JP2019028609A - Control method for vehicle, and control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To attain improvement in fuel consumption efficiency.SOLUTION: A control method for a vehicle controls a vehicle comprising: a communication part for acquiring traffic signal change information indicating a change of a traffic signal on a predetermined traveling road; a camera which acquires image information around the vehicle; a distance calculation part which calculates a distance from a present location to a next traffic intersection on the predetermined traveling road; and a display part which displays information for a driver. The control method includes: using the traffic signal change information and the distance to the traffic intersection calculated by the distance calculation part to calculate such a passing vehicle speed that the vehicle passes the traffic intersection while the traffic signal of a direction of travel in the traffic intersection is blue; in a case where it is indicated in the image information that the traffic signal of the direction of travel is red, calculating a recommended vehicle speed pattern for a change such an allowable vehicle speed allowable for the driver that the vehicle speed becomes lower as the distance to the traffic intersection becomes shorter, from the passing vehicle speed to such an allowable vehicle speed allowable for the driver that the vehicle speed becomes lower as the distance to the traffic intersection becomes shorter, in timing that the allowable vehicle speed is lower than the passing vehicle speed; and displaying an indication urging the driver to drive in accordance with the recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control method and a vehicle control apparatus.

  Some vehicles have a function of acquiring traffic information through communication and displaying a travel route of the vehicle based on the acquired traffic information. With the recent computerization, it becomes possible to acquire traffic information including the timing when the traffic lights on the travel route turn red and blue, and utilization of such traffic information is being studied.

  According to the control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the recommended speed of the vehicle is calculated based on the traffic light change timing information indicating the timing at which the traffic light changes, so that the vehicle can pass through the intersection at the timing when the traffic light is blue. By traveling at such recommended vehicle speed, the frequency of stopping can be reduced, and fuel consumption can be improved.

JP 2008-296798 A

  According to the control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the traffic light change timing information indicates that the traffic light is blue at the timing when the vehicle reaches the intersection, the vehicle can pass through the intersection at that timing. Displays the recommended speed. However, if the traffic light changes from red to blue just before the vehicle reaches the intersection, it will be displayed to drive at the recommended speed even though the traffic light is red until the intersection is reached. End up. For this reason, the driver has the illusion that the traffic light enters the intersection where red is indicated. In such a case, if the driver performs a brake operation, there is a problem that the effect of improving fuel efficiency may be reduced.

  The present invention has been invented to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device that can further improve fuel consumption.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control method includes a communication unit that acquires traffic signal change information indicating a change in traffic signals on a scheduled travel route, a camera that acquires image information around the vehicle, and a travel schedule from a current location. A vehicle including a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance to the next intersection on the route and a display unit that displays information for the driver is controlled. The control method uses the traffic signal change information and the distance to the intersection calculated by the distance calculation unit to determine the passing vehicle speed at which the vehicle passes through the intersection while the traffic signal in the traveling direction at the intersection is blue. When the image information acquired by the camera indicates that the traffic light in the traveling direction is red, the allowable vehicle speed that can be allowed by the driver to become slower as the distance to the intersection becomes shorter is lower than the passing vehicle speed. Thus, the recommended vehicle speed pattern that changes from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed is obtained, and a display that prompts the driver to travel along the recommended vehicle speed pattern is displayed on the display unit.

  According to the present invention, fuel consumption can be improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the allowable vehicle speed. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of a running state of the vehicle. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of a running state of the vehicle. FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating an example of a traveling state of the vehicle. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the optimum vehicle speed in the traveling state of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the optimum vehicle speed in the traveling state of FIG. 3B. FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating the optimum vehicle speed in the traveling state of FIG. 3C. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control for determining the allowable vehicle speed. FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing vehicle speed control. FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing vehicle speed control. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the details of the time included in the traffic light change information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing learning control. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the learning control of the first modification. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing learning control of the second modification. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the learning control of the third modified example. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing learning control of the fourth modification. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the learning control of the fifth modified example. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating vehicle speed control according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating another example of display control.

  A vehicle control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. The vehicle 100 shown in the present embodiment is assumed to have an automatic driving function capable of controlling the engine 22 and the brake 24.

  The vehicle 100 is provided with a control unit 1. The control unit 1 is connected to a GPS 11 that acquires position information of the current location, and has a general car navigation function. When the destination is input from the user via the input unit 12, the control unit 1 obtains a travel route from the current location acquired by the GPS 11 to the destination and causes the display unit 13 to display the travel route. The control unit 1 obtains the distance from the current location of the vehicle 100 to the intersection using the map data stored in advance and the current location information acquired by the GPS 11. That is, the control unit 1 and the GPS 11 correspond to a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance to the intersection.

  Further, the control unit 1 receives traffic information from the data center 200 via the communication unit 14. The traffic information includes not only traffic jam information and statistical vehicle speed on each road, but also traffic signal change information indicating the timing at which the location of each traffic signal and the display of the traffic signal change. Therefore, the control unit 1 uses the traffic information and the distance to the intersection, the vehicle speed at which the traffic light reaches the intersection during the blue period, that is, the optimal vehicle speed that passes through the intersection without stopping before the intersection. (Passing vehicle speed) can be obtained. The control unit 1 can prompt the driver to travel in the recommended vehicle speed pattern by displaying the optimal vehicle speed as the recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display unit 13.

  The vehicle 100 is provided with a camera 15 that captures the field of view from the driver. The control unit 1 can recognize a traffic light or the like by analyzing an image captured by the camera 15. Further, the vehicle 100 includes a biological sensor 16. For example, a sweat sensor provided on the handle, a camera 15 that captures the face of the user, and the like are examples of the biosensor 16. The control unit 1 is also configured to be able to acquire the speed of the vehicle 100 acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 17.

