JP4586644B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle so that the safety of an occupant can be ensured when a vehicle collision is predicted.

  Conventionally, as shown in the following Patent Document 1, when it is predicted by the collision prediction control means that the own vehicle will collide with an obstacle, the pretensioner device is operated to drive the seat belt to wind up. A seat belt apparatus is known in which the winding tension of the seat belt is changed in accordance with the collision prediction level by the collision prediction control means.

Further, as shown in Patent Document 2 below, when it is detected that the host vehicle is in a collision state according to a detection signal of a G sensor that two-dimensionally detects acceleration applied to the vehicle, the airbag is In addition to the deployment, the brake device is automatically operated to apply a braking force to prevent a secondary collision of the vehicle.
JP 2003-182519 A JP-A-6-234342

  As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when it is predicted by the collision prediction control means that the own vehicle will collide with an obstacle, the pretensioner device is operated and the seat belt is wound up. By setting the seat belt take-up tension to a weak value, the driver can appropriately restrain the occupant and protect the occupant from the impact at the time of collision while enabling the collision avoidance operation. .

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, since the brake device of the host vehicle is automatically operated when a collision accident occurs, the host vehicle moves forward due to an impact load that acts when a rear-end collision occurs. It is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a secondary collision caused by being pushed by the. In particular, when the occurrence of a vehicle collision is predicted, if the seat belt is wound up and the brake device is operated as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an occupant can be effectively prevented when the vehicle collides. It is possible to protect.

  However, when the forward object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, when the collision prediction control is executed in the same manner as other obstacles, both the oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle perform a collision evacuation operation. Despite the high possibility of avoiding a collision, the seat belt is wound and the occupant is restrained, and a braking force is applied to the vehicle so that the traveling speed is reduced. There is a problem that the passengers feel a strong sense of incongruity.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can effectively protect an occupant when a collision accident occurs while preventing the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to execution of the collision prediction control. It aims to provide a control device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the forward object detection means for detecting the distance and relative speed between the forward object existing in front of the host vehicle and the host vehicle is in either the left or right direction from the center position in the vehicle width direction of the front of the vehicle body. The front object detection range is set so as to expand in a fan shape from the installation position of the front object detection means toward the front side of the vehicle body, and the detection result of the front object detection means Based on this, when it is predicted that the front object will collide with the host vehicle, a warning will be given to the occupant before the predicted collision time and the occupant will be protected from the impact acting at the time of the collision. A collision prediction control means for executing control, an oncoming vehicle detection means for detecting whether or not a forward object subject to collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, and the forward object is an oncoming vehicle. When it is certified, and a predictive control limiting means for limiting the operation of the collision prediction control means to perform only the warning to the occupant of the collision prediction control, on the side opposite to the offset direction of the forward object detecting unit When it is predicted that an oncoming vehicle that has moved out of the detection range will collide with its own vehicle, the operation of the collision prediction control unit is limited by the prediction control limiting unit, and the forward object detection unit is set in the offset direction. When it is predicted that an oncoming vehicle that has moved out of the detection range is to collide with the host vehicle, the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means by the prediction control restriction means is prohibited .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first aspect, when it is confirmed that an oncoming vehicle that may collide is heading into the traveling path of the host vehicle, the predictive control restriction is provided. The operation restriction of the collision prediction control means by means is prohibited.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when it is confirmed by the oncoming vehicle detection means that the front object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, the collision is avoided according to the collision avoidance operation of the oncoming vehicle. Therefore, the control of the collision prediction control means is restricted so that only the warning is given to the occupant by the prediction control restriction means, and other control for protecting the occupant, for example, the control for winding the seat belt and the predetermined By prohibiting the execution of the control for intermittently applying the braking force, it is possible to effectively prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to excessive control of the collision prediction control means.
In addition, the forward object located on the offset side of the forward object detection means moves from the detection range of the forward object detection means to a narrow blind spot area outside the detection range and collides with the host vehicle based on the traveling direction. If it is estimated that there is a high possibility that a forward object will collide with the host vehicle, the operation restriction of the collision predictive control means by the predictive control restricting means is prohibited, and the time when the collision is predicted to occur is predicted. In addition, a warning is given to the occupant before and control for protecting the occupant from the impact acting at the time of the collision is executed, so that the occupant can be effectively protected from the impact caused by the collision of the front object with the own vehicle. Furthermore, the forward object located on the opposite side of the offset direction of the forward object detection means moves from within the detection range of the forward object detection means to a wide blind spot area outside the detection range, and on the vehicle based on the traveling direction. When it is estimated that the vehicle is in a collision state, it is easy to make a misprediction of the collision prediction. However, it is possible to effectively prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to the excessive control of the collision prediction control means by configuring only that the warning is given to the occupant before.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when it is confirmed that the oncoming vehicle subject to the collision prediction is in the traveling path of the own vehicle, the oncoming vehicle may collide with the own vehicle. Because it is high, the operation control of the collision predictive control means by the predictive control restricting means is prohibited, and the control for winding up the seat belt with a predetermined tension or the control for intermittently applying the braking force corresponding to the predetermined deceleration is executed. By doing so, it is possible to effectively protect the occupant from the impact caused by the oncoming vehicle colliding with the host vehicle. In addition, when it is confirmed that the oncoming vehicle subject to the collision prediction is not in the traveling path of the own vehicle, it is unlikely that the oncoming vehicle will collide with the own vehicle. By restricting the operation of the collision predictive control means by the restricting means and only warning the occupant before the collision prediction time when the collision is predicted to occur, the occupant is caused by excessive control of the collision predictive control means. Has the advantage of effectively preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle control apparatus according to the present invention. The vehicle control device includes an automatic speed control means 1 that automatically adjusts the traveling speed of the host vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle, a front object positioned in front of the host vehicle, and the host vehicle. Collision predicting control means 2 for executing a collision predicting control such as operating the brake device 5 in anticipation of a collision state, and a predictive control limiting means for limiting the collision predicting control by the collision predicting control means 2 3 is provided.

