JP4483472B2 - Vehicle travel control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular travel control apparatus that performs travel control suitable for a traffic volume on a road.

As a conventional vehicle travel control device, for example, during a follow-up running control in which acceleration / deceleration control is performed so that the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle coincides with the reference follow-up inter-vehicle distance, It is known that the traffic volume around the vehicle is determined based on the number, the reference tracking inter-vehicle distance is changed long when the traffic volume is low, and the reference tracking inter-vehicle distance is changed short when the traffic volume is high. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-120594 A

  However, in the above conventional vehicle travel control device, the traffic volume around the host vehicle is determined based on the number of parallel vehicles traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle, and the control mode is changed according to the traffic volume. The vehicle that has stopped or is congested in the oncoming lane is not determined. Therefore, for example, when the opposite lane is congested and the host vehicle lane is not congested on the one-lane lane, the normal tracking control is performed and the host vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. Accelerated control.

  However, when the oncoming lane is congested in this way, the pedestrian may be in the space between the oncoming vehicles trying to cross the road looking for the traffic gap of the oncoming vehicle. To become a blind spot. For this reason, the driver has an uncomfortable feeling of blind spots caused by traffic congestion on the opposite lane, and has an unresolved feeling that the host vehicle is accelerated and controlled following the preceding vehicle under such circumstances. There is a problem.

This problem is not limited to oncoming vehicles.For example, when a vehicle is parked side by side on the right turn lane on the right side of the own lane, or when a vehicle is parked side by side on the street parking on the left side of the own lane, the same problem occurs. obtain.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made paying attention to the unsolved problems of the above-described conventional example, and performs driving control without a sense of incongruity to the driver according to the congestion state of the lane adjacent to the own vehicle driving lane. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular travel control apparatus that can perform the above.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicular travel control apparatus according to the present invention detects a congestion state of a vehicle in a lane adjacent to the own vehicle travel lane with a congestion state detection means, and the travel control means detects a travel lane of the own vehicle. Restricted when acceleration / deceleration control of the host vehicle is performed so that the vehicle follows the vehicle while keeping the relative distance between the object in front and the host vehicle at the target relative distance, and the congestion state detecting means detects that the adjacent lane is in a congested state. Means for limiting the acceleration in the travel control by the travel control means.

According to the present invention, the congestion state of the lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling lane is determined, and when it is determined that the lane is congested, the acceleration of the own vehicle during the traveling control is limited. Even if the pedestrian is trying to cross the road by looking at the distance between the vehicles in the traffic congestion of the oncoming vehicle, etc. A sense of incongruity and anxiety can be suppressed, and an avoidance operation can be performed with a margin for jumping out of a pedestrian or the like.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a rear wheel drive vehicle. In the figure, 1FL and 1FR are front wheels as driven wheels, and 1RL and 1RR are rear wheels as drive wheels. Thus, the driving force of the engine 2 is transmitted to the rear wheels 1RL and 1RR via the automatic transmission 3, the propeller shaft 4, the final reduction gear 5, and the axle 6 to be rotationally driven.

The front wheels 1FL, 1FR and the rear wheels 1RL, 1RR are each provided with a brake actuator 7 composed of, for example, a disc brake that generates a braking force, and the braking hydraulic pressure of these brake actuators 7 is controlled by a braking control device 8. Is done.
The braking device is not limited to a hydraulic type, and may be, for example, an electrically driven disk or a regenerative brake.

Here, the braking control device 8 generates a braking hydraulic pressure in response to depression of a brake pedal (not shown), and generates a braking hydraulic pressure in accordance with a braking pressure command value P _BR from a follow-up control controller 20 described later. Is output to the brake actuator 7.
The engine 2 is provided with an engine output control device 11 that controls the output thereof. In this engine output control device 11, a throttle actuator 12 that adjusts a throttle opening provided in the engine 2 in accordance with a depression amount of an accelerator pedal (not shown) and a throttle opening command value θ ^* from a follow-up control controller 20 described later. Is configured to control. Further, a vehicle speed sensor 13 for detecting the host vehicle speed Vs by detecting the rotation speed of the output shaft provided on the output side of the automatic transmission 3 is provided.

On the other hand, in the lower part of the vehicle body on the front side of the vehicle, as a front object detection means for detecting the relative distance L between the host vehicle and the object in front of the host vehicle, laser light is swept to reflect from the object in front of the vehicle. A radar-type front object sensor 14 that receives light is provided.
Further, the vehicle includes a CCD camera 15 and a camera controller 16 as an external recognition sensor for detecting a vehicle state of a lane (for example, an oncoming lane, a right / left turn lane, a road parking lane, etc.) adjacent to the vehicle lane. It has. The camera controller 16 is configured to detect a vehicle existing in the adjacent lane from the captured image of the adjacent lane captured by the CCD camera 15, and to detect the number of adjacent vehicles Nn, the inter-vehicle distance Dn between adjacent vehicles, and the like. Yes.

Further, a road type signal R _m from the navigation system 17 for determining the type of road on which the host vehicle is traveling is also input to the follow-up control controller 20. Here, the road type signal R _m is R _m = 1 for a highway and R _m = 0 for a general road.
Further, a control operation switch 18 is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat, and the control operation switch 18 is configured to be able to operate ON / OFF switching of acceleration / speed limit control. When it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested based on the vehicle state of the adjacent lane by turning on the control operation switch 18, the acceleration and speed of the host vehicle in the following travel control mode are limited. I do. The switch signal SW from the control operation switch 18 is input to the follow-up control controller 20.

