JP4835291B2 - Vehicle travel control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular travel control apparatus, and more particularly to a vehicular travel control apparatus suitable for executing lane keeping control for causing a host vehicle to travel along a travel lane.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus that performs lane keeping control for causing a host vehicle to travel along a traveling lane is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this device, a traveling lane ahead of the host vehicle is detected, and vehicle steering is automatically controlled so that the host vehicle travels following the traveling lane. It is also determined whether or not the driver looks aside without turning his face or line of sight toward the front of the vehicle. When it is determined that the driver has looked aside during the execution of the lane keeping control, the lane keeping control is stopped.
JP 2002-367095 A

  However, if the lane keeping control is stopped when the driver looks aside as described above, the driver needs to perform a driving operation to drive the vehicle along the traveling lane. There is a risk that the vehicle may deviate from the driving lane when the lookout continues. Therefore, in order to prevent lane departure, it is appropriate to continue the lane keeping control even if the driver looks aside. This also applies to a case where the driver looks aside in a situation where the lane keeping control is not executed due to the switch-off even though the lane keeping control execution function is provided.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular travel control device that can ensure safe travel of a vehicle even when a driver is looking aside.

The above-mentioned purpose is a normal-time control execution means for executing lane keeping control for causing the host vehicle to travel along the traveling lane when the predetermined switch operated by the vehicle driver is in an ON state permitting control execution . In a situation where the vehicle driver is in the side-by-side state determination unit for determining whether the vehicle driver is in the side-by-side state and the predetermined switch is in an off state in which control execution is not permitted, the vehicle driver is in the side-by-side state by the side-by-side state determination unit. When the vehicle is determined to be, the vehicle travel control device includes a side-by-side control execution unit that executes the lane keeping control.

  In the invention of this aspect, it is determined whether or not the vehicle driver is in a look-aside state. Then, when the vehicle driver is in a side-by-side state, execution of lane keeping control for allowing the host vehicle to travel along the traveling lane is permitted. Therefore, since the lane keeping control can be executed even when the vehicle driver looks aside, safe driving of the vehicle can be ensured even when the driver looks aside.

Further, according to this configuration, even if the predetermined switch is not turned on by the vehicle driver, the lane keeping control can be executed when the vehicle driver looks aside.

In this case, the act of looking aside when control execution means, in the context running the lane keeping control, when the vehicle driver by the inattentive state determining means is determined not to inattentive state, execution of the lane keeping control If the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to prevent the lane keeping control, which has been started due to the driver's side aside, from continuing until after the side aside .
In the vehicle travel control apparatus described above, the deceleration control execution means for executing the deceleration control for decelerating the host vehicle at a predetermined deceleration when the driver is determined to be in the looking-aside state by the looking-ahead state determining means. It is good also as providing.
In this case, the deceleration control execution means stops execution of the deceleration control when the vehicle driver is determined not to be in the looking-aside state in the situation where the deceleration control is being executed. It is good as well.

Further, in the vehicle travel control device described above, a curved road determining means for determining whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on a curved road or a curved road, and the curved road determining means allows the own vehicle to be in front of the curved road or on the curved road. in the context in which it is determined that the traveling, the time interval for the presence or absence discrimination inattentive driver of the vehicle by the side viewed state determining means, from the situation in which the vehicle is determined not to travel a curved road before or curved road If the determination time interval changing means is also provided , the processing corresponding to the presence or absence of the driver of the vehicle driver on the curved road can be quickly performed, and the safety of the vehicle traveling can be improved.

  According to the present invention, safe driving of the vehicle can be ensured even when the driver looks aside.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a system configuration diagram of a vehicular travel control apparatus 10 mounted on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle travel control apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a system that can execute control (hereinafter referred to as lane keeping control) for causing the host vehicle to travel along the travel lane near the center of the travel lane.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a lane keeping control ECU) 12 that is configured mainly by a computer and that executes lane keeping control. The lane keeping control ECU 12 is connected to a main switch 14 disposed around the steering wheel and operable by a vehicle driver. The main switch 14 is a switch for starting and ending the above lane keeping control. The lane keeping control ECU 12 determines whether the lane keeping control should be turned on or off based on the state of the main switch 14.