  The driving control unit 4 includes a vehicle speed sensor 6 that detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle, a steering angle sensor 7 that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, a yaw rate sensor 8 that detects the yaw rate acting on the vehicle body, and the host vehicle. Forward object detection means 9 for detecting the distance and relative speed between the front object existing in front of the vehicle and the host vehicle, a main switch (ACC main SW) 10 for automatic speed control, a set / coast switch 11, a cancel switch 12, Resume / accelerator switch 13 and target inter-vehicle distance setting switch 14, a collision sensor 15 including a G sensor for detecting that the front object collides with the automobile, and a front object that is predicted to collide with the host vehicle is an oncoming vehicle. The oncoming vehicle detection means 16 for detecting whether or not is connected to each other.

  The front object detection means 9 includes, for example, a transmitter that transmits, for example, millimeter waves, laser waves, or ultrasonic waves as detection radar waves (detection waves) toward the front side of the vehicle body, and a preceding position positioned in front of the host vehicle. A receiver that receives a reflected wave reflected by another vehicle such as a vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, and sequentially measures the time from the time when the detected wave is transmitted until the time when the reflected wave is received. The distance between the vehicle and the relative speed is calculated and detected, and this detection signal is output to the automatic speed control means 1 and the collision prediction control means 2 of the operation control unit 4.

