JP5311794B2 - Collision damage reduction braking control system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to advanced safety vehicle (ASV) technology, and more particularly to a front obstacle collision damage reduction braking control device.

A forward obstacle collision damage reduction braking control device (abbreviated as a collision damage reduction braking control device) monitors the situation in front of the vehicle, and in an emergency such as a sudden approach to a front obstacle such as a preceding vehicle. This is an ASV technology aimed at reducing collision damage by executing braking assistance. Specifically, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when radar measures the distance and relative speed with a front obstacle such as a preceding vehicle, and it is determined that a sudden approach is detected and a collision cannot be avoided The brake is to be activated.
JP 2007-137116 A JP 2007-216737 A

  When a sudden approach of an obstacle is detected by the radar and the collision damage reduction braking control device is activated, the collision damage reduction braking control device first applies weak braking as an alarm brake to alert the driver ( Some alarms are issued at the same time). If a sudden approach is not avoided even when a weak brake is applied, a forced movement, that is, a sudden (strong) brake is applied to reduce the collision damage. When performing the collision damage alleviating braking, the brake lamp is turned on to notify the following vehicle of the braking.

  In such collision damage mitigation braking, it is not preferable to start weak braking at a very early time before the point at which a collision is considered to occur. The control device is normally set to start weak braking about 2 seconds before the collision. If the start of braking by the collision damage reduction braking control device is 2 seconds before the collision, it will take about 2 seconds from the start of the lighting of the brake lamp to the collision. There must be.

  The present invention focuses on this point, and proposes a collision damage alleviating braking control apparatus that can further reduce the possibility of secondary damage involving a subsequent vehicle.

The collision damage alleviating braking control device according to the present invention calculates a collision time based on obstacle information obtained from the radar when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle by the radar, and the first before the collision time. Brake lamp preliminary lighting control is started at this time, automatic braking is started at a second time closer to the collision time than the first time, and the brake lamp is lighted.

  According to the collision damage alleviating braking control device of the present invention, preliminary lighting control (for example, blinking) of the brake lamp is executed in a predetermined period before starting the braking with lighting of the brake lamp as described above. The preliminary lighting control period is a time when braking is not yet started. Therefore, the preliminary lighting control at this time is a signal for informing the subsequent vehicle that braking will be started. As a result, the following vehicle can take the secondary damage avoiding operation earlier.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration example of a collision damage reduction braking control apparatus according to the present invention.

  The collision damage alleviating braking control device of this embodiment includes a radar 1 and an ECU (electronic control unit) 2 connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network). The radar 1 is a radio wave radar, and can emit millimeter wave radio waves forward and output obstacle information such as a distance, direction, and relative speed with respect to a front obstacle such as a preceding vehicle. The ECU 2 monitors the situation in front of the vehicle based on the obstacle information from the radar 1 and executes CAN control with the engine ECU 3 and the brake ECU 4 to execute braking control such as engine torque control and wheel brake control.

  A control example executed by the ECU 2 which is the control means of the collision damage reducing brake control apparatus is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  As an example, when the vehicle speed information obtained from the engine ECU 3 exceeds 30 km / h, the ECU 2 starts monitoring whether or not a front obstacle such as a preceding vehicle is detected by the radar 1 and an obstacle is detected. Obstacle information such as the inter-vehicle distance, relative speed, and direction from the vehicle is acquired from the radar 1 (step S1). Then, the ECU 2 calculates the collision time based on the obstacle information acquired from the radar 1 (step S2).

  Subsequently, the ECU 2 determines whether or not the calculated collision timing, that is, the time until the collision, satisfies the preliminary lighting control start condition (step S3). As a result, while the preliminary lighting control condition is not met, the process is repeated from step S1, while when the preliminary lighting control condition is met, that is, when it is determined that the first time before the collision time has been reached, the preliminary lighting in this example is performed. Brake lamp blinking control, which is lighting control, is started (step S4). At this time, braking is not yet executed.

  The preliminary lighting control condition at this time, that is, the first timing for starting the preliminary lighting control before the collision time is set when the calculated collision time is, for example, 1.9 to 3.0 seconds after the current time. be able to. Of course, this time can be appropriately set according to the size of the vehicle, such as a longer time.

  Next, the ECU 2 determines whether or not the calculated collision timing corresponds to a weak braking condition (step S5). That is, it is determined whether or not the second time for starting braking before the collision time is reached. This weak braking condition can be set when the calculated collision timing is, for example, 1.6 to 2.3 seconds after the present time, and has priority over the preliminary lighting control condition. As a result of this determination, the process is repeated from step S1 unless the weak braking condition is satisfied. Weak braking is applied as a brake (step S7). When the weak braking control is started, the brake lamp is turned on (step S8).

  Next, the ECU 2 determines whether or not the calculated collision timing corresponds to the forced motion condition (step S9). If the forced motion condition is satisfied, control is performed to reduce collision damage by applying a sudden (strong) brake (step S10). This forced motion condition can be set when the calculated collision time is, for example, 0.8 to 1.5 seconds after the present time. If the compulsory moving condition is not satisfied, the process is repeated from step S1.

  By executing the above control, the brake lamp 5 of the vehicle operates as shown in FIG. 3 before the collision. That is, the preliminary lighting control of the brake lamp is executed at the time of non-braking before starting the weak braking, for example, the brake lamp blinks. Since this preliminary lighting control period is an unbraking period, it is a signal to inform the following vehicle that braking will start. At the time of weak braking and forcible movement after the start of braking, the brake lamp is lit to notify the following vehicle that the brake is applied.

The block diagram which showed the structural example of the collision damage reduction brake control apparatus which concerns on this invention. The flowchart which showed an example of the control performed with the collision damage reduction brake control apparatus which concerns on this invention. The time chart explaining lighting control of a brake lamp.

Explanation of symbols

1 Radar 2 ECU (control means)
3 Engine ECU
4 Brake ECU
5 Brake lamp

Claims (2)

When an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle by the radar, the collision time is calculated based on the obstacle information obtained from the radar,
Brake lamp preliminary lighting control is started in the first period before the collision period,
A collision damage alleviating braking control device, wherein automatic braking is started at a second time closer to the collision time than the first time and a brake lamp is turned on.
  2. The collision damage alleviating braking control device according to claim 1, wherein the brake lamp blinks in the preliminary lighting control of the brake lamp.

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