  The control unit 1 controls the torque and rotation speed of the engine 22 according to the input from the accelerator operation unit 21 to accelerate the vehicle 100 and controls the brake 24 according to the input from the brake operation unit 23. Then, the vehicle 100 is decelerated. A drive control unit 25 is configured by the engine 22, the brake 24, and the like, and the control unit 1 is configured to be able to operate the drive control unit 25 so as to travel in the recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  Here, when the traffic light provided in front of the traveling direction shows red, the driver needs to decelerate as the traffic light approaches and stop before the traffic light. Therefore, in front of the intersection where the traffic light is red, the driver does not like traveling at a high vehicle speed and prefers traveling at a vehicle speed slower than a certain speed. Therefore, the fastest vehicle speed within the range that the driver can tolerate before the intersection where the traffic light indicates red is referred to as an allowable vehicle speed. The allowable vehicle speed changes according to the distance to the traffic signal. For example, if the distance to the traffic signal is long, the allowable vehicle speed is fast, and if the distance to the traffic signal is short, the allowable vehicle speed is slow.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the allowable vehicle speed.

  The vertical axis shows the vehicle speed, and the horizontal axis shows the distance to the traffic light at the intersection. When the vehicle 100 travels toward a traffic signal, the distance to the traffic signal decreases toward the left in the figure as time passes on the horizontal axis. Further, the allowable vehicle speed differs depending on the driver. In this figure, the allowable vehicle speed of the driver A is indicated by a solid line, and the allowable vehicle speed of the driver B is indicated by a dashed line.

  The allowable vehicle speed is a speed obtained by adding a margin to the braking speed felt by the driver. For this reason, the longer the distance to the traffic signal, the faster the allowable vehicle speed, while the shorter the distance to the traffic signal, the slower the allowable vehicle speed. The allowable vehicle speed is different for each driver, the allowable vehicle speed of driver A indicated by a solid line is relatively high, and the allowable vehicle speed of driver B indicated by a one-dot chain line is relatively low.

  The control unit 1 stores an allowable vehicle speed for each driver. When the controller 1 identifies the driver based on the biological information acquired from the biological sensor 16, the control unit 1 performs control using the allowable vehicle speed for the identified driver.

  Further, the control unit 1 uses the received traffic signal change information to determine a vehicle speed at which the fuel efficiency is optimal among the vehicle speeds at which the vehicle 100 reaches the intersection while the traffic signal in the traveling direction is blue, the optimal vehicle speed. Obtained as Vb. In this figure, the optimum vehicle speed Vb is indicated by a broken line. When the distance to the traffic signal is Xa, the optimum vehicle speed Vb matches the allowable vehicle speed.

  When the distance to the traffic signal is longer than Xa (right side in the figure), the optimum vehicle speed Vb is lower than the allowable vehicle speed, so that the driver is allowed even if the vehicle travels at the optimum vehicle speed Vb. Therefore, the control unit 1 sets the optimum vehicle speed Vb as a recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  On the other hand, when the distance to the traffic signal is shorter than Xa (left side in the figure), the optimum vehicle speed Vb exceeds the allowable vehicle speed. Since the driver likes to travel at a vehicle speed that is equal to or lower than the allowable vehicle speed, the control unit 1 sets the allowable vehicle speed as a recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  However, the recommended vehicle speed pattern setting method differs depending on the information on the traffic light that can be seen by the driver. In the following, the setting method will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 4C.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road.

  According to this figure, the road on which the vehicle 100 travels is curved and the traffic lights A1 and A2 are in the traveling direction at the intersection C in front of the vehicle 100, and the traffic signals A3 and A4 are in the intersecting direction with respect to the traveling direction. Is provided. Further, there are buildings B1 and B2 on both sides of the road in front of the intersection C.

  Since the road is curved, the traffic lights A1 and A2 cannot be seen from the driver of the vehicle 100. Further, the buildings B1 and B2 block the line of sight from the driver to the traffic lights A3 and A4. Thus, since the driver cannot see all the traffic lights A1 to A4, even if the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction are red, the driver does not recognize the traffic lights themselves. Therefore, even if the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction show red, there is no fear of entering the intersection C until the traffic lights A1 and A2 become visible. Thus, since it is not necessary to decelerate, the control part 1 sets the optimal vehicle speed Vb as a recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road.

  According to this figure, the vehicle 100 is running on a straight road, and traffic lights A1 and A2 are provided in the traveling direction at intersection C ahead, and traffic lights A3 and A4 are provided in the intersection direction. In addition, there are buildings B1 and B2 on both sides of the road in front of the intersection.

  In such a case, since the road is a straight line, the drivers of the vehicle 100 can see the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction. However, since there are buildings B1 and B2 before the intersection C, the driver cannot see the traffic lights A3 and A4 in the intersection direction. That is, the driver can only see the traffic lights A1 and A2. In such a case, the driver has a fear of entering the intersection C while the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction show red. Therefore, if the vehicle travels at the optimum vehicle speed, the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction change to blue when the vehicle 100 arrives at the intersection C, but the control unit 1 sets the allowable vehicle speed as a recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating another example of a state in which the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road.

  According to this figure, the vehicle 100 runs on a straight road, and traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction and traffic lights A3 and A4 in the crossing direction are provided at the intersection C ahead. In this example, there is no building before intersection C.

  In such a case, since the road is a straight line, the drivers of the vehicle 100 can see the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction. Further, since there is no building in front of the intersection C, it is possible to see the traffic lights A3 and A4 in the intersection direction.