  The lane keeping control ECU 12 is connected to a face orientation ECU 16 that processes an image captured by a face orientation camera described later. A face orientation camera 18 is connected to the face orientation ECU 16. The face-facing camera 18 is disposed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column cover or in a combination meter, and is provided for photographing the face of the vehicle driver sitting on the vehicle seat. The face-facing camera 18 is directed in a direction facing the vehicle traveling direction and in a direction in which the head of the vehicle driver is present, and can photograph the face of the vehicle driver almost from the front. For night photography, a lamp that projects infrared rays toward the face of the vehicle driver may be provided.

  The video signal of the face orientation camera 18 is supplied to the face orientation ECU 16. The face orientation ECU 16 performs binarization processing and feature point extraction processing on the video signal supplied from the face orientation camera 18 to extract an image showing the driver's face, and the driver's face is extracted from the extracted image. The width and the face center line are detected, and the left-right distance ratio of the face shown in the image is calculated from these parameters, and the angle at which the driver's face faces the vehicle front direction from the left-right distance ratio (hereinafter referred to as face orientation) This is referred to as an angle θ, and the left side and the right side thereof are distinguished by − and + when the vehicle front direction is 0 °. Information on the face direction angle θ of the vehicle driver detected by the face direction ECU 16 is supplied to the lane keeping control ECU 12. The lane keeping control ECU 12 detects a face orientation angle θ at which the vehicle driver turns his / her face based on an output signal from the face orientation ECU 16.

  The lane keeping control ECU 12 is connected to a white line detection ECU 20 that processes an image captured by a white line recognition camera described later. A white line recognition camera 22 is connected to the white line detection ECU 20. The white line recognition camera 22 is disposed on a bumper at the front of the vehicle body of the host vehicle, a stay of a vehicle interior mirror, or the like, and photographs a traveling lane such as a white line or a yellow line drawn on the road surface in front of the host vehicle. Is provided. The white line recognition camera 22 can photograph the road surface in front of the host vehicle over a predetermined length.

  The video signal of the white line recognition camera 22 is supplied to the white line recognition ECU 20. The white line recognition ECU 20 performs a binarization process and a feature point extraction process on the video signal supplied from the white line recognition camera 22, so that a lane extending forward of the vehicle such as a white line drawn on the road surface from the image signal. Extract borders on both sides. And while detecting the shape and width of the driving lane of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, the position relative to the host vehicle, the distance between the boundary lines on both sides of the lane and the position of the virtual lane is recognized, The lateral displacement of the host vehicle in the lane width direction from the lane center position is detected. Information on the lateral displacement of the host vehicle with respect to the traveling lane detected by the white line recognition ECU 20 is supplied to the lane keeping control ECU 12. The lane keeping control ECU 12 detects the lateral displacement of the host vehicle with respect to the traveling lane based on the signal supplied from the white line recognition ECU 20.

  A navigation ECU 26 is connected to the lane keeping control ECU 12 via a communication line 24. The navigation ECU 26 incorporates a GPS receiver and a gyro sensor. The GPS receiver receives and demodulates a GPS signal composed of an orbit signal sent from a GPS satellite and a signal indicating the signal transmission time, and calculates the position and current time of the host vehicle. The navigation ECU 26 detects the current position (latitude and longitude) of the host vehicle based on the calculation result of the GPS receiver and grasps the current time. The gyro sensor outputs a signal corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The navigation ECU 26 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle based on the output signal of the gyro sensor. Information detected by the navigation ECU 26 is supplied to the lane keeping control ECU 12 through the communication line 24. The lane keeping control ECU 12 detects the position of the host vehicle based on information from the navigation ECU 26.

