JP2016016829A - Vehicle drive support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately determine whether or not following control should be continued when it is determined that the front of a preceding vehicle is congested after the following control for passing the preceding vehicle is performed.SOLUTION: When an own vehicle A changes a lane in order to pass a preceding vehicle B, a drive support control unit 11 examines whether or not a congested vehicle Ci(i=1 to n) is detected at the front of the preceding vehicle B (S11), and when detected, a congesting evaluation value is set from a relationship between and among the own vehicle A, the preceding vehicle B and the congested vehicle Vi(i=1 to n) (S12), the congestion evaluation value is compared with an evaluation threshold (S13), and when the congestion evaluation value exceeds the evaluation threshold, it is determined that congestion occurs. When it is determined that the congestion occurs, the drive support control unit examines whether or not a necessary distance for making the own vehicle A intrude into the front of the preceding vehicle B is secured (S19), when the distance is not secured, sets an interruption determination flag F (F←1,S21), and after interrupting the following control, performs lane recovery deceleration control for recovering the own vehicle to the rear of the preceding vehicle B (S24).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention determines whether to continue or interrupt the overtaking control when the overtaking control for overtaking the preceding vehicle traveling immediately in front of the host vehicle is congested. The present invention relates to a vehicle driving support device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) device that makes a host vehicle run at a constant speed at a preset vehicle speed (set vehicle speed) is known. Furthermore, when the surrounding environment of the vehicle is recognized using a millimeter wave radar, infrared laser radar, stereo camera, monocular camera, etc., and a preceding vehicle traveling immediately before the own vehicle is detected (captured) based on the recognized environmental information A cruise control device with inter-vehicle distance control that performs follow-up running control with the preceding vehicle as a follow-up target is also known.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-46748), when a preceding vehicle is detected as a control mode during automatic driving, the following mode for following the preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle are automatically set. It has an overtaking control mode that is executed when it is slower than the set vehicle speed and overtaking is possible, and the duration is based on the continuous detection time from when the preceding vehicle is detected until the automatic operation is started. If it is shorter than the predetermined threshold time, it is determined that the driver is willing to overtake the preceding vehicle, and the overtaking control mode is executed. If the duration is longer than the threshold time, there is no intention to overtake. A technique for executing the follow-up mode based on the determination is disclosed.

JP 2014-46748 A

  By the way, if it is determined that it takes a relatively long time to overtake a congested vehicle in a normal driving operation by the driver when the front of the preceding vehicle to be overtaken is congested, the abandonment of the overtaking Perform the driving operation to return to the back of the car.

  However, in the technique disclosed in the above-described document, when the overtaking control mode is executed, the overtaking control is continuously executed even when the front of the preceding vehicle to be overtaken is congested. Therefore, for example, when a congested vehicle train is long, it is impossible to return to the traveling lane, which causes inconvenience to the driver.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention accurately determines whether or not to continue the overtaking control when it is determined that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested after the overtaking control overtaking the preceding vehicle. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving support device that can reduce discomfort given to a driver.

  The present invention provides a surrounding environment recognition means for recognizing the surrounding environment of the own vehicle, a driving state detection means for detecting the driving state of the own vehicle, and a preceding vehicle based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means. In addition, in a vehicle driving support device comprising driving support means for executing overtaking control when the preceding vehicle can be overtaken from the relationship between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle, the driving support means includes the Recognition data in front of the preceding vehicle recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means when the own vehicle changes the lane to the overtaking lane adjacent to the traveling lane in which the preceding vehicle is traveling and executes the overtaking control. If it is determined that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested, whether the overtaking control is continued or interrupted is determined by whether the preceding vehicle and the first congested vehicle traveling immediately before the preceding vehicle are The distance between one car and the first car Distance to the determining by comparing the required distance that can enter the vehicle.

  According to the present invention, when the own vehicle changes lanes to the overtaking lane and executes overtaking control, if it is determined from the recognition data ahead of the preceding vehicle that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested, the overtaking Whether to continue or interrupt the control is determined by whether or not there is a necessary distance that allows the host vehicle to enter the distance between the first vehicle and the first congested vehicle traveling immediately before the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the overtaking control can be continued when the first inter-vehicle distance is longer than the required distance, and the overtaking control can be interrupted when the first inter-vehicle distance is shorter than the necessary distance. It is possible to accurately determine whether to continue or stop the control, and excessive overtaking can be suppressed to reduce discomfort to the driver.