  Here, if the traffic lights A3 and A4 in the crossing direction are red, the driver can guess that the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction are just before the blue color changes, and therefore fear of entering the intersection C. There is no. Drivers without fear often want to accelerate rather than decelerate along an acceptable vehicle speed. Therefore, the control unit 1 sets a recommended vehicle speed pattern so that the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction accelerate before changing to blue.

  It should be noted that the advance time for how much the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction are accelerated based on the timing when the traffic lights A1 and A2 turn blue varies depending on the driver's condition and individual personality. For example, when the driver is in a hurry, the advance time becomes longer, and the vehicle accelerates relatively earlier than the timing when the traffic lights A1 and A2 turn blue. In the following, such advance time, that is, the advance time of the difference between the timing when the traffic lights A1 and A2 in the traveling direction turn blue and the acceleration timing will be referred to as acceleration allowable time.

  The vehicle speed in the traveling state of the vehicle 100 shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. In this drawing, the vertical axis represents the vehicle speed, and the horizontal axis represents the distance to the traffic light. On the horizontal axis, the time when the vehicle 100 is at the distance to the traffic signal in the figure is shown in parentheses. The allowable vehicle speed of the driver and the optimum vehicle speed Vb are also shown.

  In these drawings, it is assumed that the traffic light changes from red to blue before the vehicle 100 approaches the traffic light. Specifically, before the time t1 when the distance to the traffic light is X1, the traffic light is red, and when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the traffic light is shorter than X1, that is, The traffic light turns blue after time t1. Further, it is assumed that the allowable vehicle speed and the optimum vehicle speed Vb coincide at time ta when the distance to the traffic signal is Xa.

  4A is a diagram showing the vehicle speed in the traveling state shown in FIG. 3A. In this figure, the vehicle speed is indicated by a solid line, and the allowable vehicle speed is indicated by a one-dot chain line. The traffic signal in the traveling direction is not visible from the vehicle 100 until the vehicle 100 arrives just before the intersection, and the pattern shown in this figure is the recommended vehicle speed pattern only while the traffic signal is not visible.

  When the vehicle 100 is at a location where the distance to the traffic signal is longer (near) than Xa, the optimal vehicle speed Vb is lower than the allowable vehicle speed, and therefore the control unit 1 can set the optimal vehicle speed Vb to the recommended vehicle speed pattern. . Even when the vehicle 100 is in a place where the distance to the traffic light is shorter (back) than Xa, the control unit 1 sets the optimum vehicle speed Vb as the recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  This is because, as shown in FIG. 3A, since the driver cannot recognize the traffic signal in the traveling direction and the traffic signal in the crossing direction, the driver does not feel the necessity of stopping before the traffic signal and does not feel fear. .

  FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the vehicle speed in the traveling state shown in FIG. 3B. In this figure, the vehicle speed is indicated by a solid line, and a part of the allowable vehicle speed is indicated by an alternate long and short dash line. A recommended vehicle speed pattern is shown in which acceleration is performed after the allowable vehicle speed changes from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed at a timing lower than the passing vehicle speed.

  When the vehicle 100 is in a place where the distance to the traffic signal is longer than Xa (before the time ta), the optimal vehicle speed Vb is lower than the allowable vehicle speed, so the control unit 1 sets the optimal vehicle speed Vb as a recommended vehicle speed pattern. .

  When the vehicle 100 is in a place where the distance to the traffic light is shorter than Xa (after time ta) and longer than X1 (before time t1), the driver may enter the intersection indicating red. In order to feel fear, the control unit 1 sets the allowable vehicle speed as a recommended vehicle speed pattern.

  When the distance of the vehicle 100 to the traffic light is shorter than X1 (after time t1), the driver will not feel fear when the traffic light changes to blue, so the control unit 1 accelerates to the optimum vehicle speed. A recommended vehicle speed pattern is set so as to be Vb.

  FIG. 4C is a diagram showing the vehicle speed in the traveling state shown in FIG. 3C. In this figure, the vehicle speed is indicated by a solid line, and a part of the allowable vehicle speed is indicated by an alternate long and short dash line.

  In this figure, the acceleration timing is different from the vehicle speed shown in FIG. 4B. The vehicle 100 is accelerated from the timing when the distance from the traffic light becomes Xn (time tn) longer than X1 (time t1). The difference between the times tn and t1 corresponds to the acceleration allowable time.

  As shown in FIG. 3C, the driver of the vehicle 100 can see not only the traffic signal in the traveling direction but also the traffic signal in the crossing direction. Because the traffic light in the cross direction turns red before the traffic light in the direction of travel turns blue, the driver can predict that the traffic light in the direction of travel will turn blue. Therefore, even if the traffic light in the traveling direction is red, the driver does not feel fear of acceleration. Therefore, a recommended vehicle speed pattern is set so that the acceleration is advanced ahead of the allowable acceleration time.

  The acceleration allowable time, which is the acceleration advance time, differs depending on the driver and also differs depending on the instruction content of the traffic signal in the crossing direction. For example, some users desire acceleration from the timing when the traffic light in the cross direction turns red, and some users desire acceleration from the timing when the traffic light in the cross direction turns yellow.

  Instead of the acceleration allowable time, the acceleration allowable distance converted into the distance by integrating the acceleration allowable time with the vehicle speed may be used for calculating the acceleration timing. The acceleration allowable distance corresponds to the difference between X1 and Xn. In such a case, a recommended vehicle speed pattern is set so that acceleration is performed when the vehicle 100 arrives at a position Xn where the distance to the traffic light is the sum of X1 and the acceleration allowable distance.

