JP2012221126A - On-vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an on-vehicle control device that enables the execution of predetermined control corresponding to the detection of a control object to be initiated in an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle control device includes: object detecting means for detecting a control object at a predetermined range in the travelling direction of a subject vehicle; and control executing means for executing predetermined control based on detection results by the object detecting means. Further, the on-vehicle control device includes: information receiving means for receiving transmitted information including the information on at least a road configuration which is sent out by a roadside device; and range change means for changing the predetermined range based on the transmitted information received by the information receiving means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle control device, and in particular, detects a control target in a predetermined range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and based on the detection result, for example, collision avoidance control or follow-up control to a preceding vehicle, lane keeping control, etc. The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted control device suitable for executing the predetermined control.

  Conventionally, a system is known that transmits transmission information including road shape information from an optical beacon of a roadside device to an in-vehicle device, receives the transmitted information in the in-vehicle device, and uses the information for driving support. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). The transmission information transmitted from the roadside device includes, for example, an in-vehicle sensor mounted on the vehicle, such as a road shape ahead of a curved road and the presence or absence of an obstacle that cannot be seen when the vehicle receives the transmission information. Contains information that is difficult to detect. For this reason, according to the above system, even if the vehicle-mounted sensor cannot detect an object having a large influence on the traveling of the vehicle by using transmission information from the roadside device in the vehicle, driving assistance based on the object is provided. It can be implemented early.

JP 2009-075639 A

  However, the transmission information from the roadside device may be less reliable than the information acquired by the in-vehicle sensor. In this regard, using information from roadside devices and information from in-vehicle sensors in parallel as a condition for executing driving support control does not fully utilize the features of both, so control associated with detection of the control target Execution may not start at the appropriate time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object thereof is to provide an in-vehicle control device capable of starting execution of predetermined control accompanying detection of a control target at an appropriate timing.

  The object is to detect a control target in a predetermined range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, a control execution unit that executes a predetermined control based on a detection result by the target detection unit, and at least a transmission from a roadside device. It is achieved by an in-vehicle control device comprising: information receiving means for receiving transmission information including road shape information; and range changing means for changing the predetermined range based on the transmission information received by the information receiving means. .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to start execution of predetermined control associated with detection of a controlled object at an appropriate timing.

It is a block diagram of a system provided with the vehicle-mounted control apparatus which is one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of an example of the control routine performed in the vehicle-mounted control apparatus of a present Example. It is a figure for demonstrating one method to change the sensor gain of a PCS sensor in the vehicle-mounted control apparatus of a present Example.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of an in-vehicle control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a system including an in-vehicle control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system of the present embodiment is a safe driving support system (DSSS) including an in-vehicle control device 10 mounted on a vehicle and a roadside device 12 installed on the roadside.

  The roadside device 12 is provided corresponding to each road location where information should be transmitted to a vehicle that passes through. In addition, when the road consists of a plurality of lanes, one roadside device 12 may be provided for each of the plurality of lanes. Each roadside device 12 generates a detection sensor 20 that detects a detection target within a predetermined range on the road corresponding to the installation location, and an information generation unit 22 that generates information (DSSS information) to be transmitted to the vehicle. And an information transmitter 24 that transmits DSSS information.

  The detection sensor 20 detects, for example, a vehicle (transmission target vehicle) that has reached before a curved road or before an intersection. Further, a vehicle or a person on the road that affects the traveling of the transmission target vehicle (detection target vehicle, etc.), for example, a curve that is difficult to detect autonomously with a transmission target vehicle that has come before a curved road. Detects a detection target vehicle that is traveling on the road or stopped at a curve road exit, etc., or crosses the intersection that is difficult to detect autonomously with a transmission target vehicle that has come before the intersection It is possible to detect a detection target vehicle or the like that passes through another road and is predicted to reach the intersection at substantially the same time as the transmission target vehicle. The detection sensor 20 detects the position of an existing lane where the detected transmission target vehicle or the detection target vehicle travels or is located on a road (that is, in which lane a road having a plurality of traveling lanes). Is possible.

