JP2018118569A - Travel control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a travel control device capable of performing speed control which is suitable for travel characteristics of a saddle-riding vehicle, and supporting properly driving of a saddle-riding vehicle in exit time of an expressway.SOLUTION: A saddle-riding vehicle 1 comprises a travel control device. The travel control device recognizes a fact that, a vehicle 1 is traveling to a direction where a lamp 5 or 6 for connecting an expressway 2 and an open road 4 is made to exit the expressway 2 by a GPS receiver, a vehicle speed sensor, an angular speed sensor, map data or the like. In addition, the travel control device recognizes whether the vehicle 1 is traveling on a curve section or non-curve section on the lamp 5 or 6. When the vehicle 1 travels on the non-curve section, the travel control device reduces the speed of the vehicle 1. When the vehicle 1 travels on the curve section, the travel control device reduces the speed of the vehicle 1 to speed by a degree smaller than a degree when the speed of the vehicle 1 is reduced when the vehicle 1 travel on the non-curve section, or does not perform control of reducing the speed of the vehicle 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control device that controls travel of a saddle-ride type vehicle.

  In Patent Document 1 below, when a vehicle travels from a high-speed travel path to a general travel path on a connection path that connects the high-speed travel path and the general travel path, the vehicle assists deceleration based on the driver's intention to decelerate. A vehicle control device is described. This vehicle control device sets a control section from a position before the high-speed traveling path and the connection path branch to a position where the connection path is connected to the general traveling path, and the vehicle enters this control section. When the driver's deceleration operation is detected, the upper limit of the shift speed is limited to assist the vehicle deceleration.

JP-A-10-141491

  For example, when driving from an expressway to an ordinary road through an interchange ramp to exit the expressway, the driver must greatly reduce the speed of the vehicle. According to the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 described above, the deceleration control of the vehicle can be automatically performed when leaving such a highway, and when the vehicle is a four-wheeled vehicle, It is considered that the vehicle deceleration operation can be supported.

  However, when the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a straddle-type vehicle, there are the following problems. In other words, interchange ramps often have curves with a small radius of curvature. If the vehicle is a saddle type, when turning a curve, the driver adjusts the speed of the vehicle by operating the accelerator and brake, and tilts the vehicle in the direction of turning due to weight shift so that the vehicle follows the curve. Move to. When the vehicle is traveling on a curve, the driver grasps the vehicle speed from the sensation of the vehicle and carefully performs the accelerator operation so as to balance the grasped speed with the inclination (bank angle) in the left-right direction of the vehicle. . When the driver operates the saddle type vehicle and travels the ramp curve in this way, if the vehicle control device performs the deceleration control, the vehicle is greatly decelerated against the intention of the driver, and the vehicle It is difficult to balance the speed and inclination of the vehicle, and the running stability of the vehicle may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of, for example, the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform a speed control suitable for the traveling characteristics of the saddle riding type vehicle, so that the saddle riding type vehicle at the time of leaving the high speed traveling road. An object of the present invention is to provide a travel control device that can appropriately support the driving of the vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is a travel control device that controls the travel of a saddle-type vehicle, and recognizes a vehicle position detection unit that detects a position and a moving direction of the vehicle, and a road type. Based on the detection result by the vehicle position detection unit and the recognition result by the road recognition unit based on the detection result by the road recognition unit, the curve detection unit for detecting whether or not the road is curved, A speed control unit that automatically controls the speed of the vehicle when it is recognized that the vehicle is traveling in a direction of leaving the high-speed travel path. Recognizes whether the vehicle is traveling in a curve section or a non-curve section on the connection path based on a detection result by the curve detection unit, and the vehicle is traveling in the non-curve section Decreases the speed of the vehicle, reduces the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in the curve section, and decreases the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in the non-curve section. It is characterized by not performing control to reduce to a degree smaller than the degree or to reduce the speed of the vehicle.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the driving | running | working of a saddle-riding type vehicle at the time of leaving a high-speed driving | running | working path can be appropriately supported by performing speed control suitable for the traveling characteristic of the saddle-riding type vehicle.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle provided with the traveling control apparatus of the Example of this invention, and the interchange of a highway. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the traveling control apparatus of the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the traveling control process in the traveling control apparatus of the Example of this invention.

  A travel control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that controls travel of a saddle type vehicle. The travel control device includes a vehicle position detection unit that detects a position and a moving direction of the vehicle, a road recognition unit that recognizes the type of road, a curve detection unit that detects whether the road is curved, And a speed control unit for controlling the speed.