  Here, the determination control of the allowable vehicle speed by the control part 1 is demonstrated using FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control for determining the allowable vehicle speed. This determination control of the allowable vehicle speed is repeatedly performed while an operation by the driver is performed, that is, while the driver operates the accelerator operation unit 21, the brake operation unit 23, or the like.

  In step S1, the control unit 1 acquires image data from the camera 15, acquires a vehicle speed from the vehicle speed acquisition unit 17, and further obtains a distance from the vehicle 100 to the intersection in the traveling direction. For example, the control unit 1 obtains the distance from the current location of the vehicle 100 to the intersection using the map data stored in advance and the current location information acquired by the GPS 11. It is assumed that the distance from the current location of vehicle 100 to the intersection is equal to the distance from the current location of vehicle 100 to the traffic light at the intersection.

  In step S <b> 2, the control unit 1 performs image processing on the image data acquired by the camera 15 to determine whether or not the traffic light in the traveling direction seen from the driver is red. When the traffic light indicates red (S2: Yes), the process of step S3 is performed next in order to continue the determination control of the allowable vehicle speed. On the other hand, when the traffic light does not indicate red (S2: No), the process returns to step S1. Even when the traffic light cannot be recognized from the image data acquired by the camera 15, the process returns to step S <b> 1 by making a determination equivalent to No.

  In step S <b> 3, the control unit 1 records driving data indicating the relationship between the distance from the vehicle 100 to the traffic signal in the traveling direction and the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 17. When it is detected that the vehicle 100 has completely stopped (the vehicle speed becomes zero), the control unit 1 next performs the process of step S4.

  In step S4, the control unit 1 counts up the counter n. The counter n has an initial value of zero and is counted up by one.

  In step S5, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the counter n exceeds the upper limit value k. When the counter n exceeds the upper limit value k (n> k, S5: Yes), the process of step S6 is performed next to determine the allowable vehicle speed. If the counter n is less than or equal to the upper limit value k (n ≦ k, S5: No), it is determined that sufficient operation data has not been collected, and the process of step S1 is performed again.

  In step S6, the control unit 1 determines an allowable vehicle speed indicating a correspondence relationship between the distance to the traffic light and the vehicle speed for each driver, using the driving data recorded in step S3. In addition, since the process from step S1 to S5 is repeated k times before step S6, the control part 1 uses these some driving | operation data, and the allowable vehicle speed for every driver as shown in FIG. Can be determined.

  6A and 6B are flowcharts showing the vehicle speed control when automatic driving by the control unit 1 is performed. This vehicle speed control is repeatedly performed at predetermined intervals. Further, it is assumed that the vehicle 100 is traveling at the optimum vehicle speed Vb before this vehicle speed control is performed.

  In step S11, the control unit 1 acquires image data from the camera 15, and acquires the vehicle speed and the distance to the traffic light. This process is equivalent to step S1 shown in FIG.

  In step S12, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the traffic signal in the traveling direction shows red at the timing when the vehicle 100 reaches the intersection based on the signal information received from the data center 200 via the communication unit 14. To do.

  When the traffic light indicates red (S12: Yes), the vehicle speed control of this embodiment may be performed, so the process of step S13 is performed next. On the other hand, when the traffic light does not show red (S12: No), it is highly possible that the vehicle can continue to travel at the optimum vehicle speed Vb, and thus the vehicle speed control is terminated.

  In step S <b> 13, the control unit 1 analyzes the image data acquired by the camera 15 and determines whether there is another vehicle ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. If there is another vehicle ahead (S13: Yes), the vehicle speed control is terminated because there is a high need for deceleration. On the other hand, when there is no other vehicle ahead (S13: No), the vehicle speed control is continued, so the process of S14 is performed next.

  In step S14, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the vehicle travels straight at the intersection with reference to the travel route obtained in advance. If the vehicle goes straight (S14: Yes), the vehicle speed control is continued, so the process of step S15 is performed next. On the other hand, when making a right turn or a left turn without going straight (S14: No), the vehicle speed control is terminated because the vehicle must decelerate according to the brake operation unit 23 of the driver to make a turn.

  In step S15, timing acquisition processing is performed.

  The control unit 1 refers to the traffic light change information received from the data center 200 via the communication unit 14, and acquires the times t1 to t6 which are the change timings of the traffic signal in the traveling direction and the traffic signal in the crossing direction. If the location of the vehicle 100 at these times t1 to t6 is predicted, the control unit 1 obtains distances X1 to X6 from the location of the vehicle 100 to the traffic lights at those times. Note that it is not necessary to acquire all of these times t1 to t6, and it is not necessary to acquire timings for some traffic lights.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing details of times t1 to t6 included in the traffic light change information acquired in step S15. In these figures, the change timings of three types of traffic signals are obtained: a traffic signal that indicates a straight line for vehicles in the cross direction, a traffic signal that indicates a right turn for vehicles in the cross direction, and a traffic signal for pedestrians in the cross direction. Is done. And the distance to a traffic light can be calculated | required by integrating an allowable vehicle speed with respect to these time information.

  The distance X2 to the traffic light at time t2 is obtained based on the time t2 when the traffic light for pedestrians in the crossing direction turns red. The distance X3 is calculated according to the time t3 when the vehicle traffic light changes to yellow, and the distance X4 is calculated from the time t4 when the vehicle traffic light changes to red. Then, the distance X5 is calculated from the time t5 when the traffic light indicating the right turn in the crossing direction changes to yellow, and the distance X6 is calculated from the time t6 when the traffic signal indicating the right turn changes to red. At time t1 when the distance from the vehicle 100 to the traffic signal is X1, the traffic signal in the traveling direction turns blue.

  Such distances X1 to X6 to the traffic light may be used for calculating the initial value of the acceleration allowable time (acceleration allowable distance). For example, when a driver who is generally fast and has a strong tendency to rush is driving, a relatively long time that is the difference between time t1 and time t2 may be set as the acceleration allowable time.