  Further, in the front of the driver's seat, as a notification means for issuing a warning or displaying a message to the driver based on a notification signal AL from the controller 20 for tracking control when it is detected that the adjacent lane is congested. The information presentation device 19 is installed, and the information presentation device 19 has a built-in speaker for generating sound and buzzer sound.

The vehicle speed Vs output from the vehicle speed sensor 13, the relative distance L output from the front object sensor 14, the adjacent vehicle information output from the camera controller 16, and the road type signal R output from the navigation system 17. _m and the switch signal SW output from the control operation switch 18 are input to the tracking control controller 20. When the preceding vehicle is captured in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle, the tracking control controller 20 controls the host vehicle speed by setting the target vehicle speed so that the relative distance from the front object becomes the target relative distance. When the preceding vehicle is not captured in front of the traveling lane of the own vehicle, the braking pressure command value P _BR and the target throttle opening θ _R are set to control the own vehicle speed to the set vehicle speed V _SET set by the driver. It outputs to the braking control device 8 and the engine output control device 11.

Further, the follow-up control controller 20 determines the congestion state of the adjacent lane adjacent to the host vehicle traveling lane based on the adjacent vehicle information, and determines that the adjacent lane is congested, the information presenting device 19 The alarm signal AL is output, and the acceleration and speed of the host vehicle by the vehicle speed control are limited.
The follow-up control controller 20 includes a microcomputer and its peripheral devices, and constitutes a control block shown in FIG. 2 according to the software form of the microcomputer.

This control block measures the time from when the front object sensor 14 sweeps the laser light until it receives the reflected light of the front object, and calculates the relative distance L with the front object, The inter-vehicle distance control unit 40 that calculates the target vehicle speed V _L ^* that maintains the relative distance L at the target relative distance L ^* based on the relative distance L calculated by the ranging signal processing unit 21 and the host vehicle speed Vs, and the inter-vehicle distance. A vehicle speed control unit 50 that calculates the target drive shaft torque Tw ^* based on the target vehicle speed V _L ^* calculated by the control unit 40, and the throttle actuator 12 and the like based on the target drive shaft torque Tw ^* calculated by the vehicle speed control unit 50 It calculates a throttle opening command value theta _R and the braking pressure command value P _BR to the brake actuator 7, and outputs them to the throttle actuator 12 and the brake actuator 7 driving And a torque control unit 60.

Further, based on the adjacent lane information input from the camera controller 16, the congestion state of the lane adjacent to the host vehicle traveling lane is determined, and the state of the congestion state flag Fc indicating the congestion state is output to the vehicle speed control unit 50. A congestion state determination unit 70 is provided.
The inter-vehicle distance control unit 40 calculates a target relative distance L ^* between the front object and the host vehicle based on the host vehicle speed Vs input from the vehicle speed sensor 13, and the target inter-vehicle distance setting. A target for matching the relative distance L to the target relative distance L ^* based on the target relative distance L ^* calculated by the unit 42, the relative distance L input from the ranging signal processing unit 21, and the own vehicle speed Vs. And an inter-vehicle distance control calculation unit 43 that calculates the vehicle speed V _L ^* .

Here, the target inter-vehicle distance setting unit 42 includes the host vehicle speed Vs, the time T ₀ (inter-vehicle time) until the host vehicle reaches the position L ₀ [m] behind the front object in the current host vehicle traveling lane, and From the following equation (1), the target relative distance L ^* between the object ahead of the host vehicle travel lane and the host vehicle is calculated.
L ^* = Vs × T ₀ + Ls (1)
By adopting this concept of inter-vehicle time, the relative distance is set to increase as the vehicle speed increases. In addition, Ls is a relative distance at the time of a stop.

Further, the inter-vehicle distance control calculation unit 43 calculates a target vehicle speed V _L ^* for following traveling while keeping the relative distance L at the target relative distance L ^* based on the relative distance L, the target relative distance L ^*, and the host vehicle speed Vs. Calculate.
When the vehicle speed control unit 50 is in the follow-up control state, the driver sets the target vehicle speed V _L ^* input from the inter-vehicle distance control unit 40 when the front object sensor 14 captures the front object of the host vehicle travel lane. A smaller value of the set vehicle speed V _SET is set as the target vehicle speed V ^* , and when the preceding vehicle is not captured in front of the host vehicle lane, the set vehicle speed V _SET set by the driver is set as the target vehicle speed V ^*. Based on the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 to be set and the state of the congestion state flag Fc of the adjacent lane input from the congestion state determination unit 70, the target vehicle speed that limits the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 A limiting unit 52 and a target driving shaft torque calculating unit 53 that calculates a target driving shaft torque Tw ^* for making the host vehicle speed Vs coincide with the target vehicle speed V ^* limited by the target vehicle speed limiting unit 52 are provided.

Further, the drive shaft torque control unit 60 calculates a throttle opening command value θ _R and a brake fluid pressure command value P _BR for realizing the target driving torque Tw ^*, and outputs the throttle opening command value θ _R to the engine output. The brake fluid pressure command value P _BR is output to the brake control device 8 while being output to the control device 11.
The inter-vehicle distance control unit 40, the vehicle speed control unit 50, and the drive shaft torque control unit 60 described above constitute a travel control unit, and the congestion state determination unit 70 configures a congestion state detection unit.
Further, the target vehicle speed limiting unit 52 constitutes a limiting unit that limits at least one of acceleration and speed in the travel control. In the following, on the premise of the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment that restricts at least one of acceleration and speed in the travel control when the congestion state of the adjacent lane is detected during the travel control is described in detail. To do.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment in which only acceleration in travel control is limited. The first embodiment will be described below.
The target vehicle speed limiter 52 executes an acceleration limit determination process shown in FIG.
This acceleration restriction determination process is executed as a timer interruption process at predetermined time intervals (for example, 10 msec). First, various data detected by each sensor and controller are read in step S1. Specifically, the congestion state flag Fc, the road type signal R _m , and the switch signal SW are read.