  A collision sensor 15 made up of a G sensor or the like is disposed at the center position in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle body of the host vehicle M, and in either of the left and right directions (in the illustrated example, on the left side of the vehicle body). The transmitter and receiver of the forward object detection means 9 are disposed at the position offset at (). Then, a detection wave is irradiated from the transmitter so as to spread in a fan shape toward the front side of the vehicle body, so that the detection range α of the front object by the front object detection means 9 is set to a fan shape that spreads forward. If the detection range α of the front object is too wide, an unnecessary front object located on the side of the traveling path β is detected, and there is a problem that the collision prediction control unit 2 is likely to malfunction. On the other hand, if the detection range α of the forward object is too narrow, the blind spot at which the forward object cannot be detected tends to be too large. For this reason, the irradiation range of the detection wave is set so that the detection range α of the front object by the front object detection means 9 becomes an appropriate value according to the width dimension in the traveling path β of the host vehicle.

  The oncoming vehicle detection means 16 has a CCD camera or the like that detects image data of the front object by imaging an object located on the front side of the vehicle body, and the front surface of the oncoming vehicle based on the image data of the front object. It is configured to detect whether or not the forward object is an oncoming vehicle, for example, by determining the position of a headlamp provided in the vehicle. It is to be noted whether or not the forward object detected by the forward object detection means 9 is an oncoming vehicle according to the position of the forward object detected based on road data output from a navigation device (not shown), Alternatively, by determining whether the relative speed between the forward object detected by the forward object detection means 9 and the host vehicle is higher than the traveling speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 6, the forward object is opposed. You may comprise so that it may detect whether it is a vehicle.

  When the main switch 10 for automatic speed control is turned ON by the driver, the automatic speed control means 1 is based on the output signals of the vehicle speed sensor 6, the steering angle sensor 7, and the yaw rate sensor 8, and the progress of the own vehicle While predicting the road, it is determined whether or not an appropriate preceding vehicle is present in the traveling path based on the detection result of the forward object detecting means 9 or the like, and an appropriate preceding vehicle is present in the traveling path of the own vehicle. When it is confirmed that the engine exists, a control signal for adjusting the engine speed is output to the throttle valve driving device 19 of the engine, and a control signal for adjusting the braking force is supplied to the brake device 5 of the vehicle. By outputting, the control which adjusts the traveling speed of the own vehicle and makes the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle coincide with the target inter-vehicle distance set by the target inter-vehicle distance setting switch 14 It is configured to perform.

  The automatic speed control set / coast switch 11 is for storing the target vehicle speed in the storage means of the automatic speed control means 1 and is operated in a running state of the vehicle in which the target vehicle speed is not set by the driver. When a person operates the set / coast switch 11, the traveling speed at the time of the operation is set as the target vehicle speed. Further, when the set / coast switch 11 is operated by the driver while the target vehicle speed is already set by the driver, the target vehicle speed is reduced at a constant rate.

The cancel switch 12 has a function of stopping the speed control by the automatic speed control means 1, and when the cancel switch 12 is operated by the driver, the state is shifted to a normal speed control state. The resume / accelerator switch 13 has a function of returning the automatic speed control stopped by the cancel switch 12 and a function of increasing the target vehicle speed. The resume / accelerator switch 13 is in an execution state of the automatic speed control. When 13 is operated by the driver, the target vehicle speed is increased at a constant rate.

  When it is confirmed that there is no suitable preceding vehicle in the traveling path of the own vehicle according to the output signal from the front object detecting means 9 or the like, the set / coast switch 11 or the like is set. The automatic speed control means 1 executes speed control corresponding to the target vehicle speed by outputting to the throttle valve drive device 19 and the brake device 5 a control signal for making the traveling speed of the host vehicle coincide with the target vehicle speed. It has come to be.

  Further, when it is confirmed in the automatic speed control means 1 that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle detected by the forward object detection means 9 and the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold for automatic braking. Activates the throttle valve drive device 19 to close the throttle valve, activates the brake device 5 to apply a predetermined braking force to the host vehicle, and provides a display lamp or vehicle provided on the instrument panel. It is configured to execute control for notifying an occupant that the vehicle is in an automatic braking state by operating an alarm device 20 including an alarm provided in the room.