  If such timing acquisition processing of step S15 is performed, it will progress to step S21 next.

  FIG. 6B shows processing after step S21.

  In step S <b> 21, the control unit 1 analyzes the image data acquired by the camera 15 and determines whether or not the traffic signal in the traveling direction is in a place where it can be seen from the driver. If the traffic signal in the traveling direction is in a place where it can be seen from the driver (S21: Yes), the process of step S22 is performed next to make a further determination. On the other hand, when the traffic signal in the traveling direction is not visible (S21: No), the process of step S31 is performed next in order to travel in the target travel pattern 1 that results in the travel state shown in FIG. 3A.

  In step S <b> 22, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the traffic signal in the cross direction is at a position where it can be seen from the driver, based on the image data acquired by the camera 15. If there is a traffic signal in the crossing direction that cannot be seen by the driver (S22: No), the process of step S32 is next performed in order to travel in the target travel pattern 2 that results in the travel state shown in FIG. 3B. To be done. When the crossing direction traffic signal is in a place where it can be seen from the driver (S22: Yes), in order to travel in the target travel pattern 3 that results in the travel state shown in FIG. Done.

  In step S31, the control unit 1 sets a recommended vehicle speed along the target travel pattern 1 that provides the vehicle speed shown in FIG. 4A. Specifically, the optimum vehicle speed Vb is set as the recommended vehicle speed pattern in all sections.

  In step S32, the control unit 1 sets a recommended vehicle speed pattern along the target travel pattern 2 that provides the vehicle speed shown in FIG. 4B. Specifically, when the distance to the traffic signal in the traveling direction is greater than Xa, the optimum vehicle speed Vb is set as the recommended vehicle speed pattern. When the distance to the traffic signal in the traveling direction is less than Xa and greater than the distance X1 at which the traffic light turns blue, the allowable vehicle speed is set as the recommended vehicle speed pattern. Then, when the distance to the traffic signal in the traveling direction becomes X1 or less, the recommended vehicle speed pattern is set so that the vehicle speeds up and becomes the optimum vehicle speed Vb again.

  In step S33, the control unit 1 sets a recommended vehicle speed pattern along the target travel pattern 3 that provides the vehicle speed shown in FIG. 4C. The target travel pattern 3 differs from the target travel pattern 2 only in the acceleration timing. Specifically, the recommended vehicle speed pattern is set so as to accelerate from a time tn that is advanced by an allowable acceleration time from a time t0 when the traffic light in the traveling direction turns blue.

  In step S41, the control unit 1 operates the accelerator operation unit 21 and the brake operation unit 23 according to the recommended vehicle speed pattern set in steps S31 to S33. By doing in this way, vehicle 100 can be made to run with a target run pattern. When the driver operates the accelerator operation unit 21 or the brake operation unit 23 during driving with the target driving pattern, driving with the target driving pattern is stopped and driving based on the driver's operation is performed. At this time, the control unit 1 may display a recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display unit 13.

  In step S51, the control unit 1 performs driver-like learning control and changes the acceleration timing based on the actual running state. When the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is used as the acceleration timing, the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is corrected. Several methods of this learning control are shown in FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, the processes from step S11 to S51 are repeated. Therefore, for example, when a traffic signal in the traveling direction or the crossing direction becomes visible on the way, the target travel pattern changes.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of the learning control in step S51 of FIG. 6B. In this learning control, the acceleration timing is gradually advanced from time t1 when the traffic light turns blue.

  In step S5101, the control unit 1 detects that the vehicle 100 has passed a traffic signal in the traveling direction at the intersection.

  In step S5102, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the driver has operated the brake operation unit 23 after accelerating at the time tn when the distance to the traffic signal becomes Xn and before passing through the traffic signal. judge. If the brake operation unit 23 is not operated (S5102: No), it is determined that there is no need to change the acceleration timing, and the learning control is terminated. When the brake operation unit 23 is operated (S5102: Yes), it is determined that the driver prefers acceleration at a later timing, and the process proceeds to S5103.

  In step S5103, the control unit 1 delays the acceleration timing. The acceleration timing is changed at a predetermined step size. When the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is used as the acceleration timing, the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is increased.

  In step S5104, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the acceleration timing is later than the time t1 when the traffic light turns blue. When the acceleration allowable time or the acceleration allowable distance is used as the acceleration timing, it is determined whether the acceleration allowable time or the acceleration allowable distance is negative.

  When the acceleration timing is later than the time t1 (S5104: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5105 in order to change the acceleration timing again. On the other hand, when the acceleration timing is before time t1 (S5104: No), the process is terminated without changing the acceleration timing.

  In step S5105, the control unit 1 sets time t1 as the acceleration timing. That is, the acceleration timing is not set at a time later than t1. This is because it is desirable to accelerate immediately after the time t1 when the traffic light turns blue, and it is not preferable to accelerate after the time t1 because it causes a traffic jam.

  In this way, acceleration can be performed at a timing desired by the driver. Further, the acceleration timing may be changed, for example, along t1 to t6 as shown in FIG. In such a case, when the timing is delayed, the acceleration timing is delayed in the order of times t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, and t1.

  Further, in step S5102, the control unit 1 may make a determination using biometric information from the biosensor 16 instead of the brake operation unit 23. For example, when the amount of sweating of the driver increases, the driver may determine that the acceleration timing is early and feels fear, and may proceed to step S5103 to delay the acceleration timing.

  Thus, in the learning control shown in FIG. 8, learning correction is performed by gradually increasing the acceleration timing from time t1 when the traffic light turns blue.

