C shows a situation in which the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle is not sufficient, and the engine should be used even in a low output region.

When the determination in step S204 is true, that is, when X _f > X _b and X _f −X _b > X _o , the inter-vehicle distance with the rear vehicle is small and the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle is also small. In consideration of this, since there is a distance difference that is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, it is determined that the eco-driving is being performed even if the engine is used on the high output side.

  That is, when the determination in step S204 is YES, the process proceeds to step S211 to select (A) in FIG. 10 as the optimum use area, and to perform eco-drive determination based on this. If the determination in step S204 is no, the process proceeds to step 205 and further determination is performed.

In step S205, it is determined whether or not X _f <X _b and X _f −X _b <X _P. Here, a definition related to the distance X will be described. X _f is the inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle ahead, X _b is the inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle, X _P is the distance at which a predetermined reference.

When the determination in step S205 is true, that is, when X _f <X _b and X _f −X _b <X _P ,
Even if the engine is used on the low output side, eco-driving is possible even if the engine is used on the low output side because the distance between the front vehicle and the distance between the vehicle behind and the vehicle behind the vehicle is small. Judgment is made as having been performed.

  That is, when the determination in step S204 is YES, the process proceeds to step S210, and (C) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination of eco-drive is performed based on this. When the determination in step S204 is NO, the process proceeds to step 206, where (B) in FIG. 10 is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination of eco-drive is performed based on this. In step S212, the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, according to the eco-driving support device according to the present embodiment, since the determination criterion is changed according to the surrounding situation, the surrounding situation information of the vehicle is considered in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel efficiency. It is possible to present driving operation assist information. In the present embodiment, an example in which various determinations are made based on the inter-vehicle distance, the own vehicle speed, the relative speed, and the like has been described. However, this is merely an example for grasping the surrounding situation information of the vehicle. Other methods can also be used.

  Returning to the main routine shown in FIG. Returning from the determination condition selection process subroutine in the eco-drive support device as described above, next, in step S103, whether or not the engine use point (R, T) exists in the selected optimum use region. Is determined.

  When the determination in step S103 is YES, the eco-drive sign display according to the present embodiment is executed in step S109. More specifically, in the display 610, the display of the intermediate position is executed by a bar graph on the eco-drive display unit as shown in FIG. 13B. In the present embodiment, when the bar graph has just reached “ECO”, it is notified that the optimum driving is performed in consideration of the surrounding situation information of the vehicle in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel consumption. .

  Here, in the eco-driving support device according to the present embodiment, a display unit for presenting driving operation assist information in consideration of vehicle surrounding situation information in addition to the viewpoint of improving fuel efficiency will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of eco-drive sign display on the display 610 in the eco-drive support device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the eco-drive sign display unit has a configuration in which a vehicle speedometer is combined. In the display unit, the upper part (a) is a bar graph type speed display part, and the middle part (b) is a numerical type speed display part. These speed display units display the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 210.

  In FIG. 12, the lower part (c) is a display part for an eco-drive sign. In the eco-drive sign display unit in the present embodiment, not only whether the current driving operation is ideal from the viewpoint of fuel consumption, but also how far the current driving operation deviates from the ideal driving operation (deviation) Bar graph type (displaying the level of eco-driving). When the driving operation is ideal in terms of fuel consumption, the bar graph display reaches “ECO” (neutral position, (d) in FIG. 12). When the engine is used at a lower output than the ideal driving operation, the display is shifted from the neutral position to the left side (range (d) in FIG. 12) according to the deviation (see FIG. 13 (A)). When the engine is used at a high output, the display deviates from the neutral position to the right side (range (f) in FIG. 12) according to the deviation (see FIG. 13C). In the present embodiment, such a display allows the vehicle driver to easily visually check how much he / she deviates from the optimum driving operation. The ideal driving operation means a driving method with good fuel consumption and a second driving method which are the first driving region set in FIG. 5A for the surrounding vehicle situation in FIG. 4A. This is a driving method based on a driving method which is allowed depending on the surrounding situation, and is a driving method with good fuel consumption which is the first driving region set in FIG. 5B for the surrounding vehicle situation of FIG. 4 (C) for the surrounding vehicle situation in FIG. 4 (C), depending on the good driving method which is the first driving area set in FIG. 5 (C) and the surrounding situation which is the third driving method. This is an operation method based on an allowable operation method.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. When the determination in step S103 is NO, in step S104, the distance between the use point (R, T) and the optimum use area is calculated. Here, calculation of the distance between the use point (R, T) and the optimum use area will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, in step S104, the shortest distances a and b between the use points indicated by P ₁ and P ₂ existing outside the optimum use area and the optimum use area are obtained. Yes. Such a determined distance indicates a deviation from the optimum use of the engine, and the deviation is displayed using this distance as reference information.