  Further, in the automatic speed control means 1, the distance between the preceding vehicle detected by the forward object detection means 9 and the host vehicle is larger than the automatic braking threshold in a traveling state where the distance between the vehicles is equal to or greater than the automatic braking threshold. When it is confirmed that the value is equal to or less than a preset alarm threshold, only the control for informing the occupant that the inter-vehicle distance is small by operating the alarm device 20 is executed. .

  The collision prediction control means 2 is based on the fact that the front object and the host vehicle are in a state of collision based on the distance and relative speed between the front object and the host vehicle detected by the front object detecting means 9, that is, Predict that the occurrence of a collision is unavoidable even if the vehicle is braked and operated by a steering wheel, and predicting when the collision will occur, and warning the passenger based on the prediction result At the same time, it has a function of ensuring the safety of the occupant by executing control to protect the occupant from the impact load that acts during a collision.

  Specifically, when it is confirmed that the host vehicle is in an unavoidable state of colliding with the preceding vehicle based on the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, a collision occurs after that. The alarm device 20 is operated before the predicted collision prediction time to notify the occupant that the vehicle is in a collision prediction state, and the seat belt tensioner 21 is operated to set the seat belt at a preset first tension. The collision prediction control means 2 executes the winding control and the control for intermittently applying a predetermined braking force to the vehicle by supplying the hydraulic pressure to the driving means including the wheel cylinder of the brake device 5 and the like. It has become.

  The predictive control restricting means 3 is configured to detect a forward object that is subject to collision prediction in accordance with a detection signal from the oncoming vehicle detecting means 16 when the collision predictive control means 2 predicts that a forward object will collide with the host vehicle. Is detected as an oncoming vehicle, and if it is confirmed that the vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, a control signal for restricting the operation of the seat belt tensioner 21 and the brake device 5 by the collision prediction control means 2 is output. Thus, a predetermined tension is prevented from being applied to the seat belt, and a predetermined braking force is prevented from being applied to the vehicle from the brake device 5. Accordingly, when the forward object is an oncoming vehicle, only the control for operating the alarm device 20 is executed in the collision prediction control means 2.

Control operations by the control means 1 to 3 provided in the operation control unit 4 will be described based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the control operation starts, for example, when the automatic speed control main switch 10 is turned on, etc., after signals from the sensors and switches are input (step S1), the vehicle speed sensor 6, the steering angle sensor 7, and the like. Control for predicting the traveling path of the host vehicle is executed according to the output signal of the yaw rate sensor 8 (step S2), and the preceding vehicle or the like positioned in front of the host vehicle according to the output signal of the front object detecting means 9 Calculation of the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed between the forward object and the own vehicle is performed (step S3).

  Next, there is a preceding vehicle in the traveling path of the host vehicle based on the traveling path of the host vehicle predicted in step S2 and the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle calculated in step S3. It is determined whether or not a forward object is approaching the host vehicle by determining whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle toward the traveling path of the host vehicle (step S4). If NO is determined, it is determined whether or not the set / coast switch 11 has been operated (step S5). If it is determined YES in step S5 and it is confirmed that the set / coast switch 11 has been operated, the traveling speed (current vehicle speed) of the host vehicle at that time is set as the target vehicle speed VT (step S6). ), The process proceeds to the following step S7.

  If it is determined NO in step S5, the deviation (VT−V) between the target vehicle speed VT set in step S6 and the like and the actual vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 6 is set as a preset acceleration. It is determined whether or not it is larger than the reference value α for use (step S7). If it is determined YES and it is confirmed that the actual vehicle speed V is somewhat lower than the target vehicle speed VT, the deviation ( An acceleration target value corresponding to (VT-V) is set (step S8).

  When it is determined NO in step S7 and it is confirmed that the actual vehicle speed V is not so low as compared with the target vehicle speed VT, the deviation (V-VT) between the actual vehicle speed V and the target vehicle speed VT is previously determined. It is determined whether or not it is greater than the set deceleration reference value β (step S9). If it is determined YES and it is confirmed that the actual vehicle speed V is somewhat higher than the target vehicle speed VT, Then, a deceleration target value corresponding to the deviation (V-VT) is set (step S10).