Configuration diagram of vehicle driving support device (A) is a bird's-eye view showing a state before the lane change to overtake the preceding vehicle, and (b) is a bird's-eye view showing a state where the lane change is being made to overtake the preceding vehicle. Flow chart showing automatic operation control routine Flow chart showing overtaking control mode subroutine Flow chart showing a congestion evaluation threshold value setting routine Conceptual diagram of target vehicle distance table Explanatory drawing which shows the correction gain set according to the road condition and the weather Conceptual diagram of the vehicle lateral position correction value table Timing chart showing changes in traffic congestion evaluation value and traffic congestion evaluation threshold

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 2 is a host vehicle, B is a preceding vehicle that travels immediately before, and C1 to C3 are vehicles that travel in front of the preceding vehicle B (hereinafter referred to as “first to third congested vehicles”). In addition, the host vehicle A is equipped with a vehicle driving support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and a well-known car navigation system (not shown). In the following, description will be made on the assumption that left-hand traffic. Therefore, in the case of right-hand traffic, the left and right descriptions are reversed.

  The vehicle driving support apparatus 1 includes a driving support control unit 11 as driving support means, an engine control unit (hereinafter referred to as “E / G_ECU”) 12, a power steering control unit (hereinafter referred to as “PS_ECU”) 13, Each control unit such as a brake control unit (hereinafter referred to as “BK_ECU”) 14 is provided, and each control unit 11 to 14 is connected through an in-vehicle communication line 15 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). Each of the units 11 to 14 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and a control program for realizing an operation set for each system is stored in the ROM.

  An in-vehicle camera 22 is connected to the input side of the driving support control unit 11 via an image processing unit (IPU) 21. This in-vehicle camera 22 has a main camera 22a and a sub camera 22b, and is a stereo camera that is mounted on the front part of the cabin of the host vehicle A and photographs a predetermined area Er1 (see FIG. 2 (a)) forward in the traveling direction. . The IPU 21 performs predetermined image processing on the surrounding environment image in front of the traveling direction photographed by both the cameras 22 a and 22 b and outputs the processed image to the driving support control unit 11.

  Further, on the input side of the driving support control unit 11, an automatic driving switch 23, a vehicle speed sensor 24 for detecting the vehicle speed of the own vehicle A (hereinafter referred to as "own vehicle speed") Va, a front side radar 25, a rear side radar. 26, various sensors such as a yaw rate sensor 27 for detecting the yaw rate acting on the host vehicle A are connected, and a notification means 28 is connected on the output side. The on-vehicle camera 22, the front side radar 25, and the rear side radar 26 described above specifically illustrate the surrounding environment recognition means of the present invention. The vehicle speed sensor 24 and the yaw rate sensor 27 described above correspond to the driving state detection means of the present invention.

  The automatic operation switch 23 is provided at a position that can be operated by the driver, such as an instrument panel and a steering handle, and arbitrarily selects normal operation (switch OFF) and automatic operation (switch ON), and ACC operation. The set vehicle speed at the time and the operation mode during automatic operation can be set to either the follow-up control mode or the overtaking control mode. When the follow-up control mode is selected as the operation mode in automatic driving, even if the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle B (hereinafter referred to as “preceding vehicle speed”) Vb is less than or equal to the set vehicle speed of the own vehicle A, the own vehicle A The follow-up running control is executed in a state where the predetermined inter-vehicle distance is maintained without overtaking the preceding vehicle B. On the other hand, when the overtaking control mode is selected, when the preceding vehicle speed Vb is slower than the set vehicle speed of the own vehicle A by a predetermined amount, the overtaking control mode is executed to maintain the set vehicle speed of the own vehicle A.

  The front side radar 25 is a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, an infrared laser radar, or the like, and is composed of a pair of radars disposed on the left and right sides of the front bumper, for example. The front side radar 25 monitors the left and right diagonally front areas Er2L and Er2R (see FIG. 2 (a)) that are difficult to recognize in the image from the on-vehicle camera 22 described above. Find the distance.