  According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  According to the vehicle control method of the first embodiment, in the determination using the traffic light change information indicating the traffic signal change, it is determined that the traffic signal in the traveling direction at the intersection indicates blue at the timing when the vehicle 100 reaches the intersection. In this case, it is preferable that the vehicle 100 travels at the optimum vehicle speed (passing vehicle speed). However, when it is recognized by the image information acquired by the camera 15 that the traffic light in the traveling direction shows red, the driver has a sense of entering the intersection of the red signals, and may be afraid. Therefore, there is an acceptable speed for the driver when the signal in the direction of travel shows red.

  Therefore, an allowable vehicle speed that can be allowed by the driver that changes according to the distance to the traffic light is calculated, a recommended vehicle speed pattern that decelerates from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed is obtained, and the vehicle 100 is driven with this recommended vehicle speed pattern. By doing in this way, since the vehicle 100 decelerates as it approaches the intersection of the red light, the driver's fear can be reduced.

  According to the vehicle control method of the first embodiment, when a traffic signal in the traveling direction is not indicated by the image information acquired by the camera 15, the driver does not recognize the presence of the traffic signal, so the traffic light indicates an intersection. Never fear the rush to enter. Therefore, by driving the vehicle so that the recommended vehicle speed pattern becomes the optimal vehicle speed (passing vehicle speed), it is possible to improve the fuel efficiency as compared with the case where the vehicle is decelerated according to the allowable vehicle speed.

  According to the vehicle control method of the first embodiment, when the crossing direction traffic signal is indicated by the image information acquired by the camera 15, the driver estimates the change in the traveling direction traffic signal from the crossing direction traffic signal. be able to. For example, if the traffic light in the crossing direction shows red, it can be seen that the traffic light in the traveling direction will soon turn blue.

  At such timing, it is presumed that the traffic light in the traveling direction will soon be blue, and the driver will not feel fear, so the recommended vehicle speed pattern can be set to accelerate. be able to. By doing in this way, when the acceleration timing is advanced, the time for deceleration along the allowable vehicle speed is shortened, so that the fuel consumption can be improved.

  According to the vehicle control method of the first embodiment, the brake operation unit 23 may be operated after acceleration after deceleration of the allowable vehicle speed from the passing vehicle speed. In such a case, even if it is predicted that the traffic light in the traveling direction is blue rather than the red display of the traffic light in the crossing direction, the user has a fear of acceleration. Therefore, the fear of the user can be reduced by changing the acceleration timing to be delayed.

  According to the vehicle control method of the first embodiment, the control unit 1 may change the acceleration timing using the biological information from the biological sensor 16. For example, when the amount of sweating by the driver is large, the driver determines that he / she feels fear and delays the acceleration timing. By doing in this way, since learning control can be performed even if the brake operation part 23 is not operated, more suitable acceleration timing can be implement | achieved.

(First variation of learning control)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a first modification of the learning control in step S51. In this learning control, learning is performed in which the acceleration timing is gradually advanced from the initial value time. It is assumed that the initial value of the acceleration timing is time t1 when the traffic light turns blue.

  Compared with the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, this flowchart includes a process in which step S <b> 5111 is added after the process in step S <b> 5101, and a process in step S <b> 5111 is added after the process in step S <b> 5105. The difference is that the processes in steps S5121 to S5123 are added after the determination process of No in step S5102.

  Here, the learning end flag used in this process is a flag for determining whether or not learning control is necessary. When learning is continued, 0 is set, and when learning is not continued and will not be performed in the future. Assume that 1 is set.

  In step S5111, the control unit 1 determines whether the learning end flag is 1. If the learning end flag is 1 (S5111: Yes), the learning control is ended without performing the subsequent learning. On the other hand, if the learning end flag is not 1 (S5111: No), the process of step S5102 is then performed in order to continue learning.

  Step S5112 is performed after the processing of steps S5103 to S5105, that is, when the acceleration timing is later than time t1 (S5104: Yes), and again when time t1 is set as the acceleration timing (S5105). In this step, the control unit 1 sets 1 to the learning end flag. This is because it is not preferable to make the acceleration timing later than t1, and it is determined that it is not necessary to learn the acceleration timing in the future.

  In step S5121, the control unit 1 advances the acceleration timing. The acceleration timing is changed at a predetermined step size. When the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is used as the acceleration timing, the allowable acceleration time or the allowable acceleration distance is reduced.

  In step S5122, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the allowable vehicle speed is set to the recommended vehicle speed pattern and is earlier than the time ta at which deceleration along the allowable vehicle speed is started. Since the optimum vehicle speed Vb is set before the allowable vehicle speed is set in the recommended vehicle speed pattern, the vehicle speed exceeds the optimum vehicle speed Vb if acceleration is performed before the time ta. Therefore, there is a possibility that the fuel consumption is lowered, which is not preferable.

  Therefore, when the acceleration timing is earlier than the time ta (S5122: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5123 in order to change the acceleration timing. On the other hand, when the acceleration timing is after time ta (S5122: No), the process is terminated without changing the acceleration timing again.

  In step S5123, the control unit 1 sets time ta as the acceleration timing. In other words, the acceleration timing is not set prior to ta.

  In this way, any timing from the time ta at which deceleration according to the allowable vehicle speed is started to the time t1 at which the traffic light turns blue is set as the acceleration timing. Note that unnecessary learning can be omitted by the learning end flag.

(Second modification of learning control)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a second modification of the learning control in step S51. In this learning control, the initial value of the acceleration timing is a time ta at which deceleration starts according to the allowable vehicle speed, and learning is performed in which the acceleration timing is gradually advanced from the time ta.

