JP4115628B2 - Convoy travel device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a convoy travel device that travels in a convoy with a manually operated leading vehicle and a plurality of succeeding vehicles that automatically follow the leading vehicle. In particular, the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle is predetermined. The present invention relates to a platooning apparatus that can cope with a case that deviates from the range.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, as environmental problems are greatly highlighted, techniques for sharing electric vehicles in a specific area have been proposed in order to improve the problems of air pollution and traffic congestion. In the technology using such a shared vehicle, a port (parking lot) of the shared vehicle is required to rent or return the shared vehicle. It is necessary to arrange the vehicle.
By the way, there is no problem if the usage time and usage frequency of the user are uniform at each port, but if there is a bias in the usage frequency of the user and shared vehicles are concentrated at a specific port, the number of shared vehicles is reduced. It is necessary to move a plurality of vehicles. In order to move a plurality of vehicles as described above, a technique has been proposed in which a manned driving vehicle is used as a leading vehicle and a plurality of unmanned driving vehicles are followed and a platoon traveling is performed (JP-A-5-170008). See the official gazette).
[0003]
Specifically, when the following vehicle follows the leading vehicle leading the platoon, the following vehicle follows the trail of the leading vehicle, and the leading vehicle was obtained by inter-vehicle communication. Vehicle speed, rudder angle, vehicle position coordinates, direction, required torque value, brake pressure, etc. are sent to the following vehicle, and the following vehicle follows the leading vehicle while correcting the previous vehicle position and direction information obtained from the radar. To do.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Although it is advantageous in that it can move multiple vehicles efficiently by following the leading vehicle of manned driving by the driver and automatically driving multiple subsequent vehicles unattended, the driving operation of the leading vehicle was performed in the maximum range In this case, for example, when the steering wheel is fully steered, the accelerator pedal is depressed 100%, and full braking is performed, if the leading vehicle and the following vehicle have the same kinematic performance, However, there is a problem that the following performance of the following vehicle is deteriorated.
That is, when the leading vehicle is operated in the maximum range of driving operation, the following vehicle tries to follow with the maximum performance, but the control delay time, error, etc. after the leading vehicle operates accumulates and the following ability decreases. It ends up.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a platooning apparatus that can travel without impairing the following ability of the following vehicle.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 includes a leading vehicle manually driven by a driver (for example, leading vehicle S in the embodiment) and a plurality of succeeding vehicles that automatically follow the leading vehicle ( For example, in a platooning device that travels in a row with the following vehicle K) in the embodiment, an operation amount detection means (for example, an operation amount detection means 5 in the embodiment) for detecting the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle, Comparing means (for example, comparing means 6 in the embodiment) for comparing the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle detected by the operation amount detecting means with a threshold value corresponding to a limit operating amount that can be followed by the following vehicle is provided. As a result, it alerts the leading vehicle when the driving operation of leading vehicle exceeds the threshold value, the driving operation amount of leading vehicle based on the comparison result of the comparing means in addition to issuing the warning Timer means (for example, timer means 8 in the embodiment) that measures the time from when the threshold value is exceeded is provided, and the subsequent vehicle is stopped when the time measured by the timer means exceeds a predetermined time. .
[0006]
With this configuration, the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle detected by the operation amount detecting means and the threshold value corresponding to the limit operating amount of the following vehicle are compared by the comparing means, and the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle is the threshold value. If it exceeds the limit, a warning is issued to the leading vehicle to alert the leading vehicle and encourage the leading vehicle to reduce the amount of driving operation.
Further, the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle detected by the operation amount detecting means and the threshold value corresponding to the limit operation amount of the following vehicle are compared by the comparing means, and if the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle exceeds the threshold value, an alarm is issued. In addition to starting, the timer means measures at that time, and when the time measured by the timer means exceeds a predetermined time, the subsequent vehicle is stopped to ensure the safety of the subsequent vehicle.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which S indicates a leading vehicle and K indicates a following vehicle. The row running apparatus of the first embodiment is provided with a vehicle speed sensor 1, a steering angle sensor 2, an AP (accelerator pedal) sensor 3, and an operation amount detection means 5 including a brake pressure sensor 4 in the leading vehicle S. And the data input to the operation amount detecting means 5 are operated, and the motor 12, the electronic control type power steering 13 and the brake 14 are operated via a manual operation program 17A provided in a travel ECU (not shown). .