  The navigation ECU 26 is connected to a map database made of a recording medium such as an HDD or a DVD. In this map database, as map data, position information for each road link, whether the road link is a straight road having a predetermined distance or more, a curved road having a predetermined curvature or more, or a general road such as a national road or a prefectural road Or road type data such as whether it is a motorway or an expressway such as Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway. The navigation ECU 26 refers to the map data stored in the map database based on the detection signal from the GPS receiver, the gyro sensor, etc., and performs map matching regarding the current position of the vehicle on the road, and If necessary, a mark indicating the vehicle position is displayed superimposed on a road map displayed on a display that is visible to the driver.

  The lane keeping control ECU 12 is further connected to a steering ECU 30 that controls vehicle steering, a body ECU 32 that controls warning sound and warning display, and a brake ECU 33 that controls wheel braking. The lane keeping control ECU 12, the steering ECU 30, the body ECU 32, the brake ECU 33, and the navigation ECU 26 can exchange information with each other through the communication line 24.

  A steering actuator 34 is connected to the steering ECU 30. The steering actuator 34 is an electric motor connected via a speed reducer to a steering shaft that is connected to a steering wheel operated by a driver. The steering ECU 30 calculates a steering torque for assisting the steering operation by the driver based on an output signal of a steering angle sensor or a torque sensor disposed on the steering shaft during normal driving, and the steering torque is generated. A drive command is issued to the steering actuator 34. During lane keeping control, a drive command is issued to the steering actuator 34 so that a minimum steering torque is generated in the host vehicle in accordance with a torque generation command supplied from the lane keeping control ECU 12 as will be described later. The steering actuator 34 generates a steering torque in accordance with a drive command from the steering ECU 30.

  The body ECU 32 is connected to a speaker 36 that emits a warning sound and a display 38 that displays a warning. The speaker 36 is provided in the vehicle interior and alerts the vehicle driver through hearing by performing voice guidance, buzzer sounding, and the like according to a drive command from the body ECU 32. Further, the display 38 constitutes, for example, a meter unit provided on an instrument panel in the passenger compartment, and alerts the vehicle driver visually through a warning display such as lamp lighting in accordance with a drive command from the body ECU 32. Do.

  Further, a brake actuator 40 that applies braking force to the wheels is connected to the brake ECU 33. The brake actuator 40 applies an appropriate braking force to the wheels by being driven according to a drive command from the brake ECU 33.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed by the lane keeping control ECU 12 in the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. The control routine shown in FIG. 2 is repeatedly executed every predetermined time.

  In this embodiment, the lane keeping control ECU 12 first permits the main switch 14 to execute control by an operation by the vehicle driver in a situation where the own vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed (for example, 50 km / h) every predetermined time. Based on whether or not the vehicle is in a state (on state), it is determined whether or not execution of the lane keeping control is permitted by a driver's switch operation (step 100). As a result of the determination, if the execution of the lane keeping control is permitted by the driver's switch operation, then the lane keeping control is executed as usual, or the execution is continued when the execution has already started. (Step 102).

  When the lane keeping control is started, the lane keeping control ECU 12 should detect the lateral position of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane by performing white line recognition on the white line recognition ECU 20 using the image captured by the white line recognition camera 22. Is commanded. Upon receiving such a command, the white line recognition ECU 20 processes the image based on the video signal supplied from the white line recognition camera 22 and extracts a white line that is a boundary line on both sides of the traveling lane on which the host vehicle travels. Detects the shape and width of the driving lane on the road on which the vehicle travels, and the position of the vehicle, and recognizes the position of the imaginary lane center from the distance between the boundary lines on both sides of the lane and the position of the lane. The lateral displacement of the host vehicle in the lane width direction from the position is detected. In this detection, a travel line of the host vehicle estimated based on the vehicle state such as the host vehicle speed, the yaw rate, and the steering angle may be taken into consideration. Then, the white line recognition ECU 20 supplies information on the lateral displacement of the host vehicle with respect to the detected travel lane to the lane keeping control ECU 12.