  The rear side radar 26 is a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, an infrared laser radar, or the like, and is composed of a pair of radars disposed on the left and right sides of the rear bumper, for example. The area scanned by the rear side radar 26 is relatively wider than that of the front side radar 25 described above, and the areas Er3L and Er3R which cannot be monitored by the front side radar 25 from the rear of the host vehicle A to the left and right (see FIG. a)) is monitored, and the distance between the vehicle A and the object detected laterally, obliquely rearward, and rearward is obtained.

  The notification means 28 notifies the driver of the start or stop of automatic driving by blinking display, character display, voice, or the like, and includes a display lamp, a display, a speaker, and the like.

  On the other hand, a throttle actuator 31 is connected to the output side of the E / G_ECU 12. The throttle actuator 31 opens and closes a throttle valve of an electronically controlled throttle provided in the throttle body of the engine, and adjusts the intake air flow rate by opening and closing the throttle valve by a drive signal from the E / G_ECU 12. The desired engine output is generated.

  An electric power steering motor 32 is connected to the output side of the PS_ECU 13. The electric power steering motor 32 applies a steering torque to the steering mechanism by the rotational force of the motor. In automatic operation, the electric power steering motor 32 is controlled by a drive signal from the PS_ECU 13 so that the current driving lane travels. Lane maintenance control for maintaining the vehicle, lane change control for moving the host vehicle A to the adjacent traveling lane, and the like are executed. In the following, for the sake of convenience, the right lane adjacent to the driving lane and the lane that changes the lane when overtaking will be referred to as the overtaking lane. Including the opposite lane.

  A brake actuator 33 is connected to the output side of the BK_ECU 14. The brake actuator 33 adjusts the brake hydraulic pressure supplied to the brake wheel cylinder provided on each wheel. When the brake actuator 33 is driven by a drive signal from the BK_ECU 14, each brake wheel 33 is driven by the brake wheel cylinder. Braking force is generated and the vehicle is forcibly decelerated.

  The driving support control unit 11 checks whether or not the preceding vehicle B is traveling ahead of the own vehicle A based on the surrounding environment image in front of the own vehicle that is image-processed by the IPU 33 and photographed by the in-vehicle camera 22. When the vehicle B is captured, a distance L1 (refer to FIG. 2) between the preceding vehicle B and the host vehicle A (hereinafter referred to as “the distance between the host vehicles”) and a relative vehicle speed ΔVba are calculated. In the automatic operation, it is determined whether the host vehicle A is to follow or overtake the preceding vehicle B based on the host vehicle distance L1 and the relative vehicle speed ΔVba.

  The automatic driving control executed by the driving support control unit 11 described above is specifically processed according to the automatic driving control routine shown in FIG.

  This routine is executed every predetermined calculation cycle after the driving support control unit 11 is activated, and first waits until the automatic operation switch 23 is turned on in step S1. Then, when the automatic driving switch 23 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is checked whether or not there is a preceding vehicle B that travels ahead of the host vehicle A based on the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 22. When the automatic operation switch 23 is turned on, the indicator lamp of the notification means 28 for notifying that the automatic operation switch 23 is turned on is turned on on the instrument panel, and the set vehicle speed described later is displayed.

  If the preceding vehicle B is detected, the process proceeds to step S3. If the preceding vehicle B is not detected, that is, if the preceding vehicle B does not exist in front of the own vehicle traveling path, the process jumps to step S6.

  In step S3, the target vehicle-to-vehicle distance TL1 is set by referring to the target vehicle-to-vehicle distance table based on the own vehicle speed Va detected by the vehicle speed sensor 24 or from a predetermined calculation formula. The target vehicle-to-vehicle distance TL1 is a value for determining whether the host vehicle A follows the preceding vehicle B or passes, and as shown in FIG. 8, the target vehicle-to-vehicle distance TL1 is the host vehicle speed Va. As the value increases, the distance is set longer.

  Then, when the host vehicle distance L1 is less than the target vehicle distance TL1 (L1 <TL1), the process proceeds to step S5, and when the host vehicle distance L1 is equal to or greater than the target vehicle distance TL1 (L1 ≧ TL1), the process proceeds to step S6. move on.