  The vehicle information detected by the detection sensor 20 is supplied to the information generation unit 22. The information generation unit 22 includes a road shape in a predetermined range on the road corresponding to the installation location (specifically, curvature on a curved road, connection angle when a plurality of roads are connected at intersections, road width for each lane) Etc.) is connected.

  For example, the information generation unit 22 generates DSSS information to be transmitted toward a transmission target vehicle that has reached before a curved road or before an intersection. The DSSS information generated by the information generation unit 22 includes information indicating the position of the existing lane on which the transmission target vehicle travels based on the vehicle information supplied from the detection sensor 20, and the detection target vehicle. Information indicating the position of the existing lane where the detection target vehicle travels or is located, information indicating the direction in which the detection target vehicle is positioned with respect to the transmission target vehicle, and the shape of the road on which the transmission target vehicle is expected to travel in the future Is included at least. The shape of the road includes the road curvature, the way of connecting the road at the intersection (that is, the direction in which another road connects to the own road), the road width for each lane, and the like.

  The DSSS information generated by the information generation unit 22 is supplied to the information transmitter 24. The information transmitter 24 is provided, for example, before a curved road or before an intersection, and is attached to a structure straddling a road or a structure provided on the side of the road. For example, the information transmitter 24 can transmit the DSSS information from the information generation unit 22 from a transmission antenna to a vehicle that passes a position a predetermined distance before a curve road or a position a predetermined distance before an intersection. The information transmitter 24 is an optical beacon or the like that can transmit DSSS information from a transmission antenna using near infrared rays.

  The in-vehicle control device 10 includes an information receiver 30 that receives DSSS information transmitted from the information transmitter 24 of the roadside device 12, an information processing unit 32 that processes the received DSSS information, and the host vehicle is an obstacle. A PCS sensor 34 that detects a monitoring target in front of the host vehicle and a collision determination unit 36 that determines whether or not the host vehicle collides with an obstacle. is doing.

  The information receiver 30 demodulates the DSSS information received by the receiving antenna and supplies it to the information processing unit 32. Based on the DSSS information supplied from the information receiver 30, the information processing unit 32 travels the position of the own vehicle travel lane on which the transmission target vehicle (that is, the own vehicle) travels, the detection target vehicle, etc. (that is, the obstacle). Or the position of the front obstacle lane that is located, the direction of the obstacle where the obstacle is located with respect to the host vehicle, the curvature of the road where the host vehicle is expected to travel in the future, or the intersection where the host vehicle is expected to pass in the future The direction in which the other road is connected and the road width for each lane of the road where the vehicle is expected to travel in the future are acquired. Information (roadside information) from the roadside acquired by the information processing unit 32 is supplied to the PCS sensor 34.

  The PCS sensor 34 includes a camera that captures road conditions ahead of the host vehicle, a radar such as a millimeter wave or laser that irradiates a radar beam toward the front of the host vehicle, and a speedometer that detects the speed of the host vehicle. The PCS sensor 34 performs image processing on a captured image captured by the camera and showing a predetermined range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, or receives a radar beam reflected from an obstacle existing in the predetermined range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Thus, it is determined whether or not there is an obstacle within a predetermined range in front of the host vehicle, and if there is an obstacle, the position and direction of the obstacle relative to the host vehicle are further detected. The PCS sensor 34 detects the speed of the host vehicle using a speedometer. Further, the PCS sensor 34 changes the sensor gain based on the roadside information from the information processing unit 32 as will be described in detail later. Various information (sensor information) detected by the PCS sensor 34 is supplied to the collision determination unit 36.

  The collision determination unit 36 determines whether or not the host vehicle collides with an obstacle based on the sensor information supplied from the PCS sensor 34. Specifically, based on the sensor information from the PCS sensor 34, it is determined that there is an obstacle within a predetermined range ahead of the host vehicle, and based on the relationship between the position of the obstacle and the speed of the host vehicle. When it is determined that the possibility that the vehicle collides with the obstacle is higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the possibility that the vehicle collides with the obstacle is high.