  The lane keeping control ECU 12 detects a lateral displacement from the lane center position of the host vehicle with respect to the traveling lane based on information supplied from the white line recognition ECU 20 after the start of the lane keeping control. When it is determined that the detected lateral displacement of the host vehicle from the center position of the lane tends to increase, a torque generation command including information indicating the steering direction for directing the host vehicle toward the center of the lane is issued to the steering ECU 30. In addition, a warning command is issued to the body ECU 32 indicating that the host vehicle may deviate from the lane.

  When the steering ECU 30 receives a torque generation command from the lane keeping control ECU 12, the steering ECU 30 applies a minimum steering torque that allows the driver to experience the steering direction toward the center of the lane for a predetermined time. A drive command is issued to 34. In this case, since the steering actuator 34 generates a minimum steering torque for a predetermined time in accordance with a drive command from the steering ECU 30, the minimum steering torque is applied to the vehicle for a predetermined time.

  In addition, when the body ECU 32 receives an alarm command from the lane keeping control ECU 12, the body ECU 32 issues a drive command to the speaker 36 so as to perform voice guidance and buzzer sound to notify the lane departure, and a lamp lighting to notify the lane departure and the like. A drive command is issued to the display 38 so that the warning display is performed. In this case, according to the drive command from the body ECU 32, the speaker 36 alerts the vehicle driver through hearing, and the display 38 visually alerts the vehicle driver.

  According to such lane keeping control processing, the vehicle driver can be made to feel the steering torque in the steering direction in which the vehicle is directed toward the center of the lane through the steering wheel, and can be informed of the possibility of lane departure through sound and display. . In this case, the vehicle driver returns the vehicle that is likely to depart from the travel lane to the vicinity of the center of the travel lane and travels along the travel lane by performing an appropriate steering operation in response to the alert. Is possible. Therefore, according to the lane keeping control of the present embodiment, it is possible to assist the driver's steering operation so that traveling along the traveling lane near the center of the traveling lane of the host vehicle is easily performed. Thus, it is possible to suppress deviation of the host vehicle from the traveling lane.

  Further, as a result of the determination in step 100, if the lane keeping control ECU 12 is not permitted to perform the lane keeping control by the driver's switch operation due to the main switch 14 being turned off, the lane keeping control ECU 12 then Requesting transmission of information on the vehicle driver's face orientation angle θ based on the camera-captured image, and setting the vehicle driver's face-direction angle θ based on the camera captured image supplied from the face orientation ECU 16 to a predetermined threshold By comparing with the value θ0, it is determined whether or not the driver is in a non-look-a-side state with the face facing the front of the vehicle (step 104).

  The threshold value θ0 described above is a boundary value of the face orientation angle for determining whether or not the driver is looking aside without turning his / her face or line of sight toward the front of the vehicle, and is obtained experimentally in advance. The obtained value (for example, ± 15 °) is stored in the storage device of the lane keeping control ECU 12 in advance. In addition, the driver determines that the driver is looking aside when the face orientation angle θ is outside the range of the threshold value θ0 after the continuation time reaches a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 seconds). The duration of the state in which the orientation angle θ is within the threshold value θ0 reaches the predetermined time. Similarly, it is determined that the driver is not looking aside after the duration time of the face orientation angle θ within the range of the threshold value θ0 reaches a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 seconds) The duration of the state where the face orientation angle θ is outside the threshold value θ0 reaches a predetermined time.

  If the result of determination in step 104 is that the driver is looking aside without turning his / her face toward the front of the vehicle, then the lane keeping control mode is forcibly turned on and the execution of the lane keeping control is permitted. Then, the lane keeping control is executed (step 102). When the lane keeping control is started, as described above, the lane keeping control ECU 12 detects the lateral displacement of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane based on the information supplied from the white line recognition ECU 20, and the detected own vehicle When it is determined that the lateral displacement of the vehicle in the lane tends to move away from the lane center position, a torque generation command including information indicating the steering direction for directing the host vehicle toward the lane center is given to the steering ECU 30 and the body ECU 32 is given. The vehicle issues a warning command indicating that the vehicle may deviate from the lane.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step 104 is that the driver is not looking aside with his face facing the front of the vehicle, if the lane keeping control is permitted to be executed, the execution permission is canceled and the lane is The execution of the maintenance control is stopped, and when the execution is not permitted, the execution prohibition is continued (step 106).