  In a succeeding step S105, it is determined whether or not (R, T) that is the use point of the engine exists in the region H. Here, the region (H) and the region (L) will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in the graph of engine speed versus engine torque, two regions, a high output region (region (H)) and a low output region (region (L)), are conveniently shown. Decide and determine how the engine is used depending on where the usage points exist. In the present embodiment, a case where only two regions are divided as shown in FIG. 11 will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a mode.

  If the determination result in step S105 is YES, the process proceeds to step S110, and a bar graph display corresponding to the distance calculated in step S104 is executed. According to the display in step S104, for example, it is as shown in FIG. This is a display corresponding to the use point P1 and the like existing in the region (H) with a predetermined distance a.

  On the other hand, if the determination result in step S105 is NO, the process proceeds to step S107, and a bar graph display corresponding to the difference obtained by subtracting the calculated distance (calculated in step S104) from a predetermined constant is executed. According to the display in step S105, for example, it is as shown in FIG. This is a display corresponding to the use point P1 and the like existing in the region (L) at a predetermined distance b. It is to be noted that a display as shown in FIG. 13A is obtained by lighting from the right side of the bar graph (FIG. 12C) according to the difference obtained by subtracting the distance b from a predetermined constant.

  As described above, according to the eco-driving support device according to this embodiment, in addition to improving the fuel efficiency, the driving operation assist information is presented in consideration of the information on the forward traveling vehicle and the backward traveling vehicle. In addition, the vehicle driver can easily visually check how far he has deviated from the optimum driving operation.

  In step S107, it is determined whether or not the relationship (distance calculated in step S104)> (predetermined value) is true. If the determination result is YES, the steering vibration control unit 560, accelerator reaction force is determined in step S111. One or both operations of the control unit 540 are executed. A determination of YES in step S107 indicates that the engine usage point is significantly out of the optimum usage range. Therefore, in step S111, the steering vibration control unit 560 and the accelerator reaction force control unit 540 are operated, and accordingly, when the driver performs a driving operation that deviates from the optimal driving operation more than appropriate, Notification can be performed.

  In step S108, it is determined whether or not the engine is turned off. If it is determined YES in this step, the process proceeds to step S112, and the eco-drive support processing operation is ended.

As a modification of the present embodiment, the presence or absence of another vehicle existing in front of or behind the host vehicle is evaluated in steps S202, S203, and S207 in FIG. 7, and the host vehicle and other vehicles are evaluated in steps S208 and S209. Although the speed difference with the vehicle is evaluated and the criterion for fuel efficiency is changed according to the surrounding situation, the fuel efficiency standards can be changed simply by the presence or absence of other vehicles. It is also possible to change the standard of fuel efficiency by evaluating the relative distance between the host vehicle and another vehicle as in step S204 and step S205. Moreover, the reference of fuel efficiency may be changed by combining both the speed difference and the relative distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle, or evaluating at least one of them. In the evaluation of step S204 and step 205, the relative distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle may be similarly evaluated to change the fuel efficiency standard. Furthermore, as a modification of the present embodiment, _XP is a predetermined reference distance, X _o is a predetermined reference distance, and V _o is a predetermined reference speed, for example, road information from a navigation device. It may be changed based on traffic jam information, weather information or accident information.