[0013]
Further, based on data from each of the sensors, a comparison unit 6 that compares and determines whether any of these data exceeds a threshold value, and an alarm device 7 that issues an alarm based on the determination result of the comparison unit 6; When any of the input data exceeds the threshold based on the determination result of the comparison means 6, the timer means 8 for measuring the time, and the time counted by the timer means 8 exceeds the set time. And a communication device 15 that notifies the stop of all the succeeding vehicles K when the count time of the timer means 8 exceeds the set time.
[0014]
Specifically, detection data from a vehicle speed sensor 1, a steering angle sensor 2, an AP (accelerator pedal) sensor 3, and a brake pressure sensor 4 provided in the leading vehicle S are taken into the traveling ECU of the leading vehicle S, and this detection is performed. When at least one of the data exceeds a threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit or the like of the travel ECU by the comparison means 6, an alarm is issued by the alarm device 7 provided in the leading vehicle S. Here, this alarm may be a sound by a buzzer or the like, a warning lamp or the like, or a combination of both.
[0015]
On the other hand, the following vehicle K includes a communication device 16 that receives information from the communication device 15 of the leading vehicle S, and a follow-up program 17B for following the leading vehicle S based on the information of the communication device 16. Specifically, the following vehicle K follows the traveling by the following program 17B according to the received operation amount of the leading vehicle S. The follow-up program 17B is executed by the traveling ECU. The function of traveling by imitating the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle S (control by the driving operation amount at the position where the leading vehicle S passes) and the locus of the leading vehicle S are illustrated. It has a function of controlling the amount of driving operation so as to be on the target position by the deviation between the upper target host vehicle position and the actual host vehicle position.
[0016]
The succeeding vehicle K follows the leading vehicle S by automatically operating the motor 18, the power steering 19 and the brake 20 by the following program 17B, but the following program 17B is used to correct information from the communication device 15 of the leading vehicle S. The radar 21 detects a reflected wave from a reflector (not shown) of the leading vehicle S, measures the inter-vehicle distance from the leading vehicle S, and corrects it.
[0017]
The threshold value will be described based on a graph showing the relationship between the steering angle and the vehicle speed shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the relationship between the steering angle and the vehicle speed indicates that the steering angle at which the vehicle starts to slip decreases as the vehicle speed increases. A broken line in the figure indicates a vehicle grip limit (a limit operation amount related to the vehicle speed and the steering angle), and a value obtained by subtracting a control margin from the vehicle grip limit (shown by a solid line) is a threshold related to the steering angle and the vehicle speed.
[0018]
That is, when the point indicated by the steering angle and the vehicle speed detected by the steering angle sensor 2 and the vehicle speed sensor 1 of the leading vehicle S in FIG. 2 exceeds the threshold, the threshold is also set for the following vehicle K having the same specifications. An alarm is issued in order to call attention to the leading vehicle S because it exceeds the limit. This threshold value (the same applies to the following threshold values) may be stored as a map or table in the storage unit of the travel ECU, or may be stored as data.
[0019]
The above threshold value relates to the steering angle and the vehicle speed. In addition to this, the threshold value related to the steering angle itself detected by the steering angle sensor 2, the threshold value related to the depression amount of the accelerator pedal by the AP sensor 3, and the brake by the brake pressure sensor 4 A threshold for pressure is set. In other words, regarding the steering angle, the threshold value related to the steering angle is obtained by subtracting the control margin from the limit operation amount of the steering angle at which the following vehicle K can turn following the leading vehicle S, and the following vehicle K leads the accelerator pedal depression amount. The threshold for the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal is obtained by subtracting the control margin from the limit operation amount of depression of the accelerator pedal that can be accelerated following the vehicle S.
[0020]
Further, regarding the brake pressure, the threshold related to the brake pressure is obtained by subtracting the control margin from the limit operation amount of the brake at which the following vehicle K can decelerate following the leading vehicle S.