Next, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is determined whether or not there is an intention to perform acceleration restriction control. This determination is made based on whether or not the switch signal SW read in step S1 is in an ON state. When the switch signal SW is in an ON state, it is determined that the driver has an intention to perform acceleration restriction control. The process proceeds to step S3.
On the other hand, when the determination result of step S2 is that the switch signal SW is in the OFF state and it is determined that the driver does not intend to perform the acceleration limit control, the timer interruption process is terminated and the process returns to the predetermined main program. .

In step S3, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on a highway. This determination is made based on whether or not the road type signal R _m read in step S1 is “1” indicating that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an expressway, and R _m = 0. In some cases, it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a general road and the process proceeds to step S4. If R _m = 1, it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a highway and the timer interrupt process is terminated. Return to the predetermined main program.

  In this way, when the host vehicle is traveling on a highway by determining the type of road on which the host vehicle is traveling, a scene in which a pedestrian or bicycle appears in front of the host vehicle trying to cross the road Therefore, it can be determined that there is no need to limit the acceleration of the host vehicle. On the other hand, when the host vehicle is traveling on a general road, it is possible that a pedestrian or the like may encounter a scene that appears in front of the host vehicle. be able to.

In step S4, the congestion state of the lane adjacent to the own vehicle travel lane is determined. This determination is made according to the state of the congestion state flag Fc read in step S1. When the congestion state flag Fc is reset to “0” indicating that the adjacent lane is not in the congestion state, the acceleration limit of the own vehicle is set. It is determined that there is no need to perform the process, and the process proceeds to step S5.
In step S5, the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n), and then the process proceeds to step S6, where the target vehicle speed V ^* (n) is set. After outputting to the target drive shaft torque calculation unit 53, the timer interruption process is terminated and the process returns to a predetermined main program.

On the other hand, when the determination result in step S4 is Fc = 1, it is determined that the adjacent lane is in a congested state, the process proceeds to step S7, and it is determined whether the host vehicle is under acceleration control. This determination is made based on whether or not the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is greater than the previous target vehicle speed V ^* (n−1), and V ^* ≦ V ^* (n−1). Sometimes, the host vehicle is running at a constant speed or under deceleration control and is not accelerated, so that it is determined that there is no need to limit acceleration, and the process proceeds to step S5.

When V ^* > V ^* (n−1), the host vehicle is controlled to be accelerated. Therefore, it is determined that it is necessary to limit the acceleration at this time, and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the previous target vehicle speed V ^* (n-1) is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n), so that the acceleration of the host vehicle is forcibly set to "0". I do.
In the present embodiment, the acceleration is limited so that the acceleration becomes zero (that is, the acceleration is not accelerated). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the maximum acceleration in the travel control is limited to a small value. It may be a configuration. According to this configuration, since the acceleration to the target vehicle speed is reduced and there is no sudden acceleration, it is possible to appropriately cope with a person jumping out from the adjacent lane.

Next, the process proceeds to step S9, and in order to notify the driver that the adjacent lane is congested, the notification signal AL is output to the information presenting device 19, and then the process proceeds to step S6. .
In the process of FIG. 3, the processes of steps S4, S7, and S8 correspond to acceleration limiting means.

Further, the congestion state determination unit 70 executes a congestion state determination process shown in FIG.
This congestion state determination process is executed as a timer interruption process every predetermined time (for example, 10 msec). First, the number Nn of adjacent vehicles is read from the adjacent lane information detected by the camera controller 16 in step S71, and the process proceeds to step S72. .
At step S72, the determination whether the adjacent vehicle speed Nn detected within a predetermined range of an adjacent lane exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed threshold value N _TH as congestion determination threshold, adjacent line when in Nn> N _TH It is determined that the lane is congested and the process proceeds to step S73. Here, the predetermined range is set to 100 m ahead of the host vehicle, for example.

Further, the vehicle number threshold value N _TH is set to a number of vehicles that can be determined that each adjacent vehicle hardly moves within the predetermined range. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the host vehicle MC is traveling on the lane La and 25 vehicles are detected in a predetermined range 100 m on the opposite lane Lb, the vehicle length is set to 4 m. It can be determined that the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles existing within the predetermined range is substantially zero. Therefore, it can be determined that these vehicles are stopped or hardly moving.

In step S73, the congestion state flag Fc is set to “1” indicating that the adjacent lane is congested. Then, the process proceeds to step S74, and the state of the congestion state flag Fc is output to the target vehicle speed limiter 52. Then, the timer interrupt process is terminated and the process returns to a predetermined main program.
If the determination result in step S72 is Nn ≦ _NTH, it is determined that the adjacent lane is not congested, and the process proceeds to step S75. The congested state flag Fc indicates that the adjacent lane is not congested. After resetting to 0 ", the process proceeds to step S74.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, it is assumed that the vehicle MC is currently traveling on a one-lane roadway. In this state, when the lane L2 adjacent to the lane L1 on which the vehicle MC is traveling is that there is no congestion state, the congestion determination by the camera controller 16 threshold N _TH following adjacent car number Nn are detected, FIG. In the congestion state determination process No. 4, the process proceeds to step S75 based on the determination in step S72, and the congestion state flag Fc is reset to “0” indicating that the adjacent lane is not congested.