  When proceeding to step S5, it is determined whether to start the overtaking control mode or the follow-up control mode with reference to the setting by the driver's automatic operation switch 23, and when the follow-up control mode is set, Proceeding to step S7, the follow-up control mode is started and the routine is exited. Note that the follow-up control mode is the same as the technique disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-206700 previously filed by the present applicant, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  On the other hand, if the overtaking control mode is set, the process proceeds to step S8 to start the overtaking control mode and exit the routine. This overtaking control mode is processed according to an overtaking control mode subroutine which will be described later. Note that the start of the overtaking control mode is notified to the driver by turning on an indicator lamp provided in the notification means 28 or by sound from a speaker.

  When the process proceeds from step S2 or step S4 to step S6, the set vehicle speed control is executed and the routine is exited. This set vehicle speed control causes the host vehicle A to run at a constant speed with the vehicle speed (the upper limit is the speed limit) set by the driver operating the automatic operation switch 23 as a target vehicle speed, and is therefore well known in the art. Omitted.

  The overtaking control mode executed in step S8 described above is processed according to the overtaking control mode subroutine shown in FIG. When the overtaking control mode is executed, the driving support control unit 11 outputs an acceleration command and a steering command for changing the lane to the overtaking lane to the E / G_ECU 12 and the PS_ECU 13 to Change the lane to the overtaking lane while accelerating.

  First, in step S11, when the host vehicle A changes lanes, the preceding data is captured based on the image data that is the recognition data ahead of the preceding vehicle B and is monitored by the front side radar 25. It is checked whether or not a congested vehicle is detected in front of the vehicle B. If not detected, the process jumps to step S20. On the other hand, when a congested vehicle is detected ahead, it progresses to step S12.

In step S12, a traffic jam evaluation value is set. In the present embodiment, three evaluation values of the vehicle number evaluation value Sn, the relative vehicle speed evaluation value Sv, and the inter-vehicle distance evaluation value S1 are set as the congestion evaluation value. The vehicle number evaluation value Sn is a vehicle obtained by adding a preceding vehicle B to a congested vehicle C within a forward distance Lmax (see FIG. 2B) where the vehicle can be recognized based on image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22. Is a value that evaluates the density of
Sn ← (N + 1) / Lmax
Ask from.

The relative vehicle speed evaluation value Sv evaluates the relative vehicle speed between the own vehicle speed Va and the average value of the detected vehicle speeds Ci (i = 1 to n) Vci (hereinafter referred to as “congested vehicle speed”) Vci. Value,
Sv ← Va− (Vc1 +... VCn) / N
Ask from.

The inter-vehicle distance evaluation value S1 is based on the distance L2 between the preceding vehicle B and the immediately preceding first congested vehicle C1 (hereinafter referred to as “first inter-vehicle distance”) L2, and the first congested vehicle C1 and its This is a value for evaluating a distance L3 (hereinafter referred to as “second inter-vehicle distance”) L3 with the second congested vehicle C2 traveling immediately before (see FIG. 2 (b)).
Sl ← L3 / L2
Ask from. When there is no vehicle ahead of the first congested vehicle C1, the second inter-vehicle distance L3 is set to 1 (L3 ← 1).

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13, where the vehicle number evaluation threshold value Tn, the relative vehicle speed evaluation threshold value Tv, the inter-vehicle distance evaluation threshold value Tl are compared with the above-described evaluation values Sn, Sv, and Sl, respectively. It is determined whether or not. The evaluation threshold values Tn, Tv, and Tl are set by a congestion evaluation threshold value setting routine that will be described later.

  If Sn> Tn, Sv> Tv, and Sl> Tl, it is determined that there is a traffic jam (see FIG. 9), and the process proceeds to step S14. After step S14, it is checked whether or not the overtaking control is continued in a congested state, that is, whether or not the own vehicle A can be interrupted ahead of the preceding vehicle.

  On the other hand, if Sn ≦ Tn, Sv ≦ Tv, or Sl ≦ Tl, it is determined that there is no traffic jam and jumps to step S20 to continue the overtaking control (see FIG. 9).