  Thus, in the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, when the main switch 14 is turned on by the operation of the vehicle driver, the lane keeping control is permitted to be executed as usual and the lane keeping control is performed. The control can be executed, and further, when the driver is looking aside even when the main switch 14 is not turned on by the operation of the vehicle driver, the execution of the lane keeping control is permitted. The lane keeping control can be executed. That is, not only when the main switch 14 is turned on by the vehicle driver (normally) but also when the driver keeps aside in the situation where the main switch 14 is maintained in the off state. This can also be realized when performing (when looking aside).

  In this regard, according to the vehicle travel control device 10 of the present embodiment, the lane keeping is not performed on the main switch 14 even if an operation for permitting the vehicle driver to execute the lane keeping control is not performed. Even if the execution of the maintenance control is not permitted, when the driver looks aside, the execution of the lane maintenance control can be forcibly permitted to be executed. For this reason, since it is possible to make the host vehicle travel along the traveling lane when looking aside, safe driving of the host vehicle can be ensured even when the driver looks aside. In addition, it is possible to avoid that the lane keeping control is not executed at all when the driver looks aside while the lane keeping control execution function is provided in the host vehicle, and the possibility of lane departure is increased. It becomes possible to improve the safety of.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the lane keeping control is forcibly permitted due to the driver's side look as described above, the driver's side look is canceled and the driver turns to the front of the vehicle. At that time, the execution permission of the lane keeping control is canceled and the execution is canceled. If the driver turns in the front direction of the vehicle, there is little need to continue the lane keeping control that is not based on the driver's intention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lane keeping control that has been forcibly started due to the driver's side look from continuing until after the non-aside look. Execution can be performed within a range that respects the driver's intention as much as possible while ensuring safe driving.

  In the first embodiment described above, the lane keeping control ECU 12 executes the processing of step 104 in the routine shown in FIG. By permitting the execution of the lane keeping control by the negative determination in the above, the “side look permission means” described in the scope of the claims makes the scope of the claim by permitting the execution of the lane keeping control by turning on the main switch 14. The described "normal time permission means" executes the processing of step 102 or 106 after the processing of step 104, so that the "aside look control means" described in the claims is permitted to be executed by an affirmative determination in step 104 The "permission release means" described in the claims by releasing the execution permission of the lane keeping control that has been performed, They are respectively realized.

  In the first embodiment described above, when the main switch 14 is turned on, the lane keeping control is executed regardless of whether the vehicle driver looks aside, and the vehicle is operated in a state where the main switch 14 is not turned on. When the driver looks aside, only the lane keeping control is executed as when the main switch 14 is turned on.

  On the other hand, in the second embodiment of the present invention, when the main switch 14 is turned on, different control is executed depending on whether the driver is looking aside, and the main switch 14 is turned on. When the vehicle driver looks aside in a situation where the vehicle is not running, the deceleration control described later is executed together with the lane keeping control. The vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is realized by causing the lane keeping control ECU 12 to execute a routine shown in FIG. 3 instead of the routine shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed by the lane keeping control ECU 12 in the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given to the steps for executing the same processing as the routine shown in FIG. 2, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified.

  That is, as a result of the determination in step 100, if the lane keeping control ECU 12 is permitted to execute the lane keeping control by the driver's switch operation by turning on the main switch 14, the lane keeping control ECU 12 then moves the camera to the face direction ECU 16. The transmission of information on the vehicle driver's face orientation angle θ based on the captured image is requested, and the vehicle driver's face orientation angle θ based on the camera captured image supplied from the face orientation ECU 16 is determined in advance. By comparing with the threshold value θ0, it is determined whether or not the driver is in a state of looking aside with the face facing the front of the vehicle (step 200).