When the control operation switch 18 is in the ON state and the driver has an intention to perform the acceleration limit control, the process proceeds from step S2 to steps S3 and S4 to step S5 in the acceleration limit determination process of FIG. Transition. At this time, when the preceding vehicle PC is detected in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle MC, the relative distance L (n) is detected by the front object sensor 14 and the relative distance L set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is detected. the target relative distance (n) L ^* target vehicle speed to follow-up running while keeping the V _L ^* a based target vehicle speed V ^*, the transition from is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n) in step S6. Then, the target vehicle speed V ^* (n) is input to the target drive shaft torque calculation unit 53 to continue the follow-up traveling control. Therefore, if the preceding vehicle PC is decelerated, the own vehicle MC is also decelerated, and if the preceding vehicle PC is accelerated, the own vehicle MC is also accelerated. When the preceding vehicle PC disappears, the speed is controlled so that the vehicle travels at a preset vehicle speed V _SET .

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the adjacent lane L2 is in a congested state, the camera controller 16 detects the number of adjacent vehicles Nn exceeding the congestion determination threshold value _NTH, and the step S72 in FIG. In S73, the congestion state flag Fc is set to “1” indicating that the adjacent lane is in a congestion state.
Then, when the control operation switch 18 is in the ON state and the driver is willing to perform the acceleration limit control, the process proceeds from step S2 in FIG. 3 to step S7 through steps S3 and S4. At this time, the preceding vehicle PC is detected in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle MC, and when the preceding vehicle PC is accelerated, the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is the previous target vehicle speed V. ^{* Since} it becomes larger than (n-1), the process proceeds to step S8 by the determination in step S7, and the previous target vehicle speed V ^* (n-1) is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n). Acceleration limiting processing for forcibly setting the acceleration of the host vehicle to “0” is performed.

From this state, when the preceding vehicle PC is in a state where it cannot be detected due to a left turn or the like, the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 sets the set vehicle speed V _SET set by the driver as the target vehicle speed V ^* . When the target vehicle speed V ^* is larger than the target vehicle speed V ^* during follow-up running, it is determined in step S7 that V ^* > V ^* (n-1), and the process proceeds to step S8, where the previous target vehicle speed V ^* ( By setting n-1) as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n), acceleration to the set vehicle speed V _SET is limited.

Thus, when detecting that the preceding vehicle PC is detected when it is detected that the lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling lane is congested, the own vehicle MC is accelerated according to the acceleration of the preceding vehicle PC. When the vehicle is not detected and the preceding vehicle PC is not detected, acceleration to the set vehicle speed V _SET set by the driver is limited. Therefore, as shown in FIG. It is possible to suppress the driver from feeling uncomfortable with the blind spots caused by the traffic jam in the adjacent lane L2, such as when the vehicle is between adjacent vehicles trying to cross the road looking at the gap. Even when the road crossing is started, the avoidance operation can be performed with a margin. This state is continued until it is determined that the adjacent lane L2 is not congested.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the host vehicle MC passes the congestion area CR in the adjacent lane L2, the congestion state flag Fc indicates that the congestion state flag Fc is not in the congestion state in the congestion state determination process of FIG. Therefore, the process proceeds from step S4 to step S5 in FIG. At this time, the preceding vehicle PC is not detected in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle MC, and the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 sets the set vehicle speed V _SET set by the driver as the target vehicle speed V ^* . In step S5, the target vehicle speed V ^* is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n), so that the host vehicle speed is controlled to be accelerated to the set vehicle speed V _SET .

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the congestion state of the adjacent lane adjacent to the own vehicle travel lane is detected, and when it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested, the acceleration of the own vehicle in the following travel control is limited. So, for example, when the oncoming lane is congested and the host vehicle lane is not congested, etc., when the pedestrian is between the oncoming vehicles trying to cross the road looking for the traffic congestion gap of the oncoming vehicle Even so, it is possible to suppress a sense of discomfort and anxiety given to the driver, and even if the pedestrian starts crossing the road, the avoidance operation can be performed with a margin.

In addition, the number of vehicles in the predetermined range of the adjacent lane is detected, and when the number of adjacent vehicles exceeds a predetermined vehicle number threshold, it is determined that the adjacent lane is in a congested state. It is possible to detect the congestion state and to perform driving control without causing the driver to feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, when it is detected that the adjacent lane is congested, the driver is notified of this, and the driver is made aware that the vehicle is passing through the congested area in the adjacent lane. It is possible to suppress the driver's uncomfortable feeling that the vehicle is restricted.