  The speed control unit is a connection path through which the vehicle connects the high-speed traveling path and another location based on the detection result of the vehicle position and moving direction by the vehicle position detection unit and the recognition result of the road type by the road recognition unit. When it is recognized that the vehicle is traveling in the direction of exiting from the high-speed traveling road, basically, control for decreasing the speed of the vehicle is automatically performed.

  Here, the “high-speed traveling road” is, for example, a highway, a high-speed automobile national road, an automobile-only road, and the like, and is a road on which the vehicle is permitted to move at high speed (for example, 80 km / h or more). It doesn't matter whether the road is tolled or free.

  The “other place” is any place where the vehicle can travel. For example, general roads such as national roads, prefectural roads, municipal roads, etc. are “other places”. In addition, other highways, high-speed automobile national roads, automobile-only roads, etc. that are connected via a ramp to highways as “high-speed driving paths” at the interchange also correspond to “other places”. In addition, parking areas, service areas, etc. are also “other places”.

  A “connection road” is a road that connects a “high-speed travel road” and “another place”. For example, a ramp (sometimes referred to as a rampway) connecting an expressway and the general road at an interchange corresponds to a “connection road”. The ramp that connects the highway and highway at the interchange is also a “connection road”. In addition, a road that connects the two to bring the vehicle out of the expressway to the parking area is also a “connection road”.

  As described above, when it is recognized that the vehicle is traveling in the direction of exiting from the high-speed traveling path, the speed control unit basically automatically performs control to decrease the speed of the vehicle. To do. However, the speed control unit does not uniformly reduce the speed of the vehicle in the entire section of the connection path.

  The speed control unit recognizes whether the vehicle is traveling in a curve section or a non-curve section on the connection path based on the detection result by the curve detection section. The speed control unit decreases the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in the non-curve section. On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling in a curve section, the vehicle control unit reduces the speed of the vehicle to a degree smaller than the degree of decreasing the vehicle speed when the vehicle is traveling in a non-curve section, Or the control which reduces the speed of a vehicle is not performed.

  It is desirable that the speed control of the vehicle by the speed control unit is performed so as not to contradict the manual driving operation by the driver. That is, when the speed control unit decreases the speed of the vehicle, it is desirable that the speed decrease amount be larger than the normal speed decrease amount corresponding to the driver's manual driving operation. In addition, the speed control unit may not perform control to reduce the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in a curve section, but this prohibits the speed reduction of the vehicle due to the driver's manual driving operation. Not what you want.

  According to the travel control apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle travels in a direction of leaving the connection path from the high-speed travel path, the speed of the vehicle automatically decreases in the non-curve section on the connection path. Therefore, even when the driver's manual deceleration operation is insufficient, the vehicle speed can be sufficiently and reliably reduced. That is, the driver has become accustomed to the speed feeling while traveling on the high-speed traveling path. For this reason, the driver when leaving the high-speed traveling path may be insufficiently aware that the speed of the vehicle is high. As a result, when the vehicle is decelerated only by the manual deceleration operation by the driver, the deceleration operation is actually insufficient even if the driver intends to perform the deceleration operation sufficiently, and the vehicle speed is connected. It may not be reduced to a speed that allows safe driving on the road. According to the travel control device of the embodiment of the present invention, since the travel control device performs the deceleration control in addition to the manual deceleration operation by the driver, the speed of the vehicle is surely increased to a speed at which the vehicle can safely travel on the connection path. Can be reduced.

  Further, according to the travel control device of the embodiment of the present invention, in the curve section on the connection path, the speed of the vehicle is automatically decreased, but the degree of the decrease is small, or the speed of the vehicle is automatically decreased. There is no. Therefore, the driver of the saddle riding type vehicle traveling in the curve section can surely grasp the speed of the vehicle based on the bodily sensation, and adjusts the speed of the vehicle according to his / her intention by the accelerator operation. be able to. Therefore, the driver of the vehicle traveling in the curve section can easily balance the speed of the vehicle and the inclination (bank angle) in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and can drive the vehicle safely along the curve. be able to. As described above, according to the travel control device of the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately support the driving of the saddle riding type vehicle when leaving the high-speed travel path.

  FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 provided with a travel control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and an interchange 3 on a highway 2. In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 is a motorcycle, and the vehicle 1 is provided with a travel control device 11 (see FIG. 2) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The interchange 3 of the highway 2 is provided with ramps 5 and 6 that connect the highway 2 and the general road 4. The vehicle 1 is about to travel on the ramp 5 in the direction of leaving the highway 2. The highway 2 is an example of a “high-speed traveling road”, the general road 4 is an example of “another place”, and the ramps 5 and 6 are examples of a “connection road”.

  The highway 2 has a lane 2A heading north and a lane 2B heading south. The ramp 5 is a road that exits from the lane 2 </ b> A of the highway 2 and exits to the general road 4. The ramp 5 branches from the lane 2A at the position P1, then curves, extends under the highway 2 from the west side of the highway 2 to the east side of the highway 2, and further extends toward the general road 4. On the other hand, the ramp 6 is a road that exits from the lane 2 </ b> B of the highway 2 and exits to the general road 4. The ramp 6 branches from the lane 2B at the position P11, then curves on the east side of the highway 2 and extends toward the general road 4. The ramps 5 and 6 are combined on the way to the general road 4 to form one road, and the end position P5 of the ramp 5 and the end position P14 of the ramp 6 are the same position. A toll gate 7 is provided at a position P5 (P14) of the lamp 5 (6). The toll gate 7 is provided with an ETC (electronic toll collection system) roadside communication device.

  The ramp 5 has a curve section and a non-curve section. A curve section is a curved section. The non-curve section is a section that is not curved, that is, a section that extends substantially linearly. Specifically, in the ramp 5, the section from the position P1 to the position P2 is a non-curve section. The section from position P2 to position P3 is a curve section. A section from position P3 to position P4 is also a curve section. In the curve section from the position P2 to the position P3, the curvature radius of the curve is small, for example, the curvature radius is less than 100 m, and the degree of the curve is steep. On the other hand, the curve section from the position P3 to the position P4 has a large curvature radius, for example, a curvature radius of 100 m or more, and the degree of the curve is gentle. The section from position P4 to position P5 is a non-curve section. In the ramp, the first non-curve section connected to the expressway is referred to as the start section. In the ramp 5, the section from the position P1 to the position P2 connected to the lane 2A of the highway 2 is the start section.

  The ramp 6 also has a curve section and a non-curve section. Specifically, in the ramp 6, the section from the position P11 to the position P12 is a non-curve section. The section from position P12 to position P13 is a curve section. This curve section has a large radius of curvature of the curve, for example, the radius of curvature is 100 m or more, and the degree of the curve is gentle. The section from position P13 to position P14 is a non-curve section. Further, in the ramp 6, the section from the position P11 to the position P12 connected to the lane 2B of the highway 2 is the start section.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the travel control device 11. The travel control device 11 is a device having a function of supporting driving of a vehicle traveling on a ramp in a direction of leaving the highway by automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, the travel control device 11 includes a GPS (global positioning system) receiver 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13, an acceleration sensor 14, an angular velocity sensor 15, a tilt sensor 16, a raindrop sensor 17, a temperature sensor 18, A sonic sensor 19, a control unit 21, and a storage unit 22 are provided.

  The GPS receiver 12 is a device that receives positioning information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 measured by GPS, and is attached to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. The vehicle speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the angular velocity sensor 15 are devices that respectively detect the speed, acceleration, and angular velocity of the vehicle 1, and are attached to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. As will be described later, the control unit 21 of the travel control device 11 uses the positioning information provided from the GPS receiver 12 and the detection signals output from the vehicle speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the angular velocity sensor 15 to perform satellite navigation. And the present position and moving direction of the vehicle 1 are detected by autonomous navigation. The GPS receiver 12, the vehicle speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, the angular velocity sensor 15, and the control unit 21 are specific examples of the vehicle position detection unit.

  The tilt sensor 16 is a device that detects the bank angle (the tilt angle in the left-right direction) of the vehicle 1 and is attached to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. The control unit 21 detects the bank angle of the vehicle 1 using the detection signal output from the tilt sensor 16, and based on the bank angle, whether or not the ramp on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is curved, and Detect the degree of the curve. The tilt sensor 16 and the control unit 21 are specific examples of a curve detection unit.

  The raindrop sensor 17 is a device that detects raindrops. The temperature sensor 18 is a device that detects the temperature of the place where the vehicle 1 is traveling. The ultrasonic sensor 19 is used as a device that detects the state of the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. The raindrop sensor 17, the temperature sensor 18 and the ultrasonic sensor 19 are attached to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. The control unit 21 uses the detection signals output from the raindrop sensor 17, the temperature sensor 18, and the ultrasonic sensor 19 to detect the road surface state of the ramp, for example, whether the road surface is wet or the road surface is frozen. Infer.