And when the leading vehicle S has been cut off, it is difficult for the following vehicle K to follow, so the vehicle speed sensor 1 and the steering angle sensor 2 allow the vehicle speed to be less than a certain value and the amount of change in the steering angle to be changed. If the value is greater than a certain value, the two values are set as thresholds for the cut-off with a control margin.
[0021]
Then, as shown in FIG. 1, when the driver alerts the driver of the leading vehicle S and performs a driving operation that exceeds any of the above thresholds, the timer means 8 starts counting from that point. When a set time (for example, 2 seconds) elapses from the start of counting, the subsequent vehicle K is notified by inter-vehicle communication performed through the communication device 15 and all the subsequent vehicles K are stopped.
[0022]
Therefore, when the driving operation of the leading vehicle S exceeds one of the threshold values, a warning is issued to alert the driver of the leading vehicle S, but the driving of the leading vehicle S still stops exceeding the threshold value. If not, the safety of the succeeding vehicle K can be ensured by stopping all the succeeding vehicles K after the set time has elapsed.
[0023]
Control until a warning is issued for the driving operation of the leading vehicle S and all the following vehicles K are finally stopped is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.
In FIG. 3, in step S1, each detection data is detected by each sensor of the leading vehicle S, that is, the vehicle speed sensor 1, the steering angle sensor 2, the AP (accelerator pedal) sensor 3, and the brake pressure sensor 4, and in step S2, the travel ECU is detected. The detection data of each sensor is input to step S3, and the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, it is determined whether each input data is larger than the threshold value. If it is determined that the input data is less than or equal to the threshold value, the process ends.
[0024]
If it is determined that the input data exceeds the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S4, an alarm is output to the leading vehicle S by voice or display, and the timer means 8 starts counting in step S5. If it is determined in step S6 that the measured value of the timer means 8 is less than the set time, the process ends. If it is determined that the measured value of the timer means 8 exceeds the set time, the process proceeds to step S7, and a notification that all subsequent vehicles K are to be stopped by inter-vehicle communication is output.
[0025]
Therefore, in this embodiment, when the leading vehicle S performs a driving operation exceeding the threshold, the following effects are obtained by issuing an alarm to the driver of the leading vehicle S. For example, when full steering is performed such that the leading vehicle S exceeds the threshold value, as shown in FIG. 4, unless an alarm is issued, the traveling locus of the following vehicle K bulges outward from the tracking delay (indicated by a chain line). As shown in FIG. 5, when the leading vehicle S noticed by the alarm returns the rudder angle as shown in FIG. 5, the locus of the leading vehicle S bulges outside the locus (indicated by the chain line) when fully steered. Therefore, the following vehicle K can follow this.
[0026]
In addition, when full acceleration is performed such that the leading vehicle S exceeds the threshold value, the state in which the distance between the leading vehicle S and the following vehicle K is X after the full acceleration is reached unless an alarm is issued as shown in FIG. However, when the leading vehicle S noticed by the alarm returns the accelerator pedal as shown in FIG. 7, the following vehicle K can follow the leading vehicle S, so that the vehicle after the accelerator pedal is returned The inter-vehicle distance between the leading vehicle S and the following vehicle K can be maintained at X.
[0027]
When full braking is performed so that the leading vehicle S exceeds the threshold value, the state where the distance between the leading vehicle S and the following vehicle K is Y is full braking unless an alarm is issued as shown in FIG. However, when the leading vehicle S noticed by the alarm returns the brake pedal as shown in FIG. 9, the succeeding vehicle K can follow the leading vehicle S, so that the brake pedal is turned off. The inter-vehicle distance between the leading vehicle S and the following vehicle K after returning can be maintained as Y. Although not shown, the driver of the leading vehicle stops further steering by an alarm when the leading vehicle tries to cut off, so that the following vehicle can follow this.
[0028]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the functional block diagram of FIG. In this embodiment, the warning in the above embodiment is issued to alert the leading vehicle S and at the same time, the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle S is limited.