  The in-vehicle control device 10 also includes a PCS alarm sounding unit 38 and a PCS deceleration control unit 40. The determination result in the collision determination unit 36 is supplied to the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 and the PCS deceleration control unit 40. When the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 receives a determination result from the collision determining unit 36 that the vehicle is highly likely to collide with an obstacle, the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 issues an alarm or a buzzer sound from the speaker or buzzer. Alert the vehicle driver. When the PCS deceleration control unit 40 receives a determination result from the collision determination unit 36 that the vehicle is likely to collide with an obstacle, the PCS deceleration control unit 40 drives the brake actuator of the vehicle to decelerate the vehicle. Alternatively, deceleration control for automatically stopping is performed.

  The collision determination unit 36 performs a two-step determination, that is, the case where it is determined that the possibility that the host vehicle collides with an obstacle is low, and the case where it is determined that the vehicle is high. The PCS deceleration control unit 40 performs two-stage control of whether to perform deceleration / stop or not. However, the collision determination unit 36 It is assumed that the possibility that the host vehicle collides with an obstacle is determined in three or more stages, and the PCS alarm sounding section 38 and the PCS deceleration control section 40 each perform control in three or more stages (for example, according to the determination result of the collision possibility). It is also possible to switch alerts and change the deceleration).

  Next, with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3, the operation | movement in the vehicle-mounted control apparatus 10 of a present Example is demonstrated. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed in the in-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining one method for changing the sensor gain of the PCS sensor 34 in the in-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a captured image in which the front of the vehicle is projected by a camera before the curve road. Further, FIG. 3A shows the situation before the sensor gain change of the PCS sensor 34, and FIG. 3B shows the situation after the sensor gain change of the PCS sensor 34.

  In the present embodiment, the collision determination unit 36 determines whether or not the host vehicle collides with an obstacle based on sensor information from the PCS sensor 34 including a camera or radar mounted on the vehicle. The PCS warning sounding unit 38 and the PCS deceleration control unit 40 each provide a warning or buzzer sounding to the driver of the host vehicle when the collision determination unit 36 determines that the host vehicle is highly likely to collide with an obstacle. Alternatively, deceleration control of the host vehicle is performed.

  According to this process, when there is a high possibility that the own vehicle will collide with an obstacle using the PCS sensor 34, the driver of the own vehicle is alerted to the collision between the own vehicle and the obstacle, or Since collision with an obstacle can be avoided, safe traveling of the host vehicle can be ensured.

  In the present embodiment, DSSS information such as a road shape generated by the roadside device 12 is sent from the roadside device 12 to the in-vehicle control device 10. The in-vehicle control device 10 receives the DSSS information transmitted from the information transmitter 24 of the roadside device 12 at the information receiver 30 (step 100). Based on the DSSS information received by the information receiver 30, the information processing unit 32 determines the position of the host vehicle lane on which the host vehicle travels, the position of the front obstacle lane, the obstacle direction, the road curvature, or other roads. Get the connection direction and road width for each lane. When DSSS information transmitted from the roadside device 12 provided in front of the intersection is received, the other road connection direction, the road width for each lane, the position of the own vehicle lane, the obstacle direction, and the forward obstacle The position of the existing lane is acquired (step 102a). In addition, when DSSS information transmitted from the roadside device 12 provided in front of the curved road is received, the curve curvature, the road width for each lane, the position of the vehicle lane, the obstacle direction, and the forward obstacle The position of the object existence lane is acquired (step 102b).

  The roadside information acquired by the information processing unit 32 is supplied to the PCS sensor 34. The PCS sensor 34 changes the sensor gain based on the roadside information from the information processing unit 32. Specifically, when the DSSS information transmitted from the roadside device 12 provided before the intersection is supplied to the PCS sensor 34 as roadside information, the PCS sensor 34 monitors the front of the host vehicle to be monitored. The target range increases the weight for the area of the other road connection direction or the obstacle direction at the intersection, and decreases the weight for the area in the other direction. Further, when there is an obstacle in front of the host vehicle, the left and right direction of the monitoring target range is further limited to a range obtained by adding the difference between the traveling lane of the host vehicle and the obstacle lane to the road width. (Step 104a). As for the weight in the monitoring target range, for example, a search (detection process) is performed closely in the other road connection direction or the obstacle direction area at the intersection in the monitoring target range, and in the other direction area. The search may be performed roughly, or the area of the other road connection direction or the obstacle direction at the intersection may be intensively searched, and the area of the other direction may be excluded from the search.