  As a result of the determination, if the driver is not looking aside with the face facing the front of the vehicle, then the lane keeping control is executed as usual, or the execution is already started when the driver has already started. Continue (step 102). On the other hand, when the driver is looking aside without turning his / her face to the front of the vehicle, next, the lane keeping control is executed or, if the execution has already started, the execution is continued and the own vehicle is A command signal is supplied to the brake ECU 33 to execute control for decelerating at a predetermined deceleration (hereinafter referred to as deceleration control) (step 202). This deceleration control is continued until the host vehicle stops as long as the driver is looking aside.

  Further, the lane keeping control ECU 12 makes the driver face in the front direction of the vehicle in a situation where the execution of the lane keeping control is not permitted by the driver's switch operation by turning off the main switch 14 (when a negative determination is made in step 100). Even if it is in a state of looking aside not facing (when a negative determination is made in step 104), the process of step 202 is executed next. On the other hand, when the driver is not looking aside with his face facing the front of the vehicle (when affirmative determination is made in step 104), if the execution of the lane keeping control is permitted, the execution permission is canceled and the lane keeping is maintained. The execution of the control is stopped, and when the execution is not permitted, the execution is prohibited. When the deceleration control that performs the deceleration at the predetermined deceleration described above is performed, the deceleration control is performed. Execution is stopped (step 204).

  As described above, also in the vehicle travel control apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the main switch 14 is turned on by the operation of the vehicle driver, the lane is maintained as usual. The lane keeping control can be executed by permitting the execution of the control, and when the driver is looking aside even when the main switch 14 is not turned on by the operation of the vehicle driver. The execution of the lane keeping control is permitted and the lane keeping control can be executed. In this regard, even if the vehicle driver does not perform an operation for permitting the execution of the lane keeping control with respect to the main switch 14, that is, even if the driver's intention does not permit the execution of the lane keeping control, the driver When looking aside, it is possible to forcibly permit the execution of the lane keeping control and to carry out the execution, so that the same effect as that of the vehicle travel control device 10 of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. Is possible.

  Further, in the vehicle travel control device 10 of the present embodiment, even if the execution of the lane keeping control is permitted when the driver looks aside as described above, the host vehicle is decelerated at a predetermined deceleration with the execution of the lane keeping control. Deceleration control is executed. If the host vehicle is decelerated, a decrease in the safety of the vehicle traveling when the driver looks aside is suppressed compared to when the vehicle is traveling normally. Therefore, since the host vehicle can be automatically decelerated when the driver looks aside, it is possible to improve the safety of vehicle travel.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the lane keeping control is forcibly permitted due to the driver's side look as described above, the driver's side look is canceled and the driver turns to the front of the vehicle. At that time, the execution permission of the lane keeping control is canceled and the execution is canceled and canceled, and the execution of the deceleration control that has been executed is canceled and canceled. If the driver turns in the front direction of the vehicle, there is little need to continue execution of lane keeping control and deceleration control that are not based on the driver's intention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lane maintenance control or deceleration control that has been forcibly started due to the driver's aside from being continued until after the non-aside, so the lane that has been forcibly started. It is possible to perform the maintenance control and the deceleration control within a range that respects the driver's intention as much as possible while ensuring safe driving.

  In the second embodiment, the lane keeping control ECU 12 executes the process of step 202 or 204 after the process of step 104 in the routine shown in FIG. Means "are realized.

  By the way, in the second embodiment, when the driver looks aside in the situation where the lane keeping control is executed, the deceleration control for decelerating the host vehicle at a predetermined deceleration is executed. The speed may be changed according to the shape of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling.

  That is, the lane keeping control ECU 12 sets the deceleration in the deceleration control to be relatively small when determining that the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is a straight road based on information from the navigation ECU 26, while the host vehicle is traveling. When it is determined that the road is a curved road having a predetermined curvature or more or within a predetermined distance before the curved road, the road is relatively large. According to such a configuration, when the host vehicle travels on a curved road having a predetermined curvature or more or in front of the curved road, the deceleration becomes larger than when traveling on such a road (that is, when traveling on a straight road). Since deceleration control can be executed at the same time, it is possible to make it difficult for the host vehicle to deviate from the host lane on a curved road and to make it difficult to enter an adjacent lane during the deceleration control, thereby improving the safety of vehicle travel. It becomes possible.