  In step S14, it is determined whether the overtaking lane that is currently traveling is an oncoming lane. Whether the lane is an oncoming lane is determined based on, for example, image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22, whether the lane marking drawn between the traveling lane and the overtaking lane is a continuous line or a broken line. Line), it is determined as an oncoming lane.

  If it is determined that the overtaking lane is an oncoming lane, the process jumps to step S21 to interrupt the overtaking control. On the other hand, when it is determined that the lane marking is, for example, a broken line and the overtaking lane is not an oncoming lane, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the route data from the current location to the destination registered in the car navigation system is referred to and it is checked whether or not the distance to the destination target point which is the coordinate data of the target point is short. Whether or not the distance to the destination target point is close is determined by, for example, the travel distance from the current location to the destination, and is determined to be close if the travel distance is within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 kilometer). And when it determines with the distance to a reaching | attaining target point being far, it progresses to step S16. If it is determined that the distance to the destination target point is short, the process proceeds to step S17.

  If it progresses to step S16, it will be investigated whether the branch point is near with reference to the route data from the present location registered in the car navigation system to the destination. A branch point is a point to which a branch lane that changes the course of the vehicle A is connected. If it is a highway, it is an interchange entrance or junction entrance. It is an intersection on ordinary roads. Whether or not the branch point is close is determined based on, for example, the travel distance from the current location to the branch point as described above, and is determined to be close if the travel distance is within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km). Then, if it is determined that the branch point for changing the course of the host vehicle A is close, the process proceeds to step S17, and if it is determined that it is far, the process jumps to step S21.

  When the process proceeds from step S15 or step S16 to step S17, it is checked whether the destination target point or the branch point is in the direction of turning the host vehicle A to the right or the direction of turning to the left. Proceed to step S18, and if it is in the direction to turn right, jump to step S22. In step S18, the road surface condition is examined based on the road surface image captured by the in-vehicle camera 22. If it is determined that the road is low μ due to rain, snow or the like, the process jumps to step S21. If it is determined that the road is dry, the process proceeds to step S19.

  In step S19, the distance L1 between the own vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B plus the first inter-vehicle distance L2 between the preceding vehicle B and the immediately preceding first congested vehicle C1 is added to the distance L1 between the own vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B. L1 + L2) is compared with the required overtaking distance L0. This required overtaking distance L0 is vertically aligned with the necessary distance that can be set by the own vehicle based on the front and rear vehicle lengths of the own vehicle A to the distance L1 between the own vehicle A and the preceding vehicle B. This is a value obtained by adding an offset value considering the longitudinal length of the vehicle (L0 ← L1 + required distance + offset value). Note that the processing in step S19 described above may be performed after step S13 described above. At this time, if L1 + L2> L0, the process jumps to step S20, and if L1 + L2 ≦ L0, the process proceeds to step S14.

  If the distance (L1 + L2) is longer than the required overtaking distance L0 (L1 + L2> L0), there is a space for the host vehicle A to enter in front of the preceding vehicle B, so the process proceeds to step S20. If the distance (L1 + L2) is shorter than the required overtaking distance L0 (L1 + L2 ≦ L0), there is no space for the host vehicle A to enter ahead of the preceding vehicle B, and the process branches to step S21.

  On the other hand, in step S17 described above, it is determined that the destination target point or branch point is in a direction to turn the host vehicle A to the right, and when the process proceeds to step S22, standby control is executed until the right turn point is reached. When the standby control is executed, the driving support control unit 11 enters the host vehicle A in front of the preceding vehicle B even if there is a necessary distance that allows the host vehicle A to enter in front of the preceding vehicle B. The overtaking lane is continuously driven without executing the overtaking control. And it progresses to step S23, it is investigated whether it reached | attained the right turning point, step S22 is repeatedly performed until it reaches the right turning point, and when it reaches the right turning point, it progresses to step S20.

  When the process proceeds from step S11, step S13, step S19, or step S23 to step S20, the interruption determination flag F is cleared (F ← 0) and the routine is exited in order to continue the overtaking control. On the other hand, when the process proceeds from step S14, step S16, step S18, or step S19 to step S21, the interruption determination flag F is set to interrupt the overtaking control (F ← 1), and the process proceeds to step S24.