  Further, when the DSSS information transmitted from the roadside device 12 provided in front of the curve road is supplied to the PCS sensor 34 as roadside information, the PCS sensor 34 detects the monitoring target (obstacle) in front of the host vehicle. The monitoring target range increases the weight for the area along the road curvature or the area of the obstacle direction from the front of the host vehicle (see FIG. 3B), and decreases the weight for the area in the other direction. In addition, when there is an obstacle in front of the host vehicle, the horizontal direction of the monitoring target range is a range obtained by adding the difference between the traveling lane of the host vehicle and the obstacle lane to the road width. (Step 104b). As for the weights in the monitoring target range, a search (detection process) is performed closely in the area along the road curvature or the area of the obstacle direction in the monitoring target range, and the search is roughly performed in the other direction area. Alternatively, the region along the road curvature or the region of the obstacle direction may be intensively searched, and the region in the other direction may be excluded from the search.

  The PCS sensor 34 searches for a forward obstacle existing ahead of the host vehicle in accordance with the sensor gain set in step 104a or 104b (step 106). As a result of the search, if it is detected that the vehicle is in front of the host vehicle (step 108), the sensor information is supplied to the collision determination unit 36. The collision determination unit 36 determines whether the host vehicle collides with an obstacle based on sensor information supplied from the PCS sensor 34. And when it determines with the possibility that the own vehicle will collide with the obstacle which exists in the monitoring object range becoming more than predetermined, a command signal is supplied to the PCS warning sounding part 38 and the PCS deceleration control part 40. In this case, the PCS warning sounding unit 38 alerts the driver of the host vehicle against a collision between the host vehicle and an obstacle, and the PCS deceleration control unit 40 decelerates or automatically stops the host vehicle. Control is performed (step 110).

  Thus, in the vehicle-mounted control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the presence or absence of an obstacle that affects the running of the host vehicle is detected using the PCS sensor 34 mounted on the host vehicle, and the host vehicle is detected as a result of the detection. The sensor gain of the PCS sensor 34 is installed on the road side on the assumption that the driver is warned, the buzzer sounds, or the own vehicle is decelerated when it is determined that there is a high possibility of collision with an obstacle. It changes based on the roadside information by the DSSS information transmitted from the roadside apparatus 12 which was made. Specifically, the monitoring target range in which the PCS sensor 34 should detect an obstacle is changed.

  For example, in a situation where there is an intersection ahead of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, and there is another vehicle traveling toward the intersection on another road connected to the intersection, the roadside device 12 moves the other vehicle toward the intersection. When the DSSS information is transmitted to the host vehicle, the PCS sensor 34 increases the weight of the monitoring target range for the region in the direction where the other vehicle exists. . Further, in the situation where the road on which the vehicle travels is curved, when the roadside device 12 transmits DSSS information including the curvature of the curved road to the vehicle, the in-vehicle control device 10 of the vehicle The PCS sensor 34 increases the weight of the monitoring target range for the area along the curvature of the curved road.

  According to this configuration, the obstacle that affects the traveling of the host vehicle by the PCS sensor 34 can be focused on an area where an obstacle based on the DSSS information of the roadside device 12 is likely to exist. When an obstacle that affects the running of the vehicle exists in front of the host vehicle, the obstacle can be detected early and accurately. Conversely, the obstacle detection by the PCS sensor 34 can be limited or limited in an area where an obstacle is unlikely to exist based on the DSSS information of the roadside device 12, so that, for example, the host vehicle is curved. Before the road, an object such as a guard rail or a roadside parking vehicle that is located in front of the host vehicle, but not on the driving lane of the host vehicle, affects the driving of the host vehicle by the PCS sensor 34. Can be prevented. In this respect, obstacle detection by the PCS sensor 34 can be performed with high accuracy.