  As described above, according to the eco-driving support device of the present invention, it is possible to present driving operation assist information in consideration of the surrounding situation information of the vehicle in addition to the viewpoint of improving fuel efficiency.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the previous embodiment, the eco-drive support is performed based on the current information in consideration of the relationship between the vehicle ahead and the vehicle behind the vehicle 10, but in the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, a certain amount of In consideration of the future situation, eco-driving support is provided so that the total fuel efficiency is improved, and the eco-driving sign is displayed accordingly. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle on which an eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and FIG. 15 is an outline of a block configuration of the eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 and 15, the same reference numerals as those in the previous embodiment are assigned to the same components, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The travel information acquisition unit 200 according to the present embodiment is provided with an inclination angle sensor 240. The inclination angle sensor 240 detects an inclination angle of a hill where the vehicle 10 climbs or descends, and the inclination angle detection information. Based on the above, the ECU 100 performs eco-drive support. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle of the slope is detected using the inclination sensors 240, but the inclination angle may be calculated based on the navigation information, and is not limited to the method of the present embodiment. .

  Moreover, the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700 has a communication unit 710, and acquires the traffic condition around the vehicle 10 by communicating with the traffic condition information providing server via the communication unit 710. Can be done. Depending on the information acquired by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700, timing information for changing the signal through which the vehicle 10 passes, traffic congestion conditions around the vehicle 10 (the degree of congestion around the vehicle 10), and the like can be obtained. The ECU 100 uses these information as information for supporting eco-driving. As the traffic condition information providing server, for example, a server such as a probe service provided by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. can be used, but the server is not limited to this.

  The navigation system unit 800 includes a navigation system 810, a map database 820 for navigation systems such as map information referred to by the navigation system 810, and a rest information database 830 unique to the present embodiment. The navigation system 810 can acquire current position information of the vehicle by using a GPS positioning unit that receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite and calculates its own position. In the eco-drive support device of the present invention, if positioning information can be acquired, other positioning methods can be used without using such a GPS positioning method.

  The map database 820 of the eco-drive support device of the present invention stores road information, facility information, and the like. For example, the navigation system 810 guides the facility as a destination to the driver, This is used to obtain the distance and route to the destination designated by the driver and to obtain the time of arrival at the destination. Conventionally well-known techniques can be used for processing operations of the navigation system 810 and the map database 820.

  In particular, the map database 820 of the eco-drive support device of the present invention stores signal information (location, timing when the signal changes, etc.) as road information, and such signal information is used by the ECU 100 to support eco-drive. Used to do.

  Next, an image of driving operation assist information presented by the eco-drive support device in another embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a case where eco-drive support is performed without obtaining timing information when the signal changes, and FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a case where eco-drive support is performed based on the timing information where the signal changes.

  FIG. 16 (A) shows a situation where the vehicle starts with a green light at point P and stops at a red light at point Q, and FIG. 16 (B) shows a situation where the vehicle restarts with a green light at point Q. . If the vehicle is provided with the eco-drive support device in the previous embodiment, the driving profile of the vehicle is, for example, as shown in FIG.

  By the way, if it is possible to obtain timing information that changes the signal, and if it is possible to support eco-driving based on such information, acceleration from the P point to the Q point is suppressed, It is possible to perform a driving method that re-accelerates (a driving method as shown in FIG. 17A. As a driving profile of the vehicle at that time, for example, the driving profile shown in FIG. 17B). In the driving method shown in FIG. 17, the acceleration from the point P to the point Q is not the best eco-drive at that moment, but it does not stop at the point Q, so the total fuel consumption is expected to improve. can do.

  Next, an algorithm for supporting eco-driving based on the above concept will be described. Also in this embodiment, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is used for the main process of the eco-drive support device. However, this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in the subroutine of the determination condition selection process executed in step S102. Therefore, the determination condition selection process subroutine will be described in detail below. In order to show the difference from the previous determination condition selection process, the determination condition selection process of the present embodiment is “determination condition selection process (signal-based)”. It shall be called. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine of determination condition selection processing (signal dependence) in the eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 18, when the determination condition selection process (signal dependence) is started in step S300, the process proceeds to step S301, where signal information (signal position information, current signal indicates from the surrounding traffic situation information acquisition unit 700). Status, signal change timing, etc.). FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram of signal information acquired by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700.