  Next, a control signal for increasing or decreasing the traveling speed of the host vehicle according to the acceleration target value or the deceleration target value set in step S8 or step S10 is sent to the throttle valve driving device 19 or the brake device 5. To the vehicle speed, the vehicle speed (actual vehicle speed V) is adjusted to match the target vehicle speed VT (step S11). If it is determined as NO in step S9 and it is confirmed that the actual vehicle speed V and the target vehicle speed VT are substantially equal, the process proceeds to the following step S21 without executing the speed control, so that the current travel is performed. Maintain speed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined as YES in step S4 and it is confirmed that a forward object such as a preceding vehicle exists in the traveling path of the host vehicle, the preceding vehicle detected by the forward object detecting means 9 or the like. It is determined whether or not the distance between the vehicle and the host vehicle is smaller than a predetermined automatic braking threshold value K1 (step S12). When it is confirmed that the vehicle is in a state, the throttle valve driving device 19 is operated to close the throttle valve, and the brake device 5 is operated when the approaching state of the preceding vehicle or the like is confirmed. As a result, a braking force that is set in advance to a value corresponding to a deceleration of about 0.4 G is automatically applied, and the alarm device 20 is activated to notify that the vehicle is in an automatic braking state. Step S13).

  If it is determined NO in step S12, the automatic braking is performed in a state where the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle detected by the forward object detection means 9 and the own vehicle is equal to or greater than the automatic braking threshold K1. It is determined whether or not the alarm threshold value K2 is set to a value larger than the threshold value K1 in advance (step S14), and it is determined as YES and it is confirmed that the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle are in a state of approaching slightly. If it is, the alarm device 20 is operated to execute control for notifying that the inter-vehicle distance is small (step S15).

  When it is determined NO in step S14 and it is confirmed that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle is equal to or less than the alarm threshold K2, the target inter-vehicle distance set by the target inter-vehicle distance setting switch 14 It is determined whether or not a deviation (LT-L) between the distance LT and the actual inter-vehicle distance L detected by the forward object detection means 9 is larger than a preset acceleration reference value γ (step S16). If it is determined YES and it is confirmed that the actual inter-vehicle distance L is somewhat smaller than the target inter-vehicle distance LT, an acceleration target value corresponding to the deviation (LT-L) is set (step S17). ).

  When it is determined NO in step S15 and it is confirmed that the actual inter-vehicle distance L is not so small compared to the target inter-vehicle distance LT, the deviation between the actual inter-vehicle distance L and the target inter-vehicle distance LT ( It is determined whether or not (L-LT) is greater than a preset deceleration reference value δ (step S18), and it is determined as YES, and the actual inter-vehicle distance L is somewhat larger than the target inter-vehicle distance LT. If it is confirmed, a deceleration target value corresponding to the deviation (L-LT) is set (step S19).

  Thereafter, a control signal for increasing or decreasing the traveling speed of the host vehicle according to the acceleration target value or the deceleration target value set in step S17 or step S19 is sent to the throttle valve driving device 19 or the brake device 5. Is output to the vehicle, the speed control for making the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle coincide with the target inter-vehicle distance is executed (step S20). If NO is determined in step S18 and it is confirmed that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is substantially equal to the target inter-vehicle distance, the process proceeds to the following step S21 without executing the speed control. To maintain the current inter-vehicle distance.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the collision prediction control means 2 predicts that the host vehicle is in an unavoidable state of colliding with a forward object (step S21). It is determined according to the detection signal of the vehicle detection means 16 whether or not the forward object subject to collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle (step S22). If it is determined that the front object determined to be NO in step S22 and subject to collision prediction is not an oncoming vehicle, for example, a preceding vehicle, the seat belt tensioner 21 is operated to activate the seat belt. Is controlled to take up the seat belt with a preset first tension, for example, a tension set so as to eliminate the slack of the seat belt without excessively restraining the occupant (step S23), and avoid collision. After executing the control to intermittently apply the braking force corresponding to the first deceleration set to 0.45G in advance by operating the brake device 5 at the time when it is predicted that the vehicle is not in the state ( In step S24), the alarm device 20 is activated to notify the occupant that the collision is predicted (step S25).