  The control unit 21 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and performs a travel control process described later. For example, the control unit 21 can be realized by causing a CPU incorporated in an ECU (engine control unit) provided in the vehicle 1 to execute a computer program for performing a travel control process. The control unit 21 is a specific example of a speed control unit. The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive device, an optical disk drive device, or the like, and is provided on the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. The storage unit 22 stores map data 23. The control unit 21 can recognize the type of road on which the vehicle 1 travels using the map data 23. The control unit 21 is a specific example of a road recognition unit.

  Further, the control unit 21 controls the fuel injection device 24 and the electronic control throttle 25 provided in the vehicle 1. The fuel injection device 24 is a device that generates air-fuel mixture by injecting fuel into the air sucked into the cylinder of the engine of the vehicle 1. The electronically controlled throttle 25 is a device that changes the amount of air or air-fuel mixture sucked into the engine cylinder. The throttle opening of the electronic control throttle 25 is basically controlled according to the accelerator operation amount (accelerator opening) detected by the accelerator position sensor. The relationship with the throttle opening can be changed. The control unit 21 can intervene in the driver's accelerator operation and control the fuel injection device 24 to change the amount of fuel supplied to the engine. Further, the control unit 21 can control the electronic control throttle 25 by intervening in the driver's accelerator operation, and can change the amount of air or air-fuel mixture sucked into the engine. And the control part 21 can change the speed of the vehicle 1 automatically by controlling the fuel-injection apparatus 24 and the electronic control throttle 25 in this way. That is, when reducing the speed of the vehicle 1, the control unit 21 controls the fuel injection device 24 to reduce the amount of fuel supplied to the engine of the vehicle 1, and controls the electronic control throttle 25 to control the vehicle 1. Reduce the amount of air or mixture drawn into the engine. Thereby, the engine brake can be applied to reduce the speed of the vehicle 1.

  FIG. 3 shows a travel control process in the travel control device 11. The traveling control device 11 performs a traveling control process shown in FIG. 3 while the vehicle 1 is traveling. In the travel control process, the control unit 21 of the travel control device 11 first determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling in the direction of exiting the ramp from the expressway (step S1). The control unit 21 makes this determination as follows, for example. That is, the control unit 21 detects the current position of the vehicle 1 using the GPS receiver 12, the vehicle speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the angular velocity sensor 15, and refers to the map data 23 to determine the road existing at the current position of the vehicle 1. It recognizes, and also recognizes that the kind of the road concerned is a ramp with reference to map data 23. Further, the control unit 21 detects the moving direction of the vehicle 1 by the GPS receiver 12 and the angular velocity sensor 15 and the like, and refers to the map data 23 to confirm that the moving direction of the vehicle 1 is a direction to leave the highway. recognize.

  While the vehicle 1 is not traveling on the ramp, or the vehicle 1 is traveling on the ramp but the direction of movement is not the direction of leaving the highway, the control unit 21 repeatedly executes step S1, while the vehicle 1 Waits to start traveling in the direction of exiting the ramp from the highway (step S1: NO).

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the direction of exiting the ramp from the highway (step S1: YES), the control unit 21 subsequently determines whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curve section on the ramp. (Step S2). Specifically, the control unit 21 detects the bank angle of the vehicle 1 by the inclination sensor 16, and determines whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curve section based on the bank angle. For example, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curve section when the bank angle of the vehicle 1 exceeds the first bank angle reference range. On the other hand, when the bank angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the first bank angle reference range, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is not traveling in the curve section. The first bank angle reference range is a predetermined range, for example, from −10 degrees to 10 degrees.

  When the vehicle 1 is not traveling on a curve section on the ramp, that is, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a non-curve section on the ramp (step S2: NO), the control unit 21 subsequently determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling on the ramp. It is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the start section (step S3). The control unit 21 makes this determination as follows, for example. That is, the control unit 21 detects the current position of the vehicle 1 by the GPS receiver 12, the vehicle speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the angular velocity sensor 15, and refers to the map data 23 to the current position of the vehicle 1 to start the ramp. Recognizes whether or not exists.