  In the subsequent step S302, it is determined whether or not there is a signal ahead of the vehicle 10 within a predetermined distance based on the signal information obtained from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700. When the determination result in step S302 is YES, the process proceeds to step S302. When the determination result is NO, the process proceeds to step S310, and the process is performed in the determination condition selection process (FIG. 7) subroutine.

  In step S303, the distance Ls between the vehicle 10 and the signal scheduled to pass is acquired. Such information is acquired from either the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700 or the navigation unit 800. In step S304, the probability of stopping at a signal is calculated from the signal information obtained by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700 and the distance Ls.

  In step S305, it is determined whether or not the calculated probability is less than or equal to a predetermined value. In step S306, it is determined whether or not the calculated probability is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

  If the result of determination in step S305 is YES, it is predicted that the vehicle will not stop at a signal scheduled to pass, so an eco-drive sign display recommending normal travel is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S309, where (B) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  If the determination result in step S306 is YES, it is predicted that the vehicle will stop at a signal that is scheduled to pass. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends low-speed traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S308, and (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  If the determination result in step S306 is NO, it is desirable that the signal be surely passed if possible. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-speed traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S307, in which (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, eco-drive support is performed so that the total fuel efficiency is improved in consideration of the situation until the change of the future signal state, and the eco-drive sign is displayed accordingly. To do. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to present driving operation assist information in consideration of the vehicle surrounding state information and the surrounding traffic state information in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel consumption.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, the eco-drive support is performed so that the total fuel consumption is improved in consideration of the traffic congestion around the vehicle 10 (the level of congestion around the vehicle 10). The eco-drive sign is displayed according to the situation. In this embodiment, the eco-drive support device shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is used. An image of driving operation assist information presented by the eco-drive support device in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a case where eco-driving support is performed without obtaining traffic condition information around the vehicle, and FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a case where eco-driving support is performed based on traffic condition information around the vehicle. . FIGS. 20 and 21 (A) to (E) show the passage of time, and an eco-drive of this vehicle is seen with a white vehicle as the own vehicle. A vehicle surrounded by a dotted line is a vehicle causing a traffic jam.

  For example, when there is a vehicle causing traffic congestion, a vehicle following the vehicle is forced to travel at a speed depending on the vehicle causing the traffic. Nevertheless, when traveling based on the determination condition selection process shown in FIG. 7 according to only the situation of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle without considering the traffic situation information, the rear vehicle as shown in FIG. 20 is driven. In the end, the traveling is stopped by the cause vehicle. In this case, the vehicle is repeatedly stopped and restarted, and the vehicle may run with poor fuel efficiency. On the other hand, if traffic condition information can be obtained and the cause vehicle status is known, as shown in FIG. 21, the vehicle travels according to the speed of the cause vehicle to stop or restart. It is possible to drive with good fuel efficiency without repeating the above.

  An algorithm for supporting eco-driving based on the above concept will be described. Also in this embodiment, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is used for the main process of the eco-drive support device. However, this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in the subroutine of the determination condition selection process executed in step S102. Therefore, the determination condition selection process subroutine will be described in detail below. In order to express the difference from the previous determination condition selection process, the determination condition selection process of this embodiment is referred to as “determination condition selection process (depending on the degree of congestion)”. ". FIG. 22 is a view showing a flowchart of a subroutine of determination condition selection processing (congestion level dependence) in the eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 22, when the determination condition selection process (congestion level dependence) is started in step S400, the process proceeds to step S401, where other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10 travel from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700. Get information.

  In step S402, the degree of congestion that is the density of other vehicles around the vehicle 10 is obtained, and it is determined whether or not the degree of congestion is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree of congestion. When the determination result at step S402 is YES, the process proceeds to step S403, and when it is NO, the process proceeds to step S409, and the process is performed in the determination condition selection process (FIG. 7) subroutine.