  If it progresses to step S24, the lane return deceleration control for returning the own vehicle A to the back of the preceding vehicle B will be performed, and a routine will be exited. In this lane return deceleration control, first, the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle B and the own vehicle A based on the image data taken by the in-vehicle camera 22 and the scan data that is the recognition data obtained from the rear side radar 26. L1 and the relative vehicle speed ΔVba are obtained, and based on the distance L1 between the own vehicles and the relative vehicle speed ΔVba, a target deceleration that allows the own vehicle A to return to the rear of the preceding vehicle B is set, and the own vehicle speed Va is set to the time. A control signal is output to the E / G_ECU 12 and the BK_ECU 14 so that the deceleration calculated by differentiation reaches the target deceleration.

  The interruption determination flag F described above is read when the driving support control unit 11 determines whether to continue or stop the overtaking control mode while traveling in the overtaking lane. The overtime control mode is continued, and when F = 1, it is interrupted.

  When the overtaking control mode is interrupted, the driving support control unit 11 causes each control unit 12, 13, and 14 to execute steering control for returning the host vehicle A to the rear of the preceding vehicle B, thereby driving. For the person, the indicator lamp provided in the notifying means 28 indicating that the overtaking control is being performed is turned off, and the overtaking control mode is informed by the sound from the speaker.

  On the other hand, when the overtaking control mode is continued, the overtaking lane is continuously traveled, and after overtaking the preceding vehicle B, the own vehicle A is interrupted in front of the preceding vehicle B and returned to the traveling lane. Steering control is executed. At that time, the driver turns off the indicator light indicating that the overtaking control is provided in the notification means 28, and the control mode is changed from the overtaking control mode by the sound from the speaker. Notifies that the mode has been switched to the follow-up control mode. In addition, when it is determined that the own vehicle A has reached the right turning point, and the interruption determination flag F is set, the own vehicle A naturally changes its own traveling path from the main line to the branch lane, and therefore precedes ahead. Depending on whether or not the vehicle is traveling, the control mode is switched between the follow-up control mode and the set vehicle speed control. At that time, the upper limit of the set vehicle speed is regulated by the speed limit.

  Each evaluation threshold value Tn, Tv, Tl read in step S13 of the overtaking control mode subroutine shown in FIG. 4 described above is set in the traffic jam evaluation threshold value setting routine shown in FIG.

  In this routine, first, in step S31, it is determined whether or not the overtaking control mode is currently executed. For example, whether or not the overtaking control mode is executed in step S8 of the automatic operation control routine shown in FIG. Check with no. If the overtaking control mode is being executed, the process proceeds to step S32. If the overtaking control mode is not being executed, the routine is exited.

  When it is determined that the overtaking control mode is being executed and the process proceeds to step S32, the basic vehicle number evaluation threshold value TnINI related to the number of vehicles, the basic relative vehicle speed evaluation threshold value TvINI related to the relative vehicle speed, and the basics related to the inter-vehicle distance. The inter-vehicle distance evaluation threshold value TlINI is read. Each of the evaluation threshold values TnINI, TvINI, and TlINI is a value that comprehensively evaluates whether or not the front of the preceding vehicle B is in the traffic jam area, and is previously tested according to the vehicle characteristics of the host vehicle A. It is set by asking for.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S33, and the surrounding environment information in the traveling direction of the host vehicle A is read based on the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22 and the scan data obtained from the front side radar 25. As the surrounding environment information, there are road information in front of the own vehicle such as a sharp curve, a climbing slope, a red light of a traffic light, and weather information such as rain and snow. The weather information may be determined based on weather information received by the car navigation.

  In step S34, a threshold value correction gain Gt for correcting each evaluation threshold value TnINI, TvINI, TlINI is set based on the surrounding environment information. This threshold value correction gain Gt is selected and set from among a plurality of candidate correction gains G according to the priority order.

  FIG. 7 illustrates the correction gain G set by the driving support control unit 11 based on the surrounding environment information. In the figure, road information correction gain and rain / snow correction gain are set as the surrounding environment information. On steep curves, climbing slopes, and general roads, if the traffic light ahead is red, the vehicle speed will drop regardless of traffic jams. Therefore, correction is made to lower each evaluation threshold value TnINI, TvINI, TlINI. Further, in bad weather such as rain and snow, the visibility is poor, and the vehicle is slowed down and traffic is likely to occur. Therefore, a correction gain lower than the above-described road information correction gain is set and evaluated as a traffic jam at an early stage.