  When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the start section of the ramp (step S3: YES), the control unit 21 performs control (deceleration control) for automatically reducing the speed of the vehicle 1 (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 21 reduces the amount of fuel supplied from the fuel injection device 24 to the engine, and controls the electronic control throttle 25 to reduce the amount of air or air-fuel mixture sucked into the engine. Decrease the speed of 1.

Here, as described below, the speed reduction of the vehicle 1 performed by the control unit 21 in the travel control process has three levels of “large”, “medium”, and “small”.
“Large”: The speed reduction amount is made, for example, 30% larger than the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.
“Medium”: The speed reduction amount is made, for example, 20% larger than the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.
“Small”: The speed reduction amount is increased by, for example, 10% from the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.
Further, during the “large” deceleration control, the speed may be reduced by a predetermined amount when the driver keeps the accelerator constant.

  When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the start section on the ramp, the control unit 21 sets the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “large” and performs control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a non-curve section that is not the starting end section on the ramp (step S3: NO), the control unit 21 sets the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “medium”, and Control to automatically reduce the speed is performed (step S5).

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a curve section on the ramp (step S2: YES), the control unit 21 subsequently determines whether or not the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section is small (step S6). . Specifically, the control unit 21 detects the bank angle of the vehicle 1 by the tilt sensor 16, and based on the bank angle, determines whether or not the curvature radius of the curve of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is small. to decide. For example, when the bank angle of the vehicle 1 exceeds the second bank angle reference range, the control unit 21 determines that the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is small. On the other hand, when the bank angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the second bank angle reference range, it is determined that the curvature radius of the curve of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is not small. The second bank angle reference range is a predetermined range and is larger than the first bank angle reference range, for example, from −30 degrees to 30 degrees.

  When the curvature radius of the curve of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is not small (step S6: NO), the control unit 21 is in a state where the road surface of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is slippery. It is determined whether or not (step S7). Specifically, the control unit 21 detects the presence or degree of raindrops with the raindrop sensor 17, detects the temperature of the place where the vehicle 1 is traveling with the temperature sensor 18, and detects the road surface with the ultrasonic sensor 19. The state is detected, and these detection results are combined to recognize whether the road surface is wet or whether the road surface is frozen. When the road surface is wet or frozen, the control unit 21 determines that the road surface is slippery. When the road surface is not wet and freezing, the control unit 21 Judge that the road surface is not slippery.

  When the road surface of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is not slippery (step S7: NO), the control unit 21 sets the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “small” and the speed of the vehicle 1 Is automatically reduced (step S8).

  On the other hand, when the curvature radius of the curve of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is small (step S6: YES), or the curvature radius of the curve of the curve section in which the vehicle 1 is traveling is not small. When the road surface is slippery (step S7: YES), the control unit 21 does not perform control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1 (step S9).

  The above travel control process will be described when the vehicle 1 leaves the highway 2 through the ramp 5 shown in FIG.

  That is, immediately after the vehicle exits the lane 2A of the highway 2 and enters the ramp 5, and passes the position P1 on the ramp 5 in the north direction, the control unit 21 causes the vehicle 1 to exit the ramp 5 from the highway 2. Judge that you are traveling in the direction. At this time, since the vehicle 1 is traveling straight, the bank angle of the vehicle 1 is approximately 0 degrees and does not exceed the first bank angle reference range. Further, the position of the vehicle 1 at this time is on the start end section in the ramp 5. In this case, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the starting end section of the ramp 5. Therefore, the control unit 21 sets the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “large” and performs control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1. As a result, the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 is, for example, 30% larger than the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.

  While the driver is driving on the highway 2, the speed sensation has become accustomed to high speed. Therefore, the driver when leaving the highway 2 may be insufficiently aware that the vehicle 1 is at high speed. As a result, when the vehicle 1 is decelerated only by a manual deceleration operation by the driver, even if the driver intends to sufficiently decelerate the vehicle 1 by the deceleration operation, the deceleration operation is actually insufficient. The actual speed of the vehicle 1 may not have decreased to a speed at which the ramp 5 can be traveled safely. According to the travel control device 11 of the present embodiment, in addition to the manual deceleration operation by the driver, the travel control device 11 automatically decreases the speed of the vehicle 1, so that the speed of the vehicle 1 is made safe with the ramp 5. It is possible to reliably reduce the vehicle to a speed where it can travel.