In addition, since it is possible for the driver to set whether or not to limit the acceleration of the host vehicle when the adjacent lane is congested, it is possible to perform travel control that matches the driver's intention.
In the first embodiment, the case has been described in which the driver is simply notified when the adjacent lane is in a congested state. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the details of the congested area are described. You may make it alert | report an audio | voice or a message display about the time until a specific area, the own vehicle passes a congestion area, etc. As a result, it is possible to perform travel control more suited to the driver's feeling.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, the congestion state of adjacent lanes is detected based on the number of adjacent vehicles detected while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the congestion state determination process executed by the congestion state determination unit 70 in the second embodiment. In the congestion state determination process of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment described above, The processing is the same as that in FIG. 4 except that the processing is replaced with step S172 in which it is determined whether or not the adjacent vehicle number N ₁ detected while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time exceeds the predetermined vehicle number N _TH1 . Processing is performed, and the same reference numerals are given to portions corresponding to those in FIG. 4, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

That is, in step S172, while the vehicle is the predetermined time T ₁ travel, counts the number of neighboring vehicles pass each other between the vehicle, determine whether the count number N ₁ is greater than a predetermined vehicle speed N _TH1 To do. Here, the predetermined time T ₁ and the predetermined number of vehicles N _TH1 are set to values at which it can be determined that the adjacent lane is congested according to the host vehicle speed Vs.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the host vehicle MC is traveling on the lane L1 at 100 km / h, the host vehicle MC travels to the adjacent lane L2 until it travels for one second and reaches the position MC ′. If six vehicles are detected, it can be determined that the speed of the adjacent vehicle is almost equal to or less than 1 km / h, and the adjacent lane L2 can be determined to be congested.

When the determination result of step S172 is N ₁ > N _TH1, it is determined that the vehicle is in a congested state, and the process proceeds to step S73. When N ₁ ≦ N _TH1, it is determined that the device is not in a congested state. Then, the process proceeds to step S75.
As described above, in the second embodiment, when a vehicle exceeding a predetermined value is detected in the adjacent lane while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time, it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested. Can be detected, and appropriate travel control can be performed according to the congestion state of the adjacent lane.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the third embodiment, the congestion state of adjacent lanes is detected based on the inter-vehicle distance between adjacent vehicles while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the congestion state determination process executed by the congestion state determination unit 70 in the third embodiment. In the congestion state determination process of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment described above, FIG. 4 except that the process is replaced with step S272 in which it is determined whether the inter-vehicle distance Dn is below a predetermined inter-vehicle distance threshold Dn _TH while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time. The parts corresponding to those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

That is, in step S272, while the vehicle is the predetermined time T ₂ to travel, it is determined whether inter-vehicle distance Dn between vehicles present in the adjacent lane is below a predetermined inter-vehicle distance threshold Dn _TH. Here, the predetermined time T ₂ and the predetermined inter-vehicle distance threshold value Dn _TH are set to values that can determine that the adjacent lane is congested.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the distance between the vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane L2 is always 1 m until the host vehicle MC travels on the lane L1 for 2 seconds and reaches the position MC ′. Then, it can be determined that the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane L2 is hardly moving, and it can be determined that the adjacent lane L2 is congested.

Then, when the judgment result of the step S272 is Dn <Dn _TH is proceeds to the step S73 it is determined to be in the congested state, when a Dn ≧ Dn _TH, it is judged that there is no congested Control goes to step S75.
As described above, in the third embodiment, when the distance between vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes is less than a predetermined value while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time, it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested. Thus, it is possible to reliably detect the congestion state of the adjacent lane and to perform appropriate travel control according to the congestion state of the adjacent lane.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the fourth embodiment, the congestion state of the adjacent lane is detected based on the speed of the adjacent vehicle while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the congestion state determination process executed by the congestion state determination unit 70 in the fourth embodiment. In the congestion state determination process of FIG. 4 in the above-described first embodiment, FIG. processing, the own vehicle while traveling a predetermined time, of the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, was replaced with the step S372 the speed Vn of certain vehicle determines whether below a predetermined speed threshold Vn _TH Except for this, the same processing as in FIG. 4 is performed, and the same reference numerals are given to the portions corresponding to those in FIG. 4, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

That is, in step S372, while the vehicle is the predetermined time T ₃ traveling, it is determined whether or not the velocity Vn of certain vehicles existing in an adjacent lane is below a predetermined speed threshold Vn _TH. Here, the predetermined time T ₃ and the predetermined speed threshold value Vn _TH are set such that the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane travels at a low speed, and a pedestrian or the like crosses the road in anticipation of the passing timing of the adjacent vehicle traveling at the low speed. Set to a value that can be determined to be possible. The speed Vn of the adjacent vehicle can be obtained from the relative speed ΔV calculated based on the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the adjacent vehicle and the own vehicle speed Vs.

For example, if the speed of a certain vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is 5 km / h while the host vehicle is traveling for 2 seconds, it is determined that the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is traveling at a low speed. Since there is a possibility that a pedestrian or the like may cross the front of the host vehicle for crossing the road, it can be determined that it is necessary to limit acceleration of the host vehicle.
Then, when the judgment result of the step S372 is Vn <Vn _TH is proceeds to the step S73 it is determined to be in the congested state, when a Vn ≧ Vn _TH, it is judged that there is no congested Control goes to step S75.

  As described above, in the fourth embodiment, when the speed of a certain vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is below a predetermined value while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time, a pedestrian or the like travels at a low speed. Since it is determined that there is a possibility of crossing the road at the timing of passing, it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested, so it is possible to reliably detect the congested state of the adjacent lane and the congested state of the adjacent lane Appropriate travel control can be performed according to the situation.