  If any of the above-described correction gains G is detected, the correction gain G is set as the threshold correction gain Gt (Gt ← G). If the correction gain G is not detected, the threshold correction gain Gt is set to 100 [%] (Gt ← 1). Further, when both of the two correction gains G described above are detected, the rainy / snow correction gain is preferentially set as the threshold correction gain Gt. That is, the lower the correction gain G, the higher the priority.

  Thereafter, when the process proceeds to step S35, the own vehicle lateral position correction value Ka is set based on the lateral position in the vehicle width direction of the own vehicle A (hereinafter referred to as "own vehicle lateral position") L3. As shown in FIG. 2, the host vehicle lateral position L3 is set based on image data or the like taken by the in-vehicle camera 22 with reference to a lane marking (white line between the traveling lane and the overtaking lane). FIG. 8 shows the characteristics of the own vehicle lateral position correction value table. As shown in the figure, the vehicle lateral position correction value Ka is set to a constant value (1.0) until the vehicle crosses the dividing line from the traveling lane, and is increased substantially in proportion to the vehicle lateral position L3 in the overtaking lane. The In other words, in a transitional state after the own vehicle A crosses the dividing line and moves to the overtaking lane and then shifts to the lane keeping control, the preceding vehicle B is not always traveling in a fixed position on the traveling lane, It may be possible to approach the overtaking lane.

  The own vehicle lateral position correction value Ka is set in consideration of an increase in discomfort given to the driver when the preceding vehicle B moves to the right. That is, the vehicle lateral position correction value Ka is set to a higher value when the vehicle A travels to the right rather than travels to the left of the overtaking lane. Therefore, the evaluation threshold values Tn, Tv, Tl is set to a higher value when the host vehicle A travels to the right of the overtaking lane. As a result, it is less likely that own vehicle A travels to the left of the overtaking lane approaching the preceding vehicle B and travels to the right far from the preceding vehicle B. In the traveling control when traveling, the vehicle learns to gradually travel to the right. Thereby, automatic control in line with the driver's intention can be realized.

  Thus, in this embodiment, after changing the lane to the overtaking lane to overtake the preceding vehicle B, each evaluation value Sn, Tn, Tl is obtained from the relationship between the own vehicle A, the preceding vehicle B, and the congested vehicle C. The evaluation threshold values Tn, Tv, Tl are compared with the evaluation values Sn, Tn, Tl. When all the evaluation values Sn, Tn, Tl exceed the evaluation threshold values Tn, Tv, Tl, Assess that there is traffic.

  Then, if it is evaluated that the traffic is congested, whether the overtaking control is to be continued or interrupted is determined according to the condition of the driving lane (whether it is an oncoming lane), the road surface condition (whether it is a low μ road), or the front of the preceding vehicle B. The necessary distance (whether there is a space for the host vehicle A to enter) is determined, and if the right turn point is close on the route to the destination, the vehicle is in a standby state in which the overtaking lane is continuously driven. Therefore, even if it is determined that there is a traffic jam ahead of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to accurately determine whether to continue the overtaking control or whether to wait. Can be reduced.

  If it is determined that the overtaking control is interrupted, the lane return deceleration control is executed to return the host vehicle A to the rear of the preceding vehicle B so that the following control is performed. Therefore, it is possible to realize travel control in accordance with the driver's intention.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the value of the interruption determination flag F set in the above-described overtaking control may be applied in driving by manual operation performed by the driver. it can. That is, if a traffic jam is detected after starting an overtaking operation to overtake the preceding vehicle B by a manual steering operation, the driving assistance device refers to the value of the interruption determination flag and determines whether to continue overtaking or to interrupt The advice can be given to the driver.