  By the way, in the first and second embodiments described above, it is determined that the driver is looking aside because the face orientation angle θ based on the camera captured image has changed from within the range of the threshold value θ0 to outside the range. Later, after the continuation time of the state outside the range reaches a predetermined time, the predetermined time, which is the threshold time, may be changed according to the shape of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. .

  That is, the lane keeping control ECU 12 determines the vehicle driver's face orientation angle θ based on the camera image based on information on the driver's face orientation angle θ based on the video signal of the face orientation camera 18 supplied from the face orientation ECU 16. Is detected (step 150 in FIG. 4), and the absolute value of the face orientation angle θ is compared with a threshold value θ0 (step 152). If | θ | ≦ θ0 is satisfied as a result of the determination, it can be determined that the driver is facing the front of the vehicle, and thus the process is terminated without any further processing, but | θ |> θ0 is satisfied. Since it can be determined that the driver is not facing the front direction of the vehicle, it is next determined based on information from the navigation ECU 26 whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a straight road (step 154). .

  As a result of the determination, when the traveling road is a straight road, the above-mentioned predetermined time is set to T1, and it is determined whether or not the duration t after the start of | θ |> θ0 exceeds T1. (Step 156). On the other hand, when the traveling road is not a straight road but a curved road, the predetermined time is set to T2 (<T1) shorter than T1, and the duration from when | θ |> θ0 begins to hold It is determined whether or not t exceeds T2 (step 158). Then, if it is determined in step 156 that t> T1 is satisfied or it is determined in step 158 that t> T2 is satisfied, it is determined that the driver is looking aside not facing the front direction of the vehicle (step 160). . If such an aside is confirmed, a negative determination is made in the processing of step 104 or 200 described above.

  According to such a configuration, when the vehicle travels on a curved road having a predetermined curvature or more or in front of the curved road, compared to when the vehicle does not travel on the road (that is, when traveling on a straight road), The judgment timing can be advanced. For this reason, it is possible to start lane maintenance control due to the driver's side look on a curved road earlier than usual, making it difficult for the vehicle to deviate from the lane and enter the adjacent lane, Thereby, it is possible to improve the safety of vehicle travel.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, an image captured by the face-facing camera 18 is processed to allow the driver to perform the lane keeping control in a situation where the main switch 14 is not turned on. The time interval for determining whether the driver is looking aside may be changed according to the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

  That is, the lane keeping control ECU 12 determines the time interval for determining whether the driver is looking aside based on the information from the navigation ECU 26 (step 200 shown in FIG. 5). When determining that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a curved road with a predetermined curvature or more or within a predetermined distance before the curved road (at the time of negative determination in step 202) The interval at the time of affirmative determination in step 200 is set to a relatively shorter interval than the normal interval (step 204). Then, the camera-captured image is taken from the face-facing ECU 16 at the set time interval to determine whether the driver is looking aside. According to such a configuration, when the host vehicle runs on a curved road with a predetermined curvature or more or in front of the curved road, whether or not the vehicle driver looks aside compared to when not driving on the road (that is, when driving on a straight road) Therefore, it is possible to promptly start processing corresponding to the above (for example, forced lane keeping control starting processing or deceleration processing when looking aside), thereby improving vehicle safety.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, by detecting the face angle θ that the vehicle driver's face faces the front direction of the vehicle and comparing the face angle θ with the threshold value θ0. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is not limited to this, and the direction of the vehicle driver's eyes, that is, the line of sight itself is detected to determine whether the driver is looking aside. It may be determined.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the lane keeping control can be performed by performing a predetermined operation of the main switch 14, and the driver can look aside even if the predetermined operation is not performed. However, the present invention may be applied to a system that can execute lane keeping control when the driver looks aside.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments, the lateral displacement of the host vehicle from the center position of the lane is large as the content of the lane maintenance control for driving the host vehicle along the driving lane near the center of the driving lane. In this case, a minimum steering torque that allows the driver to experience the vehicle in a steering direction toward the center of the lane is applied for a predetermined period of time. A map defining the relationship between the lateral displacement from the center position and the steering torque to be applied to the steering shaft of the host vehicle is stored, and the lateral displacement according to the lateral displacement from the lane center position It is good also as what gives steering torque which makes zero to zero. The above map shows that the steering torque is zero when the lateral displacement is a value from zero to a predetermined displacement in the left and right steering directions, and when the lateral displacement is a value larger than the predetermined displacement. The steering torque may be set to increase toward the side where the lateral displacement becomes zero as the lateral displacement increases.