Next, a reference embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first to fourth embodiments described above, this reference form is used instead of performing the acceleration limiting process for forcibly setting the acceleration to “0” when it is detected that the adjacent lane is congested. Speed limiting processing for limiting the speed to a predetermined speed limit or less.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the speed limit determination process executed by the target vehicle speed limiter 52 in the reference mode. In the acceleration limit determination process of FIG. 3 in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the process of step S7 is shown. Is replaced with step S21 for determining whether or not the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 exceeds a preset speed limit V _LT, and the process of step S8 is performed by changing the speed limit V _LT to the current time. 3 except that it is replaced with step S22 set as the target vehicle speed V ^* (n), the same reference numerals are assigned to the parts corresponding to those in FIG. 3, and detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

That is, when it is determined in step S4 that the adjacent lane is in a congested state, the process proceeds to step S21, where the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 exceeds the preset limit speed _VLT. It is determined whether or not. Here, the speed limit V _LT is a vehicle speed that does not cause the driver to feel uncomfortable and uneasy when it is assumed that there are pedestrians or the like jumping out between vehicles in a congested traffic on the adjacent lane (for example, , 40 km / h).

When the determination result in step S21 is V ^* ≦ _VLT, it is determined that the target vehicle speed of the host vehicle is a vehicle speed that does not give the driver a sense of incongruity, and the process proceeds to step S5, where V ^* > V. _If it is _LT , the target vehicle speed of the host vehicle exceeds the speed limit V _LT , so it is determined that it is necessary to limit this, and the process proceeds to step S22. At this time, if the current host vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit V _LT , the vehicle is decelerated to the speed limit V _LT .

In step S22, the speed limit processing for limiting the target vehicle speed of the host vehicle is performed by setting the speed limit _VLT as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n), and then the process proceeds to step S9.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, it is assumed that the vehicle MC is currently traveling on a one-lane roadway. In this state, if the lane L2 adjacent to the lane L1 in which the host vehicle MC is traveling is not congested, the congested state flag Fc indicates that the adjacent lane is not congested in the congested state determination process. Reset to 0 ".

When the control operation switch 18 is in the ON state and the driver has an intention to perform the acceleration limit control, the process proceeds from step S2 to steps S3 and S4 to step S5 in the speed limit determination process of FIG. Transition. At this time, when the preceding vehicle PC is detected in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle MC, the relative distance L (n) is detected by the front object sensor 14 and the relative distance L set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is detected. the target relative distance (n) L ^* target vehicle speed to follow-up running while keeping the V _L ^* a based target vehicle speed V ^*, the transition from is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n) in step S6. Then, the target vehicle speed V ^* (n) is input to the target drive shaft torque calculation unit 53 to continue the follow-up traveling control. Therefore, if the preceding vehicle PC accelerates at this time, the host vehicle MC is also accelerated accordingly.

From this state, the preceding vehicle PC travels at a vehicle speed exceeding the speed limit V _LT , and the host vehicle MC travels at the same speed as the preceding vehicle PC while maintaining the relative distance L with the preceding vehicle PC at the target relative distance L ^*. It shall be. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6B, when it is detected that the adjacent lane L2 is in a congested state, the congested state flag Fc is set to “1” indicating that it is congested. The process proceeds from step S4 in FIG. 12 to step S21. Since the preceding vehicle PC is traveling at a vehicle speed exceeding the limit speed V _LT and the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 exceeds the limit speed V _LT , the process proceeds from step S21 to step S22. The speed limit V _LT is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n). Thus, the vehicle MC is decelerated from a vehicle speed exceeding the speed limit V _LT to the speed limit V _LT.

Further, it is assumed that when the adjacent lane is in a congested state, the host vehicle is traveling following a preceding vehicle that travels at a speed limit _VLT or less. At this time, if the preceding vehicle accelerates and the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 sets the target vehicle speed V ^{* that} is equal to or lower than the limit speed V _LT , the process proceeds to step S5 by the determination in step S21, and the target vehicle speed setting unit The target vehicle speed V ^* set in 51 is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n). As a result, the host vehicle is accelerated within the range of the speed limit V _LT or less.

As described above, in the above-described reference form, when the congestion state of the adjacent lane adjacent to the own vehicle traveling lane is detected and it is determined that the adjacent lane is congested, the speed of the own vehicle in the following traveling control is limited.

Also, when the adjacent lane is in a congested state, if the target vehicle speed exceeds the limit vehicle speed, the speed limit process is performed to limit the speed of the host vehicle, and if the target vehicle speed is less than the limit vehicle speed, the host vehicle is allowed to accelerate. Therefore, it is possible to perform traveling control more suited to the driver's feeling.
In the reference embodiment, the case where the speed limiting process is performed instead of the acceleration limiting process has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the acceleration limiting and the speed limiting may be performed simultaneously.

That is, the first embodiment and the above reference embodiment may be combined, and a limit value may be provided for each of the acceleration up to the target vehicle speed and the target vehicle speed. Such a configuration eliminates sudden acceleration to the target vehicle speed and the vehicle speed itself is less than the limit vehicle speed, making it easier for the driver to pay attention to people and bicycles around the vehicle, It becomes possible to cope more appropriately with popping out and the like.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the fifth embodiment, as control performed when it is detected that the adjacent lane is in a congested state, preliminary braking generation processing for generating brake preload in addition to the acceleration limiting processing in the first to fourth embodiments described above. Is to do.
In the fifth embodiment, the braking control device 8 is configured to generate a braking hydraulic pressure in accordance with the braking pressure command value Pp ^* from the follow-up control controller 20 and output this to the brake actuator. Then, the follow-up control controller 20 performs braking control on the braking pressure command value Pp ^* for generating the brake preload Pp as preliminary braking according to the state of the congestion state flag Fc from the congestion state determination unit 70 of FIG. Output to device 8. Here, the brake preload Pp is set to a minute brake pressure at which the passenger does not feel deceleration.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an acceleration restriction determination process executed by the target vehicle speed restriction unit 52 in the fifth embodiment. In the acceleration restriction determination process of FIG. 3 in the first to fourth embodiments described above, Step S31 for calculating the brake preload Pp generated in the host vehicle after S9, and Step S32 for outputting the brake pressure command value Pp ^* for generating the brake preload Pp calculated in Step S31 to the brake control device 8. Except for the addition of, the same processing as in FIG. 3 is performed, the same reference numerals are given to the corresponding parts to FIG. 3, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