  When the PCS sensor 34 detects an obstacle within the monitoring target range and the collision determination unit 36 determines that the possibility that the obstacle and the vehicle collide with each other is higher than a predetermined level, the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 And control by PCS deceleration control part 40 is performed. Therefore, according to the vehicle-mounted control device 10 of the present embodiment, the control execution by the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 and the PCS deceleration control unit 40 when the obstacle is detected by the PCS sensor 34 is started at an early and appropriate timing. Is possible. For this reason, according to the present Example, the safety | security when the own vehicle drive | works a road can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, it is claimed that the PCS sensor 34 detects a monitoring target in a monitoring target range in front of the host vehicle, which is necessary for determining whether the host vehicle collides with an obstacle. In the “target detection means” described in the range, the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 alerts the driver of the host vehicle against a collision between the host vehicle and an obstacle, or the PCS deceleration control unit 40 decelerates the host vehicle, or It is claimed that the information receiver 30 receives the DSSS information supplied from the information transmitter 24 of the roadside device 12 in the “control execution means” described in the claims for performing the deceleration control to automatically stop. In the “range changing unit” described in the claims, the PCS sensor 34 changes the sensor gain, specifically, the monitoring target range is changed to the “information receiving unit” described in the range. Equivalent to have respectively.

  By the way, in the above embodiment, the DSSS information includes road shapes, lane positions such as transmission target vehicles and detection target vehicles, etc., but is there a vehicle causing an accident or failure in the shoulder or lane? Information indicating whether or not the number of road lanes is decreasing / increasing may be included.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the control executed when the possibility that the host vehicle collides with an obstacle becomes higher than a predetermined level is the alarm and buzzer sounding by the PCS alarm sounding unit 38 and the PCS deceleration control unit 40. However, the collision avoidance control for avoiding the host vehicle from colliding with an obstacle is not limited to the deceleration control, and may be steering control for forcibly steering the host vehicle.

  Further, the above embodiment is applied to DSSS in which the own vehicle detects an obstacle that affects the running of the own vehicle as a monitoring target. However, the follow-up control for causing the own vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle is executed. It is good also as applying to the system which detects the preceding vehicle required by this as a monitoring object, and detects the distance between the vehicles. Further, the present invention may be applied to a system that uses a camera to detect a traveling lane necessary for executing lane keeping control for automatically steering the host vehicle along the traveling lane.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the monitoring target range of the PCS sensor 34 is changed based on the DSSS information of the roadside device 12, and specifically, an obstacle is detected in the entire monitoring target range of the PCS sensor 34. The weight of the power point is changed within the range, but the monitoring target range of the PCS sensor 34 is extended or shortened in the traveling direction of the own vehicle according to the DSSS information of the roadside device 12, or in the left-right direction of the own vehicle. The angle may be adjusted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle-mounted control apparatus 12 Roadside apparatus 14 Vehicle side apparatus 20 Detection sensor 34 PCS sensor 36 Collision determination part 38 PCS alarm sounding part 40 PCS deceleration control part

Claims (5)

Target detection means for detecting a control target in a predetermined range of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
Control execution means for executing predetermined control based on a detection result by the target detection means;
Information receiving means for receiving transmission information including at least road shape information transmitted by the roadside device;
Range changing means for changing the predetermined range based on the transmission information received by the information receiving means;
A vehicle-mounted control device comprising: The target detection means detects an obstacle or a preceding vehicle that affects the traveling of the host vehicle as the control target,
The on-vehicle control according to claim 1, wherein the control execution unit executes, as the predetermined control, a collision avoidance control for avoiding the own vehicle from a collision with an obstacle or a follow-up control for causing the own vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle. apparatus. The target detection means detects a travel lane in which the host vehicle travels as the control target,
The in-vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control execution unit executes lane keeping control for causing the host vehicle to travel along the travel lane as the predetermined control.   The vehicle-mounted information according to claim 1, wherein the transmission information is road shape information indicating a shape of a road in a vehicle traveling direction, or vehicle information indicating a traveling position or a traveling speed of the host vehicle or another vehicle. Control device. The in-vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the range changing unit extends or shortens the predetermined range in a traveling direction of the host vehicle or adjusts an angle in a left-right direction of the host vehicle.

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