  In step S <b> 403, based on the information acquired by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700, the average speed of a predetermined vehicle group that runs ahead of the vehicle 10 is calculated. In step S404, it is determined whether or not the vehicle group average speed obtained in step S403 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. In step S405, whether or not the vehicle group average speed obtained in step S403 is less than or equal to a predetermined value. Is determined.

  If the determination result in step S404 is YES, the congestion level is high but the movement of the vehicle group is relatively fast. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-speed driving is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S408, where (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  When the determination result in step S405 is YES, the degree of congestion is high and the movement of the vehicle group is relatively slow. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends low-speed traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S407, and (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  When the determination result in step S405 is NO, the degree of congestion is high, but it is expected that average driving is possible. At this time, an eco-drive sign display recommending normal driving is performed. To do. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S407, and (B) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  As described above, this embodiment provides eco-driving support so that the total fuel efficiency is improved in consideration of the running conditions of surrounding vehicles other than the front vehicle and the rear vehicle, and displays the eco-drive sign accordingly. Is what you want to do. In other words, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to present driving operation assist information in consideration of the surrounding situation information of the vehicle in addition to the viewpoint of improving fuel consumption.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the eco-drive support device according to the present embodiment, eco-drive support is performed so that the total fuel consumption is improved in consideration of whether the vehicle 10 is climbing up or down, and the eco-drive sign is accordingly provided. Is to be displayed. In this embodiment, the eco-drive support device shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is used. An image of driving operation assist information presented by the eco-drive support device in the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a case where eco-driving support is performed without considering the inclination of the road on which the vehicle travels, and FIGS. 24 and 25 are cases where eco-driving support is performed based on the slope of the road on which the vehicle travels. FIG. FIG. 24 shows an example when the vehicle climbs up, and FIG. 25 shows an example when the vehicle goes down the slope. (A) → (C) in FIGS. 23 to 25 show the passage of time.

As shown in FIG. 23, when traveling based on the determination condition selection process shown in FIG. 7 is performed, it may take time to climb up, resulting in poor fuel consumption as a whole. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24, the higher the power and the shorter the time of climbing, the better the fuel economy as a whole. Similarly, when going down a hill, it may be better to reduce the output from the engine and lower it with gravitational energy, resulting in better overall fuel efficiency. In this embodiment, the eco-driving support apparatus reflects what kind of travel is preferable for performing the eco-drive sign as the travel of the vehicle 10 on such an uphill or downhill.

  An algorithm for supporting eco-driving based on the above concept will be described. Also in this embodiment, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is used for the main process of the eco-drive support device. However, this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in the subroutine of the determination condition selection process executed in step S102. Therefore, the determination condition selection process subroutine will be described in detail below. In order to show the difference from the previous determination condition selection process, the determination condition selection process of this embodiment is referred to as “determination condition selection process (inclination angle dependent)”. ". FIG. 26 is a view showing a flowchart of a subroutine of determination condition selection processing (inclination angle dependence) in the eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27 is a diagram for explaining the definition of the inclination angle θ of the vehicle 10.

  In FIG. 26, when the determination condition selection process (inclination angle dependency) is started in step S500, the process proceeds to step S501, and information related to the inclination angle θ of the vehicle 10 from the inclination angle sensor 240 of the travel information acquisition unit 200. To get.

  In step S502, it is determined whether or not the inclination angle θ of the vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to a predetermined inclination angle in the positive and negative regions. If the determination result in step S502 is YES, the process proceeds to step S503. If NO, the process proceeds to step S508, and the process is performed in the determination condition selection process (FIG. 7) subroutine.