  In particular, since the vehicle 1 traveling in the start section of the ramp 5 is immediately after leaving the highway 2, the speed thereof is significantly higher than the speed at which the ramp 5 can be safely traveled. According to the travel control device 11, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the starting end section of the ramp 5, the speed of the vehicle 1 is compared with the case where the vehicle 1 is traveling in another non-curve section of the ramp 5. As a result, the speed of the vehicle 1 can be reliably reduced to a speed at which the ramp 5 can travel safely.

  Subsequently, immediately after the vehicle 1 passes the position P2 on the ramp 5 in the north direction or the northwest direction, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the direction of leaving the ramp 5 from the highway 2. At this time, the vehicle 1 is traveling on a sharp curve with a small radius of curvature. In this case, the bank angle of the vehicle 1 is, for example, about 35 degrees, which exceeds the first bank angle reference range and also exceeds the second bank angle reference range. In this case, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the curve section of the ramp 5 and the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section is small. Therefore, the control unit 21 does not perform control for automatically reducing the speed of the vehicle 1. As a result, the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 becomes a normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's deceleration operation.

  When a saddle type vehicle 1 turns a sharp curve with a small radius of curvature, the driver needs to slow down the speed of the vehicle 1 and increase the bank angle of the vehicle 1. When the speed of the vehicle 1 is reduced or the bank angle of the vehicle 1 is increased, the driver finely operates the accelerator to maintain the stability of the behavior of the vehicle 1, and the speed and bank angle of the vehicle 1 are determined. Must be carefully balanced. In particular, when the bank angle is increased, the wheels are likely to skid sideways, so the driver is required to finely adjust the speed while grasping the grip feeling (feeling of ground contact) with respect to the road surface of the wheels. The traveling control device 11 does not perform control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a curve section having a small curvature radius on the ramp 5. As a result, since the speed control of the vehicle 1 is faithfully performed according to the driver's accelerator operation, the driver can finely operate the accelerator to easily balance the speed of the vehicle 1 and the bank angle. The stability of the behavior of the vehicle 1 can be maintained.

  Subsequently, immediately after the vehicle 1 passes the position P3 on the ramp 5 in the southwest direction or the south direction, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the direction of leaving the ramp 5 from the highway 2. At this time, the vehicle 1 is traveling on a gentle curve having a large curvature radius. In this case, the bank angle of the vehicle 1 is, for example, about 15 degrees and exceeds the first bank angle reference range, but does not exceed the second bank angle reference range. In this case, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the curve section of the ramp 5 and the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section is not small. Therefore, the control unit 21 performs control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1 by setting the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “small”. As a result, the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 is, for example, 10% larger than the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.

  When the vehicle 1 leaves the highway 2 and travels on the ramp 5, as described above, the deceleration of the vehicle 1 may be insufficient only by the manual deceleration operation by the driver. On the other hand, when turning a curve in the saddle riding type vehicle 1, the driver is required to carefully perform the accelerator operation to balance the speed of the vehicle 1 and the bank angle. However, when the curvature radius of the curve is large, it is not difficult to balance the speed of the vehicle 1 and the bank angle as compared with the case where the curvature radius of the curve is small. The traveling control device 11 performs control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a curve section having a large curvature radius on the ramp 5, and the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 is thereby reduced. The vehicle 1 is made smaller than the speed reduction amount when traveling in the non-curve section. Thereby, the speed of the vehicle 1 can be reliably reduced to a speed at which the ramp 5 can travel safely. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 1 from decelerating greatly against the intention of the driver, and to ensure the stability of the behavior of the vehicle 1 in the curve section.

  Subsequently, immediately after the vehicle 1 passes the position P4 on the ramp 5 in the southeast or east direction, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in the direction of leaving the ramp 5 from the highway 2. At this time, since the vehicle 1 is traveling straight, the bank angle of the vehicle 1 does not exceed the first bank angle reference range. Further, the position of the vehicle 1 at this time is not the start end section in the ramp 5. In this case, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is traveling in a non-curve section that is not the starting end section in the ramp 5. Therefore, the control unit 21 sets the degree of speed reduction of the vehicle 1 to “medium” and performs control to automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle 1. As a result, the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 is, for example, 20% larger than the normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's accelerator operation.

  When the vehicle 1 is traveling in a non-curve section, the vehicle 1 is not tilted in the left-right direction, so the driver does not perform a careful accelerator operation as when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curved section. May be. Further, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a non-curve section that is not the starting end section, since the vehicle 1 has already traveled in the starting end section or the like, the vehicle 1 is traveling in the starting end section. It has decreased compared to when. When the vehicle 1 is traveling in a non-curve section that is not the starting section in the ramp 5, the traveling control device 11 increases the degree of speed reduction larger than when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curved section having a large curvature radius. And smaller than when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the start section. Thereby, the speed of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately reduced to a speed at which the ramp 5 can travel safely.