  On the other hand, when it is determined as YES in step S22 and it is confirmed that the front object subject to collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, the above steps S23 and S24 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S25. Thus, only the control for operating the alarm device 20 in the collision prediction control means 2 is executed, and the execution of the seat belt winding control and the braking force application control is limited.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the occurrence of a collision has been detected according to the detection signal of the collision sensor 15 (step S26). If the determination is YES, the seat belt tensioner 21 is activated to preset the seat belt. A control is performed to wind up the seat belt with the second tension that has been set, for example, a tension that is set to the extent that the occupant is held by the occupant's seat with a considerable restraining force (step S27), and the brake device 5 is operated to operate the vehicle By executing the control to increase the braking force applied to, a braking force having a value corresponding to the second deceleration set in advance to about 0.6 G is continuously applied (step S28).

  As described above, the front object detection means 9 for detecting the distance and relative speed between the front object existing ahead of the host vehicle and the host vehicle, and the front object and the host vehicle based on the detection result of the front object detection means 9. Predictive collision control that warns the occupant prior to the time when the collision was predicted to occur, and protects the occupant from the impact acting during the collision. Means 2, an oncoming vehicle detection means 16 for detecting whether or not the forward object subject to collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, and the collision prediction when it is confirmed that the forward object is an oncoming vehicle. Since the predictive control restricting means 3 for restricting the operation of the collision predictive control means 2 is provided so as to perform only the warning to the occupant in the control, the occupant feels uncomfortable due to excessive control of the collision predictive control means 2 While preventing kick of the advantage that can effectively protect the occupant in the event of a collision accident.

  That is, when it is predicted that the host vehicle will collide with a preceding vehicle or the like based on the detection result of the front object detecting means 9, a predetermined time before the predicted collision time when the collision is predicted to occur, For example, when the occurrence of the collision is predicted, the alarm device 20 is activated, and the seat belt is wound with the first tension set to the extent that the slack of the seat belt is eliminated, and the first deceleration is supported. By performing occupant protection control consisting of control that applies braking force intermittently, it is possible to let the occupant sense and prepare for danger, and to reduce collision speed and effectively improve occupant safety Can be improved.

  When the oncoming vehicle detection means 16 confirms that the front object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, the oncoming vehicle performs a steering operation and a braking operation for avoiding the collision. Since it is considered that there is a sufficient possibility that a collision will be avoided, the operation of the collision prediction control unit 2 is limited by the prediction control limiting unit 3, and only the alarm is executed in the collision prediction control. By prohibiting execution of the control for winding up the seat belt with tension and the control for intermittently applying the braking force corresponding to the first deceleration, excessive control by the collision prediction control means 2 is suppressed, and the occupant can There is an advantage that it is possible to effectively prevent a sense of incongruity.

  The operation of the collision prediction control unit 2 is limited so that only the warning is performed in the collision prediction control when it is confirmed that the front object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle. Instead of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, when it is confirmed in step S <b> 22 that the front object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, the front object detecting unit 9 and the oncoming vehicle detecting unit 16 Based on the detected traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle and the traveling path of the host vehicle that has been revealed by the steering angle sensor 7 and the yaw rate sensor, the oncoming vehicle that may collide moves toward the traveling path of the host vehicle. (YES in step S31), if YES is determined, the process proceeds to step S23, and if NO is determined in step S31, the process proceeds to step S25. It may be configured to be.