  In step S503, it is determined whether the inclination angle is positive. When the determination result in step S503 is YES, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-power traveling for climbing is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S505, where (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  On the other hand, when the determination result in step S503 is NO, since it is a downhill, an eco-drive sign display that recommends low output traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S504, where (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the eco-driving support is performed so that the total fuel consumption is improved in consideration of the inclination condition of the traveling road, and the eco-driving sign is displayed accordingly. . That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to present driving operation assist information in consideration of the surrounding state information of the vehicle and the terrain information on which the vehicle travels in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel efficiency.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The eco-drive support device according to this embodiment comprehensively considers all of the embodiments described so far, and provides eco-drive support so that the total fuel consumption is improved, and displays an eco-drive sign accordingly. Is something to do. In this embodiment, the eco-drive support device shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is used.

Also in this embodiment, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is used for the main process of the eco-drive support device. However, this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in the subroutine of the determination condition selection process executed in step S102. Therefore, the determination condition selection process subroutine will be described in detail below. In order to express the difference from the previous determination condition selection process, the determination condition selection process of the present embodiment is referred to as “determination condition selection process (overall)”. I will call it. FIGS. 28 to 30 are flowcharts showing a subroutine of determination condition selection processing (overall) in the eco-drive support device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 28, when the determination condition selection process (comprehensive) is started in step S600, the process proceeds to step S601, and the travel information of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10 is obtained from the surrounding traffic situation information acquisition unit 700. get.

  In step S602, a congestion degree that is the density of other vehicles around the vehicle 10 is obtained, and it is determined whether or not the congestion degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined congestion degree. If the determination result in step S602 is YES, the process proceeds to step S603, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S613.

  In step S <b> 603, based on the information acquired by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700, the average speed Vg of a predetermined vehicle group that runs ahead of the vehicle 10 is calculated.

  In step S604, signal information (signal position information, state indicated by the current signal, timing at which the signal changes, etc.) is acquired from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700. FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram of signal information acquired by the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700.

  In the subsequent step S605, it is determined whether or not there is a signal ahead of the vehicle 10 within a predetermined distance based on the signal information obtained from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700. If the determination result in step S605 is YES, the process proceeds to step S606, and if NO, the process proceeds to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S606, the distance Ls between the vehicle 10 and the signal scheduled to pass is acquired. Such information is acquired from either the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700 or the navigation unit 800.

  In step S607, the value of signal arrival time Ts is calculated by calculating distance Ls / average speed Vg.

  In step S608, it is determined whether (signal arrival time Ts) − (red lighting time Tc)> 0. Here, the “red lighting time Tc” is the time until the signal changes to red, and is information included in the signal information obtained from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700.

  In step S609, it is determined whether (signal arrival time Ts) − (red lighting time Tc)> To. “To” is a predetermined time used as a boundary value.

  When the determination result in step S608 is NO, it is predicted that the front signal cannot pass through, so an eco-drive sign display that recommends low-speed traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S612, and (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  When the determination result in step S609 is NO, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-speed traveling is performed in order to reliably pass a signal that is scheduled to pass. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S611, where (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  On the other hand, when the determination result in step S609 is YES, the forward signal is expected to be able to pass with a margin, so an eco-drive sign display recommending normal driving is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S610, and (B) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  Now, in step S602, the degree of congestion, which is the density of other vehicles around the vehicle 10, is obtained, and it is determined whether or not the degree of congestion is greater than or equal to a predetermined degree of congestion. If the determination result at this time is NO, step S602 is performed. Proceeding to S613, in the next step S613, signal information (signal position information, a state indicating the current signal, timing when the signal changes, etc.) is acquired from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700.

  In subsequent step S614, it is determined whether or not there is a signal ahead of the vehicle 10 within a predetermined distance based on the signal information obtained from the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700. When the determination result in step S614 is YES, the process proceeds to the flowchart shown in FIG. 29, and when NO, the process proceeds to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Next, the flowchart of FIG. 29 will be described. In step S701, a distance Ls between the vehicle 10 and a signal scheduled to pass is acquired. Such information is acquired from either the surrounding traffic condition information acquisition unit 700 or the navigation unit 800. In step S702, the probability of stopping at a signal is calculated from the signal information obtained by the surrounding traffic situation information acquisition unit 700 and the distance Ls.