  Subsequently, the vehicle 1 reaches a position P5 on the ramp 5, and the driver pays the usage fee for the highway 2 at the toll gate 7. When paying the fee in cash, the driver stops the vehicle 1 at the position P5. On the other hand, when paying through the ETC gate, the driver slows down the vehicle 1 at position P5. In any case, since the speed of the vehicle 1 is sufficiently decelerated when reaching the position P5, the driver can easily stop the vehicle 1 or pass the speed of the vehicle 1 through the gate. Can be easily lowered to the speed of. Further, immediately after the vehicle 1 passes the position P5 in the east direction, the control unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 is not traveling on the ramp (has finished traveling on the ramp 5), and the speed of the vehicle 1 is determined accordingly. Stops the control that automatically reduces. As a result, the speed reduction amount of the vehicle 1 becomes a normal speed reduction amount according to the driver's deceleration operation.

  As described above, according to the traveling control device 11 of the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle tilts when turning a curve, and the driver's careful accelerator operation is performed to balance the vehicle speed and the bank angle. It is possible to perform the deceleration control suitable for the required driving characteristics of the saddle riding type vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the running stability of the saddle riding type vehicle from being lowered by the deceleration control, and to appropriately support the driving of the vehicle when leaving the highway.

  Moreover, according to the traveling control device 11, since it is configured to detect whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling in the curve section on the ramp based on the bank angle of the vehicle 1, the curve section can be easily detected. And detection accuracy can be improved.

  Further, according to the travel control device 11, the speed of the vehicle 1 is reduced by controlling the amount of fuel supplied to the engine by the fuel injection device 24 and the amount of air or air-fuel mixture sucked into the engine by the electronic control throttle 25. Since it was set as the structure, the deceleration control of the vehicle 1 can be performed with high precision. Specifically, the degree of deceleration can be finely changed, and the degree of deceleration can be set in multiple stages, such as “large”, “medium”, and “small”. Therefore, the degree of deceleration of the vehicle 1 can be changed depending on which section of the start section, the non-curve section that is not the start section, and the curve section having a large curvature radius, The quality of driving assistance can be improved.

  Further, according to the travel control device 11, the road surface condition in the curve section of the ramp is detected or estimated, and when the road surface is slippery, the control for reducing the speed of the vehicle 1 is not performed. It is possible to ensure the safety of running during slippery rainy weather.

  In the above-described embodiments, the highway 2 is given as an example of a high-speed driving road, and the ramps 5 and 6 are given as examples of connecting roads. It can be arbitrarily specified whether the road is a connection path. For example, for each road in the map data 23, designation data indicating whether or not the road should be handled as a high-speed traveling road or a connection road is provided, and the control unit 21 drives the vehicle 1 based on the designation data. It may be determined whether the road is a high-speed traveling path or a connection path.

  In the above-described embodiment, a ramp that connects a highway and a general road is used as an example of a connection path. However, the connection path may be a ramp that connects two highways. When the vehicle travels on such a ramp, the vehicle first decelerates the first half of the ramp in a direction to exit from one highway, and then enters the other highway in the second half of the ramp. Drive at an accelerated speed. Therefore, the deceleration control by the traveling control device is performed when the vehicle is traveling in the first half section of the ramp. Further, the connection path may be a road that connects the two to cause the vehicle to leave the expressway to the parking area or the service area.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle 1 passes through the toll gate 7, it is detected that communication is performed between the roadside communication device and the vehicle side communication device in the ETC, and based on this detection, It may be detected that the vehicle 1 has passed the end position P5 (P14) of the lamp 5 (6).