  In this learning control, the process of step S5131 is added after the process of step S5101 described in FIG. Further, after it is determined as Yes in step S5131, the processing from step S5121 to S5123 described in FIG. 9 is performed.

  In step S5131, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the driver has operated the accelerator operation unit 21 after acceleration at time tn when the distance to the traffic light becomes Xn. If the accelerator operation unit 21 is not operated (S5131: No), it is determined that there is no need to change the acceleration timing, and the learning control is terminated. When the accelerator operation unit 21 is operated (S5131: Yes), the driver determines that he prefers acceleration at a faster timing, and proceeds to the processing of S5121 in order to advance the acceleration timing.

  In step S5131, the control unit 1 may perform determination using the biological information by the biological sensor 16 instead of the accelerator operation unit 21. For example, the control unit 1 determines that the driver feels irritated because the acceleration timing is late when the driver detects that the driver is shaking in small increments using an image acquired by the camera 15 that captures the driver. In order to accelerate the acceleration timing, the process may proceed to step S5122.

  In this modification, the initial value of the acceleration timing is the time ta at which the deceleration along the allowable allowable vehicle speed is started, but is not limited thereto. As an initial value, an average acceleration timing of a general driver may be used.

  According to the vehicle control method of the second modification, the acceleration timing is changed to be advanced. Here, for example, when the accelerator operation unit 21 is operated after the time ta at which the deceleration according to the allowable vehicle speed is started and before the time tn that is the acceleration timing, the user has already crossed. Since it can be predicted from the display of the direction traffic signal that the traffic signal in the traveling direction changes to blue, the acceleration is started before the timing of acceleration by the control unit 1. Therefore, by changing the acceleration timing so as to be advanced, it is possible to realize a comfortable driving state for the user.

(Third modification of learning control)
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a third modification of the learning control in step S51. In this learning control, the initial value of the acceleration timing is an average acceleration timing of a general driver, and learning that is gradually delayed by learning control is performed.

  This learning control includes all the steps in FIG. Further, after it is determined No in step 5131, the processing from step S5102 to S5105 described in FIG. 8 is performed.

  By setting in this way, when it is determined that the vehicle is accelerated in step 5131 (S5131: Yes), the acceleration timing is advanced (S5121), and when it is determined that the vehicle is decelerated in step 5131 (S5102: Yes). ) The acceleration timing is delayed (S5103). Accordingly, the acceleration timing is corrected in both the direction of earlier and the direction of slower acceleration.

(Fourth modification of learning control)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a fourth modification of the learning control in step S51. In this learning control, the processing related to the learning end flag in steps S5111, S5112 is omitted as compared with the first modification shown in FIG. The initial value of the acceleration timing is assumed to be an average acceleration timing of a general driver.

  By doing in this way, learning which is gradually advanced or delayed from the average acceleration timing of the general driver may be performed.

(Fifth modification of learning control)
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a fifth modification of the learning control in step S51. In this learning control, learning is performed in which the acceleration timing is gradually advanced or delayed from the average acceleration timing of the general driver.

  In this learning control, all steps of the third modified example in FIG. 11 are included, and further, a process related to a learning end flag is performed. Specifically, the process of step S5111 is performed after the step 5101, the process of step S5112 is performed after the step 5123, and the process of step S5112 is performed after the step 5104. Note that the processing in steps S5111, 5112 is the same as the processing described in FIG.

  By setting in this way, similarly to the third modified example shown in FIG. 11, when it is determined that the vehicle is accelerated in step 5131 (S5131: Yes), the acceleration timing is advanced (S5121), and in step 5121 If it is determined that the vehicle has decelerated (S5102: Yes), the acceleration timing is delayed (S5103).

  Furthermore, when the learning end flag is provided, when the acceleration timing becomes earlier than the time ta at which the deceleration along the allowable speed is started (S5122: Yes), the time ta is set as the acceleration timing and learning control is performed. Exit. In addition, when the acceleration timing is later than the time t1 when the traffic light changes to blue (S5122: Yes), the time t1 is set as the acceleration timing, and the learning control is ended. In this way, unnecessary learning processing can be suppressed.

  Note that the processing of the learning end flag can be arbitrarily added. For example, in FIG. 9, 13, etc., it may be provided after step S5104 or after step S5122.

(Second Embodiment)
In 1st Embodiment, the control part 1 demonstrated the example which controls a vehicle speed by a recommended vehicle speed pattern. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the controller 1 displays a recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display unit 13 without controlling the vehicle speed. In the present embodiment, the vehicle speed control shown in FIG. 14 is performed following the vehicle speed control shown in FIG. 6A.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the vehicle speed control performed subsequent to FIG. 6A in the vehicle speed control of the second embodiment. Compared with the flowchart shown in FIG. 6A, steps S61, S62, and S63 are added after steps S31, S32, and S33.

  In steps S61, S62, and S63, the control unit 1 displays a recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display unit 13 as a guide.

  In step S <b> 61, the control unit 1 displays a future change in vehicle speed indicated by the recommended vehicle speed pattern on the display unit 13.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of guide display control in step S62. This process is performed after the step S32, that is, when the recommended vehicle speed pattern is the target travel pattern 2.

  In step S621, the control unit 1 calculates the time from the time tn to the time t1 when the traffic light turns blue at the time tn which is the acceleration timing, and displays the traffic light after “(t1-tn) seconds on the display unit 13. Will turn blue so please accelerate. ”Is displayed. By doing in this way, the driver can perform acceleration according to the display.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of display control in step S63. This process is performed after the step S33, that is, when the recommended vehicle speed pattern is the target travel pattern 3.