That is, in step S31, the process proceeds to step S32 to set the brake pressure Pp _SET which is set in advance as the brake preload Pp. In step S32, a braking pressure command value Pp ^* for generating the brake preload Pp set in step S31 is calculated, and the braking pressure command value Pp ^* is output to the braking control device 8. As a result, when the lane adjacent to the host vehicle traveling lane is in a congested state, it is possible to generate a brake preload on the host vehicle, thereby improving the response of the brake.

In FIG. 13, the processes of steps S31 and S32 correspond to the preliminary braking generating means.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6B, the host vehicle MC is currently traveling on a one-lane roadway, and the lane L2 adjacent to the lane L1 on which the host vehicle MC is traveling is congested. And In this case, the congestion state flag Fc is set to “1” indicating that the adjacent lane is congested.

Then, when the control operation switch 18 is in the ON state and the driver has an intention to perform the acceleration restriction control, the process proceeds from step S2 in FIG. 13 to step S7 through steps S3 and S4. At this time, the preceding vehicle PC is detected in front of the traveling lane of the host vehicle MC, and when the preceding vehicle PC is accelerated, the target vehicle speed V ^* set by the target vehicle speed setting unit 51 is the previous target vehicle speed V. ^{* Since} it becomes larger than (n-1), the process proceeds to step S8 by the determination in step S7, and the previous target vehicle speed V ^* (n-1) is set as the current target vehicle speed V ^* (n). Acceleration limiting processing for forcibly setting the acceleration of the host vehicle to “0” is performed.

Furthermore, the brake preload Pp is set in step S31, and the braking pressure command value Pp ^* for generating the brake preload Pp is output to the brake control device 8, so that the passenger does not feel deceleration. Brake pressure is generated, and the host vehicle is brought into a preliminary braking state.
Thus, in the fifth embodiment, when the adjacent lane is in a congested state, brake preload is generated to improve the response of the brake. For example, the oncoming lane is congested and the own vehicle Even when the driving lane is not congested, even if the pedestrian slips between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle to cross the road looking for the traffic gap of the oncoming vehicle, or suddenly jumps out Stable vehicle behavior can be realized.

In the fifth embodiment, the case where the preliminary braking generation process is performed in addition to the acceleration limiting process in the first to fourth embodiments described above is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the speed limiting process in the reference mode, the preliminary braking generation process may be performed. Further, when the congestion state of the adjacent lane is detected, the preliminary braking generation process may be performed independently.

  In each of the above embodiments, the degree of congestion in the adjacent lane is detected according to the traveling environment of the host vehicle, and when it is determined that the adjacent lane is in the congested state, the acceleration restriction is limited according to this degree. The amount and the size of the preliminary braking state may be changed. Here, the worse the state of the driving environment, that is, the worse the visibility, the harder it is to grasp the congestion state of the adjacent lane, or the more blind spots there are, the more difficult it is for pedestrians to grasp the road condition, the greater the degree of congestion state It is assumed that the amount of acceleration limitation is increased as the degree of the congestion state is larger, and the size of the preliminary braking state is set larger.

  Here, as the traveling environment of the host vehicle, at least one of the weather, the brightness of the road, and the lane width is detected. The weather is determined by, for example, a raindrop sensor value provided by a raindrop sensor or the like provided on the vehicle body. When this raindrop sensor value is “0”, it is determined that the weather is clear and the congestion state degree Cf is set to “0”. As the value increases, the amount of raindrops increases, and it is determined that the environment is poor in visibility, and the congestion state degree Cf is set larger. However, Cf ≦ 1.

  Further, the brightness of the road is determined by the light ON / OFF signal. When the light is on, it is determined that the road is dark and the environment is poor in visibility, and the degree of congestion is Cf = 1. Sometimes it is determined that the road is bright, and the degree of congestion Cf = 0. Further, the lane width LL is detected by the camera controller 16, and when the lane width LL is a value that makes it difficult to pass the oncoming vehicle (for example, about LL = 5 m), the blind spot is narrow because the road width is narrow. In other words, it is determined that the environment is poor in visibility and it is difficult to grasp the road condition, and the congestion state degree Cf = 1 is set. As the lane width LL becomes wider, the congestion state degree Cf is set smaller.

And according to the congestion state degree Cf set in this way, the limit amount of the acceleration limit and the size of the preliminary braking state are changed.

Thus, when the magnitude of the preliminary braking state is changed according to the congestion state degree, the brake shown in FIG. 15 according to the congestion state degree Cf in step S31 of FIG. 13 in the fifth embodiment described above. The brake preload Pp is calculated with reference to the preload calculation map. The 15, congestion degree Cf the horizontal axis, and taking the brake preload Pp on the vertical axis, brake preload Pp is congestion degree Cf is a relatively small area is set to a fixed minimum brake preload Pp _m Yes.
The brake preload Pp as congestion degree Cf becomes large is set to a large value, congestion degree Cf is a relatively large region is set to a fixed maximum brake preload Pp _M. Here, the maximum value Pp _M is set to the maximum brake pressure at which the occupant does not feel deceleration.