1 ... Vehicle driving support device,
11 ... Driving support control unit,
22 ... In-vehicle camera,
23 ... Automatic operation switch,
24 ... Vehicle speed sensor,
25 ... Front side radar,
26: Rear side radar,
28 ... informing means,
A ... own vehicle,
B ... preceding car,
C ... Congested vehicles
C1 ... 1st traffic jam vehicle,
C2 ... Second heavy traffic vehicle,
G: Correction gain,
Gt: Threshold correction gain,
Ka: the vehicle lateral position correction value,
L0 ... Required overtaking distance,
L1 ... distance between own vehicle,
L2 ... 1st vehicle-to-vehicle distance,
L3: Second vehicle distance,
L3 ... the vehicle's lateral position,
Sl: Inter-vehicle distance evaluation value,
Sn: Number of vehicles evaluated,
Sv: Relative vehicle speed evaluation value,
TL1 ... Target vehicle distance,
Tl: Inter-vehicle distance evaluation threshold,
TlINI: Basic inter-vehicle distance evaluation threshold,
Tn: vehicle number evaluation threshold,
TnINI: Basic vehicle number evaluation threshold,
Tv ... Relative vehicle speed evaluation threshold,
TvINI: Basic relative vehicle speed evaluation threshold,
Va ... own vehicle speed,
Vb ... preceding vehicle speed,
ΔVba ... Relative vehicle speed

Claims (9)

A surrounding environment recognition means for recognizing the surrounding environment of the host vehicle;
Driving state detecting means for detecting the driving state of the host vehicle;
Driving support means for detecting a preceding vehicle based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means, and for executing an overtaking control when the preceding vehicle can be overtaken from the relationship between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle. In a vehicle driving support device comprising:
The driving support means is recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means when the own vehicle changes the lane to an overtaking lane adjacent to a traveling lane in which the preceding vehicle is running and executes the overtaking control. Based on the recognition data ahead of the preceding vehicle, if it is determined that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested, whether the overtaking control is continued or interrupted travels immediately before the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle. A driving support apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that a determination is made by comparing a first inter-vehicle distance with a first congested vehicle and a necessary distance that allows the host vehicle to enter the first inter-vehicle distance. The driving support means includes
Obtain a vehicle number evaluation value based on the number of vehicles of the congested vehicle traveling in front of the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle,
Obtain a relative vehicle speed evaluation value based on the relative vehicle speed obtained from the difference between the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the average vehicle speed of each of the congested vehicles,
An inter-vehicle distance evaluation value is obtained from a ratio between the first inter-vehicle distance and the second inter-vehicle distance between the first congested vehicle and the second congested vehicle traveling immediately before the first congested vehicle;
The evaluation values are compared with the evaluation threshold values set corresponding to the evaluation values, and when all the evaluation values exceed the evaluation threshold values, it is determined that there is a traffic jam. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1. 3. The vehicle driving support according to claim 2, wherein the driving support means corrects each evaluation threshold value with a threshold correction gain set based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means. apparatus. The driving support means detects a lateral position in the vehicle width direction from the traveling lane of the own vehicle based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means, and the lateral position in the vehicle width direction becomes farther from the preceding vehicle. 4. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 2, wherein a vehicle lateral position correction value set to a large value is obtained, and each evaluation threshold value is corrected by the vehicle lateral position correction value. The driving support means is a case where it is determined that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested when the own vehicle changes lanes to the overtaking lane, and the first inter-vehicle distance is greater than the necessary distance. The in-vehicle driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the overtaking control is interrupted when the time is short. The driving support means interrupts the overtaking control when the road condition of the overtaking lane recognized based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means is a low μ road or an opposite lane. The in-vehicle driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. When the driving support means determines that the overtaking control is interrupted, the driving support means obtains the front-rear direction position and the relative vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle based on the surrounding environment recognized by the surrounding environment recognition means, The vehicle driving support device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein lane return deceleration control for returning the host vehicle to the rear of the preceding vehicle is executed based on the position in the front-rear direction and the relative vehicle speed. The said driving assistance means continues the said overtaking control, when it is judged that the said 1st inter-vehicle distance is longer than the said required distance, The any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Driving support system for vehicles. The driving support means determines that the front of the preceding vehicle is congested when the host vehicle changes lanes to the overtaking lane, and a branch point for changing the traveling path of the host vehicle is The vehicle driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the branch point is near and on the overtaking lane side, the vehicle is allowed to keep running in the overtaking lane. .

Images