  In this case, the inter-vehicle maintaining control ECU 12 calculates a steering torque command value to be applied to the host vehicle with reference to the stored map based on the detected lateral displacement of the host vehicle from the lane center position. By supplying the steering torque command value to the steering ECU 30 via the communication line 24, the steering actuator 34 generates a steering torque that makes the lateral displacement of the host vehicle zero by the drive command from the steering ECU 30. According to the lane keeping control process, when the vehicle is about to depart from the traveling lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle automatically approaches the center of the traveling lane. It is possible to drive the host vehicle along the traveling lane in the vicinity of the center of the traveling lane in which the host vehicle travels without being operated.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle travel control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a flowchart of an example of the control routine performed in the traveling control apparatus for vehicles of a present Example. It is a flowchart of an example of the control routine performed in the vehicle travel control apparatus which is 2nd Example of this invention. In the vehicular travel control apparatus according to the modification of the present invention, the road shape is set to a predetermined time for which the duration of the state where the face angle is outside the threshold value range is determined to determine that the driver is looking aside. 3 is a flowchart of an example of a control routine that is executed so as to vary depending on the operation. 7 is a flowchart of an example of a control routine that is executed in a vehicle travel control device that is a modification of the present invention to vary a time interval for determining whether a driver is looking aside according to a road shape.

Explanation of symbols

10 Vehicle Travel Control Device 12 Lane Maintenance Control ECU
14 Main switch 16 Face facing ECU
18 Face-facing camera 20 White line recognition ECU
22 White line recognition camera 26 Navigation ECU
30 Steering ECU
34 Steering actuator

Claims (5)

Normal time control execution means for executing lane keeping control for causing the host vehicle to travel along the travel lane when the predetermined switch operated by the vehicle driver is in an ON state permitting control execution ;
Looking aside state determining means for determining whether the vehicle driver is in a looking aside state;
In situations where the off-state in which the predetermined switch does not allow the control execution, if the vehicle driver by the inattentive state determining means is determined to be in the inattentive state, and inattentive when control execution means for executing the lane keeping control ,
A vehicle travel control device comprising: The inattentive when control execution means, in the context running the lane keeping control, the vehicle driver by the inattentive state determination means when it is judged not in the inattentive state, stops the execution of the lane keeping control The vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1 .   2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a deceleration control execution unit that executes a deceleration control for decelerating the host vehicle at a predetermined deceleration when the vehicle driver determines that the vehicle driver is in the sideways state. 3. The vehicle travel control device according to 2.   The deceleration control execution means stops execution of the deceleration control when the vehicle driver is determined not to be in the looking-aside state by the looking-aside state determining means in a situation where the deceleration control is being executed. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 3. A curved road determination unit that the vehicle is determined whether or not traveling on a curved road before or curved road,
In situations where the vehicle is determined to be traveling on a curved road before or curved road by the curved road determination unit, the time interval for the presence or absence discrimination inattentive driver of the vehicle by the side viewed state discriminating means, the vehicle is A determination time interval changing means for making the time shorter than a situation where it is determined that the vehicle does not travel on the curve road or before the curve road ;
The vehicle travel control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

Images