As a result, when it is determined that the adjacent lane is in a congested state and the degree of congested state Cf is large, the brake preload Pp is set to a large value, so that the preliminary braking state of the host vehicle can be set large. The response of the brake can be further improved according to the congestion state of the lane.
When a plurality of driving environments are detected, for example, the final congestion state degree Cf is set by performing a selection high of the respective congestion state degrees Cf based on the respective driving environments, and this final congestion is determined. The control amount may be changed according to the state degree Cf.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, in the congestion state determination process executed by the congestion state determination unit 70, the degree of the congestion state of the adjacent lane is detected based on the vehicle state of the adjacent lane, and the acceleration is accelerated according to this degree. The limit amount and the size of the preliminary braking state may be changed. In this case, for example, as the number of adjacent vehicles Nn detected within a predetermined range on the adjacent lane increases, the congestion state degree Cf is set to be larger.
Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where acceleration / speed limitation or preliminary braking is generated when the adjacent lane is congested has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there is a median or the like. However, when the distance between the host vehicle traveling lane and the adjacent lane is large, acceleration restriction or preliminary braking may not be performed.

It is a schematic structure figure showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the specific example of the controller for tracking control of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the acceleration restriction | limiting determination process performed in the target vehicle speed restriction | limiting part in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the congestion state determination process performed in the congestion state determination part of the controller for tracking control of FIG. It is a figure explaining congestion state judgment in a 1st embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the congestion state determination process performed in the congestion state determination part in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining congestion state judgment in a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the congestion state determination process performed in the congestion state determination part in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining congestion state judgment in a 3rd embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the congestion state determination process performed in the congestion state determination part in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed in the target vehicle speed restriction | limiting part in a reference form. It is a flowchart which shows the acceleration restriction | limiting determination process performed in the target vehicle speed restriction | limiting part in 5th Embodiment. It is a speed limit calculation map. It is a brake preload calculation map.

1FL to 1RR Wheel 2 Engine 3 Automatic transmission 7 Disc brake 8 Braking control device 9 Engine output control device 13 Vehicle speed sensor 14 Front object sensor 15 CCD camera 16 Camera controller 17 Navigation system 18 Control operation switch 19 Information presentation device 20 Follow-up control Controller 50 Vehicle speed control unit 51 Target vehicle speed setting unit 52 Target vehicle speed limiting unit 53 Target drive shaft torque calculation unit 60 Drive shaft torque control unit 70 Congestion state determination unit

Claims (13)

Congestion state detection means for detecting the congestion state of the vehicle in the lane adjacent to the own vehicle lane, and to follow the vehicle while keeping the relative distance between the object in front of the vehicle lane and the own vehicle at the target relative distance. Travel control means for accelerating / decelerating the vehicle, and limiting means for limiting acceleration in the travel control by the travel control means when the congestion state detecting means detects that the adjacent lane is in a congested state. A vehicular travel control device. The limiting means limits the acceleration in the travel control by the travel control means and limits the speed of the host vehicle when the congestion state detection means detects that the adjacent lane is congested. The vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1. When it is detected by the congestion state detection means that the adjacent lane is in a congestion state, it is provided with preliminary braking generation means for driving and controlling the braking device so as to make a preliminary braking state prior to the driver's braking operation. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1 or 2. The vehicle includes a travel environment detection unit that detects a travel environment of the host vehicle, and the limit unit detects the acceleration by the limit unit as the travel environment detected by the travel environment detection unit is determined to be an environment with poor visibility. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1 , wherein the limit amount of the vehicle is increased. The vehicle has a traveling environment detecting means for detecting a traveling environment of the host vehicle, and the preliminary braking generating means increases the preliminary braking so as to determine that the traveling environment detected by the traveling environment detecting means is an environment with poor visibility. 4. The vehicular travel control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the preliminary braking force by the generating means is increased.   The vehicle travel control device according to claim 4, wherein the travel environment detection unit detects at least one of weather, brightness, and lane width as the travel environment.   The congestion state detecting means detects that the adjacent lane is in a congested state when it is determined that the number of vehicles in the predetermined range on the adjacent lane exceeds a predetermined vehicle number threshold. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The congestion state detecting means detects that the adjacent lane is in a congested state when the vehicle on the adjacent lane exceeds a predetermined number of vehicles while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   When the congestion state detecting means determines that the inter-vehicle distance between vehicles on the adjacent lane is below a predetermined inter-vehicle distance threshold while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time, the adjacent lane is in a congested state. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle travel control device is detected.   When the congestion state detecting means determines that the speed of the predetermined vehicle on the adjacent lane is below a predetermined speed threshold while the host vehicle travels for a predetermined time, the adjacent lane is in a congested state. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle travel control device is detected.   11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the driver of the congestion state when the congestion state detection unit detects that the adjacent lane is in a congestion state. The vehicle travel control device according to Item. The driver according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the driver is configured to be able to set whether or not to limit acceleration by the limiting means when the adjacent lane is congested. Vehicle travel control device. The congestion state detecting means detects that an adjacent lane is in a congested state when it is detected that a vehicle within a predetermined range ahead of the host vehicle on the adjacent lane is stopped or hardly moving. The vehicle travel control device according to any one of 1 to 12.

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