  According to the above configuration, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the oncoming vehicle N subject to collision prediction is based on the detection data of the traveling direction S1 of the oncoming vehicle N and the traveling path β of the own vehicle M. When it is confirmed that the vehicle is traveling in the traveling path β of M, the oncoming vehicle N is highly likely to collide with the host vehicle M. Therefore, the operation restriction of the collision prediction control unit 2 by the prediction control limitation unit 3 is restricted. Prohibit and control to protect the occupant from the impact that acts at the time of collision, and warns the occupant before the collision prediction time when the collision is predicted to occur in the step S23, that is, the seat with the first tension By executing the control to wind the belt and the control to intermittently apply the braking force corresponding to the first deceleration, the occupant is effectively protected from the impact caused by the oncoming vehicle N colliding with the own vehicle M. To do it can.

  On the other hand, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 6, the oncoming vehicle N targeted for collision prediction is not in the traveling path β of the own vehicle, that is, the traveling direction S2 of the oncoming vehicle N is the own vehicle M. When it is confirmed that the vehicle is in a direction deviating from the course β of the vehicle, since it is unlikely that the oncoming vehicle N will collide with the host vehicle M, the process proceeds to step S25 and the collision prediction control means by the prediction control restriction means 3 2 is executed, and only a warning is given to the occupant before the collision prediction time at which the collision is predicted to occur, thereby prohibiting excessive control of the collision prediction control means 2 and It is possible to effectively prevent a sense of incongruity.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the front object detection means 9 is disposed at a position offset in the left or right direction from the center position in the vehicle width direction of the front part of the vehicle body, and the installation position of the front object detection means. In a vehicle in which the detection range α of the front object is set so as to expand in a fan shape from the vehicle to the front side of the vehicle body, if the front object moves out of the detection range α, the detection data until then The collision detection between the forward object and the host vehicle is performed in the collision prediction control means 2 by estimating the moving position of the forward object based on the detection range, and the detection range located on the opposite side of the offset direction of the forward object detection means 9 When it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle that has moved outside α will collide with the host vehicle, the prediction control limiting means 3 performs the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means 2 and the forward object detection means When it is predicted that an oncoming vehicle that has moved outside the detection range α located in the offset direction of the vehicle will collide with the host vehicle, the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means 2 by the prediction control restriction means 3 is prohibited. Also good.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when it is confirmed in step S <b> 22 that the front object subject to the collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, this oncoming vehicle is detected from within the detection range of the front object detecting means 9. It is determined whether or not it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle that has moved out of the detection range located on the side opposite to the offset direction of the forward object detection means 9 is in a state of colliding with the host vehicle (step S32), and YES is determined. If it is confirmed that the oncoming vehicle has moved to the opposite side of the forward object detection means 9, the process proceeds to step S25, and the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means 2 by the prediction control restriction means 3 is executed. If it is determined NO in step S32 and it is confirmed that the oncoming vehicle has moved to the offset side of the forward object detection means 9, the process proceeds to step S23. And it allows the operation limit of the collision prediction control means 2 by prediction control limiting means 3 may be prohibited.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in a vehicle in which the front object detection means 9 is disposed offset to the left side from the center position of the vehicle body, the vehicle is positioned on the side opposite to the offset direction, that is, on the right side of the host vehicle M. When the oncoming vehicle N1 moves from the detection range α of the forward object detection means 9 to a wide blind spot region γ1 outside the detection range α, and is in a state of colliding with the host vehicle M based on the traveling direction. If it is estimated, the process proceeds to step S25, and the operation restriction of the collision predictive control means 2 by the predictive control restricting means 3 is executed, so that the collision is predicted to occur for the occupant before the predicted collision time. Only warn.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the oncoming vehicle N2 located on the offset side of the forward object detection means 9, that is, on the left side of the host vehicle M, is detected from the detection range α of the forward object detection means 9. When it is estimated that the vehicle moves to the narrow dead angle region γ2 outside α and collides with the host vehicle M on the basis of the traveling direction, the process proceeds to step S23, whereby the predictive control limiting unit 3 Control for prohibiting the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means 2 is performed to give a warning to the occupant before the time when the collision is predicted to occur and to protect the occupant from the impact acting at the time of the collision, that is, the first tension. The control for winding up the seat belt and the control for intermittently applying the braking force corresponding to the first deceleration are executed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the oncoming vehicle N2 located on the offset side of the forward object detection means 9 moves from within the detection range α of the forward object detection means 9 to a narrow blind spot area γ2 outside the detection range α. When it is estimated that the vehicle is colliding with the host vehicle M based on the traveling direction, the possibility that the oncoming vehicle N2 will collide with the host vehicle M is high. 2 is prohibited, the process proceeds to step S23 and a warning is given to the occupant before the collision prediction time when the collision is predicted to occur, and the occupant is protected from the impact acting at the time of the collision. Impact caused by the oncoming vehicle colliding with the host vehicle by executing the control for winding the seat belt with the first tension and the control for intermittently applying the braking force corresponding to the first deceleration. It is possible to protect the Luo occupant effectively.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the oncoming vehicle N1 located on the opposite side to the offset direction of the front object detection means 9 is out of the detection range α from the detection range α of the front object detection means 9. If it is estimated that the vehicle moves to the wide blind area γ1 and collides with the host vehicle M based on the traveling direction, it is considered that the collision prediction is likely to be erroneously determined. By shifting to S25 and performing the operation restriction of the collision predictive control means 2 by the predictive control restriction means 3 and performing a warning only for the occupant before the collision prediction time when the collision is predicted to occur, There is an advantage that it is possible to effectively prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable according to the excessive control of the collision prediction control means 2.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a vehicle control device according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the detection range of a front object detection means. It is a flowchart which shows the first half part of control operation by the said control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the latter half part of the control action by the said control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the latter half part of the control action by the said control apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of the control apparatus of the vehicle which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the latter half part of the control action by the said control apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in which an oncoming vehicle is located in the right side. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in which an oncoming vehicle is located in the left side.