In the figure, the leading vehicle S is input to a vehicle speed sensor 1, a steering angle sensor 2, an AP (accelerator pedal) sensor 3, an operation amount detection means 5 comprising a brake pressure sensor 4, and a vehicle speed sensor 1 and an operation amount detection means 5. The acquired data is taken in and the motor 12, the electronic control type power steering 13 and the brake 14 are operated via the manual operation program 17A provided in the travel ECU, and based on the data from the sensors. The comparison means 6 for comparing and discriminating whether any one of these data exceeds the threshold value, and the alarm device 7 for issuing an alarm when the threshold value is exceeded based on the discrimination result of the comparison means 6 are provided. Is the same as in the first embodiment.
[0029]
Here, when the threshold value is exceeded based on the determination result of the comparison means 6, an alarm is issued by the alarm device 7, and the motor 12 and the power steering are connected to the leading vehicle S via the restriction providing means 11 provided in the manual operation program 17 A. 13 is restricted. Here, the restriction imparting means 11 has a main configuration of the traveling ECU.
When the restriction is applied to the motor 12 and the power steering 13 by the restriction imparting means 11, the result of the comparison by the comparison means 6 is transmitted to the succeeding vehicle K by the communication device 15. In other words, when the motor 12 and the power steering 13 of the leading vehicle S are restricted, the travel of the following vehicle K following the leading vehicle S is affected. Separately, information on the restriction is also notified to the following vehicle K.
In FIG. 10, the succeeding vehicle K is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
[0030]
Here, the restriction on the leading vehicle S is that when the accelerator pedal is depressed for full acceleration, the output of the motor 12 is not increased more than a certain value, the steering for a sudden turn, or the turn-off. Therefore, when trying to turn fully, the steering is limited by applying reverse torque by the power steering 13. When the restriction is applied in this way, the driver recognizes that the restriction is imposed by the alarm device 7 and immediately stops the sudden driving operation, so that the followability of the succeeding vehicle K is affected. Never give.
[0031]
Therefore, also in this embodiment, when the leading vehicle S performs a driving operation exceeding the threshold value, a warning is issued to the driver of the leading vehicle S and the driving operation amount is limited to the leading vehicle S, thereby leading the leading vehicle. Since S leads with the amount of driving operation that the following vehicle K can follow, S does not affect the following property of the following vehicle K.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the driving operation amount of the lead vehicle detected by the operation amount detection means and the threshold value corresponding to the limit operation amount of the following vehicle are compared by the comparison means. If the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle exceeds the threshold, an alarm is issued to the leading vehicle, so that the leading vehicle can be alerted and the leading vehicle can be encouraged to reduce the driving operation amount. If the person reduces the amount of operation in accordance with this, there is an effect that the following vehicle can be made to follow without disturbing the platooning in which the following vehicle follows the leading vehicle.
[0033]
Further , the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle detected by the operation amount detecting means and the threshold value corresponding to the limit operation amount of the following vehicle are compared by the comparing means, and if the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle exceeds the threshold value, an alarm is issued. In addition to starting, the timer means measures at that time, and if the time measured by the timer means exceeds a predetermined time, the following vehicle can be stopped, so the leading vehicle takes no action against the alarm Even in this case, there is an effect that the safety of the following vehicle can be ensured.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the steering angle and the vehicle speed according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a travel locus when no warning is issued for full steering of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a travel locus when a warning is issued for full steering of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an inter-vehicle distance state when no warning is issued for full acceleration of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an inter-vehicle distance state when an alarm is issued for full acceleration of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an inter-vehicle distance state when no warning is issued for full braking of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an inter-vehicle distance state when an alarm is issued for full braking of a leading vehicle.
FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
5 Operation amount detection means 6 Comparison means 8 Timer means K Subsequent vehicle S Leading vehicle

Claims (1)

An operation amount detection means for detecting the amount of driving operation of the leading vehicle in the platoon traveling device for traveling in a row with a leading vehicle manually driven by the driver and a plurality of succeeding vehicles that automatically follow the leading vehicle; Comparing means for comparing the driving operation amount of the leading vehicle detected by the operating amount detecting means with a threshold value corresponding to a limit operating amount that can be followed by the following vehicle is provided. the amount is issued to alert the leading vehicle when it exceeds the threshold, providing a timer means for operating the operation amount of the leading vehicle based on the comparison result of said comparing means for measuring the time from exceeding the threshold value A platooning apparatus for stopping a succeeding vehicle when a time measured by a timer means exceeds a predetermined time .

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