  In step S703, it is determined whether or not the calculated probability is less than or equal to a predetermined value. In step S704, it is determined whether or not the calculated probability is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

  If the result of determination in step S703 is YES, it is predicted that the vehicle will not stop at a signal scheduled to pass, so an eco-drive sign display recommending normal travel is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S610, and (B) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  If the determination result in step S704 is YES, it is predicted that the vehicle will stop at a signal that is scheduled to pass. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends low-speed traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S612, and (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  If the determination result in step S704 is NO, it is desirable that the signal be surely passed if possible. At this time, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-speed driving is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step SS611, where (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  Next, the flowchart of FIG. 30 will be described. In step S <b> 801, information related to the inclination angle θ of the vehicle 10 is acquired from the inclination angle sensor 240 of the travel information acquisition unit 200.

  In step S802, it is determined whether or not the inclination angle θ of the vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to a predetermined inclination angle in the positive and negative regions. When the determination result in step S802 is YES, the process proceeds to step S803, and when it is NO, the process proceeds to step S804, and the process is performed in the determination condition selection process (FIG. 7) subroutine.

In step S803, it is determined whether the inclination angle is positive. When the determination result in step S803 is YES, an eco-drive sign display that recommends high-power traveling for climbing is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S611, where (A) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  On the other hand, when the determination result in step S803 is NO, since it is a downhill, an eco-drive sign display that recommends low output traveling is performed. That is, at this time, the process proceeds to step S612, and (C) is selected as the optimum use area, and the determination is made based on this.

  As described above, the present embodiment performs eco-driving support so that the total fuel efficiency is improved in consideration of future signal state changes, driving conditions of surrounding vehicles other than the front and rear vehicles, and inclination conditions of the driving path. In response to this, the eco-drive sign is displayed. That is, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the viewpoint of improving the fuel efficiency, the driving operation assist information in consideration of the surrounding state information of the vehicle, the surrounding traffic state information, the surrounding state information of the vehicle, and the terrain information on which the vehicle travels is also included. It is possible to make a presentation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 32 ... Steering, 54 ... Accelerator pedal, 100 ... ECU, 200 ... Travel information acquisition part, 210 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 220 ... Engine speed sensor, 230 ... engine torque sensor, 240 ... tilt angle sensor, 400 ... vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit, 410 ... millimeter wave radar, 420 ... camera, 500 ... driving operation unit, 510 ..Accelerator sensor, 540 ... Accelerator reaction force control unit, 560 ... Steering vibration control unit, 600 ... Interface unit, 610 ... Display, 630 ... Speaker, 700 ... Near traffic conditions Information acquisition unit, 710 ... communication unit, 800 ... navigation unit, 810 ... navigation system, 820 ... map database

Claims (3)

An eco-driving support device that assists a driver with respect to improving fuel efficiency of a power source of a vehicle,
A parameter indicating a usage status of the power source of the vehicle, a travel information acquisition unit for acquiring an inclination angle of the vehicle,
Use point calculation means for calculating a use point of the power source in fuel efficiency of the power source based on the parameter;
Use area storage means for storing an optimum use area where the fuel efficiency of the power source is good and an allowable use area including the optimum use area and wider than the optimum use area;
A vehicle periphery information acquisition unit for acquiring the vehicle periphery information;
A surrounding traffic situation acquisition unit for obtaining a traffic situation around the vehicle;
Use that selects either the optimum use area or the allowable use area stored in the use area storage unit according to the surrounding situation information of the vehicle, the traffic situation around the vehicle, and the inclination angle of the vehicle Region selection means;
A first determination unit that determines whether or not the usage point calculated by the usage point calculation unit is included in the usage region selected by the usage region selection unit; and a display according to the determination by the first determination unit. An eco-drive support device comprising: a display unit to be changed. The eco-drive support device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding traffic condition acquisition unit acquires information related to a signal that the vehicle is scheduled to pass. The eco-driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding traffic condition acquisition unit acquires information relating to another vehicle traveling around the vehicle.

Images