  In step S631, the control unit 1 determines whether the time tn that is the acceleration timing is after the time t1 when the traffic light turns blue. When the time tn is after the time t1 (S631: Yes), the process proceeds to step S634. If the time tn is before the time t1 (S631: Yes), the process proceeds to step S632 to perform further determination.

  In step S632, the control unit 1 determines whether the acceleration timing tn is before the time t1 and after the time t4 when the traffic light in the crossing direction becomes red. When the time tn is before the time t1 and after the time t4 (S632: Yes), the process proceeds to step S615. When it is not before time t1 and after time t4 (S632: No), the process proceeds to step S633.

  In step S633, the control unit 1 determines whether the acceleration timing tn is before the time t4 when the traffic light in the crossing direction turns red and after the time t3 when the traffic light in the crossing direction turns yellow. When the time tn is before the time t4 and after the time t3 (S633: Yes), the process proceeds to step S636. When it is not before time t4 and after time t3 (S633: No), the display control is terminated.

  In step S634, the control unit 1 displays “accelerate because the traffic light has turned blue” on the display unit 13 at the acceleration timing tn. This is because the acceleration timing tn is later than the time t1 when the traffic light in the traveling direction turns blue, so the traffic light is already blue and the driver needs to be accelerated.

  In step S635, when the acceleration timing tn is reached, the control unit 1 displays on the display unit 13 “The traffic light in the crossing direction has turned red, so please accelerate”. This is because the acceleration timing tn is after time t4 when the traffic light in the crossing direction turns red, and therefore it is necessary to display the fact that the traffic light in the traveling direction will soon turn blue and to prompt the driver to accelerate. .

  In step S636, at the acceleration timing tn, the display unit 13 displays “Because the traffic signal in the crossing direction has turned yellow, please accelerate.” This is because at the acceleration timing tn, it is after the time t3 when the traffic light in the crossing direction turns yellow, and therefore it is necessary to display the fact that the traffic light in the traveling direction turns blue after a while and prompt the driver to accelerate. It is.

  In steps S631 to S633, the determination is made using the times t1, t4, and t3, but the present invention is not limited to this. The determination may be performed using another time.

  According to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  According to the vehicle control method of the second embodiment, the control unit 1 displays the recommended speed in which the target travel pattern is set on the display unit 13. By doing in this way, even when the control unit 1 does not perform the travel control based on the recommended vehicle speed pattern, the vehicle is driven with the target travel pattern with better fuel consumption by performing the driving control along the recommended vehicle speed pattern displayed by the driver. 100 can be run.

  In addition, this invention is not necessarily limited to said embodiment, It cannot be overemphasized that a various change can be made within the range of the technical idea as described in a claim.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 12 Input part 13 Display part 15 Camera 16 Biosensor 21 Accelerator operation part 23 Brake operation part 23 Accelerator operation part 100 Vehicle

Claims (8)

A communication unit for acquiring traffic signal change information indicating a change of a traffic signal on a planned travel route;
A camera that acquires image information around the vehicle;
A distance calculator that calculates the distance from the current location to the next intersection on the planned travel route;
A display unit that displays information for a driver, and a vehicle control method comprising:
Using the traffic light change information acquired by the communication unit and the distance to the intersection calculated by the distance calculation unit, the vehicle moves to the intersection while the traffic signal in the traveling direction at the intersection is blue. Find the passing vehicle speed that passes through
When the image information acquired by the camera indicates that the traffic signal in the traveling direction is red, the allowable vehicle speed that can be allowed by the driver to be slower as the distance to the intersection becomes shorter Finding a recommended vehicle speed pattern that changes from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed at a timing lower than the vehicle speed,
A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein a display for prompting the driver to travel along the recommended vehicle speed pattern is displayed on the display unit. The vehicle control method according to claim 1,
A vehicle control method in which the passing vehicle speed is set to the recommended vehicle speed pattern when the signal in the traveling direction is not indicated in the image information. A vehicle control method according to claim 1 or 2,
When the image information indicates a traffic signal in the cross direction, the signal is accelerated by a predetermined advance time before the timing when the traffic signal in the traveling direction turns blue according to the display of the traffic signal in the cross direction. A vehicle control method for setting the recommended vehicle speed pattern as described above. The vehicle control method according to claim 3,
A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein when the driver performs a brake operation after the acceleration timing, the vehicle is corrected so that the advance time is shortened. The vehicle control method according to claim 3,
In the recommended vehicle speed pattern, when the accelerator operation is performed by the driver after the change from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed and before the acceleration timing, the advance time is increased. A vehicle control method to be corrected. A vehicle control method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, comprising:
The vehicle further includes a biological sensor that acquires biological information of the driver,
A vehicle control method for correcting the advance time in accordance with biological information acquired by the biological sensor until the vehicle arrives at the intersection. A vehicle control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle is automatically driven with the recommended vehicle speed pattern. A communication unit for acquiring traffic signal change information indicating a change of a traffic signal on a planned travel route;
A camera that acquires image information around the vehicle;
A display for displaying information for the driver;
A control unit capable of calculating a distance from a current location to a next intersection on the planned travel route, and a vehicle control control comprising:
The controller is
Calculate the distance to the intersection,
Using the traffic light change information acquired by the communication unit and the distance to the intersection, the passing vehicle speed at which the vehicle passes through the intersection while the traffic signal in the traveling direction at the intersection is blue is obtained.
When the image information acquired by the camera indicates that the traffic signal in the traveling direction is red, the allowable vehicle speed that can be allowed by the driver to be slower as the distance to the intersection becomes shorter Find a recommended vehicle speed pattern that changes from the passing vehicle speed to the allowable vehicle speed at a timing lower than the vehicle speed,
Causing the display unit to display a display prompting the driver to travel along the recommended vehicle speed pattern;
Vehicle control device.