Explanation of symbols

2 Collision prediction control means 3 Prediction control restriction means 5 Brake device 9 Front object detection means 16 Oncoming vehicle detection means 20 Alarm device 21 Seat belt tensioner M Own vehicle N Oncoming vehicle α Detection range of front object

Claims (2)

The forward object detection means for detecting the distance and relative speed between the forward object existing ahead of the host vehicle and the host vehicle is disposed at a position offset in the left or right direction from the center position in the vehicle width direction of the front part of the vehicle body. In addition, a detection range of the front object is set so as to expand in a fan shape from the installation position of the front object detection means toward the front side of the vehicle body. Based on the detection result of the front object detection means, the front object and the vehicle Predictive collision control that warns the occupant prior to the time when the collision was predicted to occur, and protects the occupant from the impact acting during the collision. Means, oncoming vehicle detection means for detecting whether or not the forward object subject to collision prediction is an oncoming vehicle, and when the forward object is confirmed to be an oncoming vehicle, And a predictive control limiting means for limiting the operation of the collision prediction control means to perform only the warning to the occupant of the突予knowledge control, the offset direction of the forward object detecting unit moves out detection range on the opposite side When it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle will collide with the host vehicle, the operation of the collision prediction control unit is restricted by the prediction control restriction unit, and the vehicle moves outside the detection range located in the offset direction of the front object detection unit. When the oncoming vehicle is predicted to collide with the own vehicle , the vehicle control apparatus is configured to prohibit the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means by the prediction control restriction means .   When it is confirmed that an oncoming vehicle that may collide is heading into the traveling path of the host vehicle, the operation restriction of the collision prediction control means by the prediction control restriction means is prohibited. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

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