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which, based on the bank angle of the vehicle 1, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curve section on the ramp and the curvature radius of the curve section is determined. The present invention is not limited to this. Whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling on a curve section on the ramp, or the curvature radius of the curve section may be determined based on the current position of the vehicle 1 and map data. For example, for each section of each connection path in the map data, curvature radius data indicating the curvature radius is provided, and the controller 21 specifies the section of the connection path existing at the current position of the vehicle 1 and then specifies the section. The radius of curvature of the section is recognized based on the curvature radius data, and based on this recognition, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 is traveling on the curve section of the ramp or whether the curvature radius of the curve section is large or small. Good.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on the curve section of the ramp, the deceleration control of the vehicle 1 is performed when the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section is not small, and the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section is determined. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For those who have advanced skills regarding vehicle operation, in some cases, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a curve section of a ramp, regardless of the curvature radius of the curve in the curve section, always, The deceleration control of the vehicle 1 may not be performed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on the curve section of the ramp, the deceleration control of the vehicle 1 is not performed when the road surface of the curve section is slippery. The present invention is not limited to this. When the road surface in the curve section is slippery, the speed of the vehicle 1 is reduced to a smaller extent than when the road surface in the curve section is not slippery. Also good. Even when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a non-curve section of a ramp, when the road surface of the non-curve section is slippery, the road surface of the non-curve section is not slippery. Thus, the deceleration control may be performed by reducing the degree of decreasing the speed of the vehicle 1.

  In addition, when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed for a long time on the highway, it may take time for the driver's speed sensation to return from a state accustomed to high speed to a normal state. Therefore, even after the vehicle has passed the ramp and entered the general road, the vehicle speed tends to increase. Therefore, after the vehicle has passed the ramp and entered the general road, the deceleration control of the vehicle may be continued for a while after the vehicle has finished passing the ramp. For example, time measurement by a timer may be started when the vehicle has passed the ramp, and deceleration control may be continued until the measurement time reaches a predetermined time.

  In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 21 controls the speed of the vehicle 1 by controlling the fuel injection device 24 and the electronic control throttle 25. However, the control unit 21 controls the fuel injection device 24 and the electronic control throttle 25. You may make it control the speed of the vehicle 1 by controlling any one of them.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the naked type or sports type motorcycle as shown in FIG. 1, but is also applied to off-road type motorcycles, scooters, automatic tricycles, and other types of saddle type vehicles. Can do.

  Further, the present invention can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and a traveling control device that includes such a change is also a technical concept of the present invention. include.

1 Vehicle 2 Expressway (High-speed road)
4 general roads (other places)
5, 6 Lamp (connection path)
11 travel control device 12 GPS receiver (vehicle position detection unit)
13 Vehicle speed sensor (vehicle position detector)
14 Acceleration sensor (vehicle position detector)
15 Angular velocity sensor (vehicle position detector)
16 Inclination sensor (curve detector)
17 Raindrop sensor 18 Temperature sensor 19 Ultrasonic sensor 21 Control unit (vehicle position detection unit, road recognition unit, speed control unit)
22 Storage Unit 23 Map Data 24 Fuel Injection Device 25 Electronic Control Throttle

Claims (5)

A travel control device that controls the travel of a saddle-type vehicle,
A vehicle position detector for detecting the position and moving direction of the vehicle;
A road recognition unit that recognizes the type of road;
A curve detector for detecting whether or not the road is curved;
Based on the detection result by the vehicle position detection unit and the recognition result by the road recognition unit, the vehicle is traveling in a direction of leaving the high-speed travel path on a connection path connecting the high-speed travel path and another place. A speed control unit that automatically controls the speed of the vehicle,
The speed control unit recognizes whether the vehicle is traveling in a curve section or a non-curve section on the connection path based on a detection result by the curve detection unit, and the vehicle travels in the non-curve section. When the vehicle is traveling in the curve section, the vehicle speed is decreased. When the vehicle is traveling in the non-curve section, the vehicle speed is decreased. A travel control device that does not perform control to reduce the vehicle speed to a level smaller than the rate of reduction or to reduce the speed of the vehicle.   The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the curve detection unit detects whether or not a road is curved based on a left-right inclination of the vehicle.   The speed control unit, when the vehicle is traveling in the first non-curve section connected to the high-speed travel path in the connection path, the speed of the vehicle, the other non-curve section in the connection path 3. The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is traveling, the travel control device reduces the speed of the vehicle to a degree larger than a degree to decrease the speed of the vehicle.   The speed control unit reduces the speed of the vehicle by controlling a fuel injection device provided in the vehicle to control an amount of fuel supplied to an engine provided in the vehicle, or to the vehicle. The travel control according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a speed of the vehicle is reduced by controlling a throttle provided to control an amount of air or air-fuel mixture taken into the engine. apparatus. The speed control unit detects or estimates a road surface state of the connection road, determines whether to reduce the speed of the vehicle according to the road surface state, or reduces the speed of the vehicle. The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the travel control device is changed.

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