JP5396755B2 - Inter-vehicle maintenance support device and inter-vehicle maintenance support method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for assisting a vehicle distance to be maintained.

  An apparatus is known that performs acceleration / deceleration control of the host vehicle so as to follow the preceding vehicle while keeping a distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle constant (see Patent Document 1). There is also known a system that performs deceleration control of the host vehicle based on the detected inter-vehicle distance so as to ensure the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. A vehicle equipped with a plurality of systems that perform deceleration control as described above is also known (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-329786 A JP 2007-313932 A

  When a plurality of systems that perform deceleration control as described above are mounted on a vehicle, how to switch between a plurality of deceleration controls having different control contents becomes a problem.

When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to the present invention responds to an inter-vehicle distance between a traveling control unit that performs control for traveling following the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle. A deceleration control means for controlling the vehicle to decelerate, a travel environment detection means for detecting the travel environment of the host vehicle, and a driver operation performed to adapt to the travel environment of the host vehicle. And a transition state of the host vehicle is detected based on a driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the driving environment detecting unit, or based on an operation of the driver detected by the operation detecting unit. A transition state detecting means for controlling the travel control means and the deceleration control means in accordance with information from the travel environment detecting means, the operation detecting means, and the transition state detecting means. When the transition state detection means detects that the transition state of the host vehicle is a predetermined transition state, the control means detects the distance between the fixed vehicles even if the travel control means performs constant distance control. The travel control means is controlled to release the control, the deceleration control means is controlled so that the deceleration support control can be operated, and the travel environment detection means that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface Or when the brake pedal of the host vehicle is stepped on and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and the vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed. If at least any one of the having been instructed has detected that the operation detecting means to control said deceleration control means to temporarily stop the deceleration support control, the vehicle The traveling environment detecting means detects that the vehicle is not traveling on a slippery road surface, the brake pedal is not depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is released, and the vehicle behavior that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle When the operation detection unit detects that the control is instructed to be performed, the deceleration control unit is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control .
When it is determined that the preceding vehicle is present, the other inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to the present invention is configured such that a traveling control unit that performs control for traveling following the preceding vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle A deceleration control unit that performs control to support deceleration of the host vehicle, a travel environment detection unit that detects a travel environment of the host vehicle, and a driver operation performed to adapt to the travel environment of the host vehicle Based on the driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the driving environment detecting unit, or based on the operation of the driver detected by the operation detecting unit, the transition state of the host vehicle A transition state detection means for detecting the travel environment detection means, the operation detection means, and a control means for controlling the travel control means and the deceleration control means according to information from the transition state detection means, The control means determines whether or not the control for accelerating to follow the preceding vehicle is inappropriate based on the transition state of the host vehicle detected by the transition state detection means; If it is determined that control for accelerating to follow the preceding vehicle is inappropriate, the travel control means is controlled so as to cancel the constant distance control even if the constant distance control is performed by the travel control means. The deceleration control unit is controlled so that the deceleration support control can be operated, and when the traveling environment detection unit detects that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, or the brake of the host vehicle At least one of the instructions that the pedal is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is performed and the vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed. If any one was detected by the operation detection unit, the travel that the deceleration support control by controlling the deceleration control means to temporarily stop the said not running the vehicle is slippery surfaces The environmental detection means detects that the brake pedal is no longer depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is released, and that the vehicle behavior control for stabilizing the behavior of the host vehicle is instructed. When the operation detection means detects, the deceleration control means is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control .
In the inter-vehicle maintenance support method according to the present invention, when it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, a travel control step for performing control to travel following the preceding vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle A deceleration control step for controlling the vehicle to decelerate, a driving environment detection step for detecting the driving environment of the host vehicle, and a driver operation performed to adapt to the driving environment of the host vehicle. The transition state of the host vehicle is determined based on the driving environment detected in the driving environment detection step and the driving environment of the host vehicle detected in the driving environment detection step, or based on the operation of the driver detected in the operation detection step. A transition state detection step to detect, a travel environment detection step, an operation detection step, and a travel control step and a deceleration control step according to each detection information in the transition state detection step A control step, and when the transition state of the host vehicle is detected to be a predetermined transition state in the transition state detection step, the inter-vehicle distance control is performed by the travel control step. Even so, the travel control process is controlled so as to release the constant inter-vehicle control, the deceleration control process is controlled so that the deceleration support control can be operated, and the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface. Is detected in the driving environment detection step, or the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and the vehicle behavior control for stabilizing the behavior of the host vehicle is performed. When the operation detection step detects at least one of instructions given during driving so as not to interrupt, the deceleration support control is temporarily stopped. Controlling the deceleration control process, said detecting in said running environment detecting step that not running the vehicle slippery road surface, and the braking operation by the brake device no longer depressed the brake pedal is released, And when the operation detection step detects that the vehicle behavior control for stabilizing the behavior of the host vehicle is performed, the deceleration control step is controlled to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control. It is characterized by that.
In another inter-vehicle maintenance support method according to the present invention, when it is determined that a preceding vehicle is present, a travel control step for performing control to travel following the preceding vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and A deceleration control step for performing control to support deceleration of the host vehicle according to the vehicle, a driving environment detection step for detecting the driving environment of the host vehicle, and a driver operation performed to adapt to the driving environment of the host vehicle Based on the driving environment detected in the driving environment detecting step and the driving environment of the host vehicle detected in the driving environment detecting step, or based on the operation of the driver detected in the operation detecting step. A transition state detecting step for detecting a state, the driving environment detecting step, the operation detecting step, and the traveling state detecting step according to each detection information in the transition state detecting step. A control step for controlling the vehicle, and the control step is inadequate for performing acceleration to follow the preceding vehicle based on the transition state of the host vehicle detected in the transition state detection step. If the control for accelerating to follow the preceding vehicle is determined to be inappropriate, the constant distance control is canceled even if the constant distance control is performed in the travel control process. Control the travel control step, control the deceleration control step so that the deceleration support control can be activated, and when the travel environment detection step detects that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, Alternatively, an instruction is given during travel so that the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is performed during travel, and vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed. If detected in the operation detection step at least any one of the what was said deceleration support control by controlling the deceleration control process to temporarily stop traveling the vehicle is slippery surfaces In the traveling environment detection step, and the brake pedal is not depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is released, and the vehicle behavior control is performed to stabilize the behavior of the host vehicle. When it is detected in the operation detection step, the deceleration control step is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, driving | running | working of a vehicle can be supported appropriately.

  With reference to FIGS. 1-11, one Embodiment of the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus and inter-vehicle maintenance support method by this invention is described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with the inter-vehicle maintenance support device shown in FIG. The inter-vehicle maintenance support device includes an inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, a vehicle speed sensor 2, a control device 3, an acceleration control device 4, a deceleration control device 5, a display device 6, a notification device 7, and an accelerator pedal actuator 20. Further, a main switch 8, a set / coast switch 9, a resume / accelerate switch 10, a cancel switch 11, and an inter-vehicle distance setting switch 12 that are operated by the driver are connected to the control device 3. Further, a shift position sensor 14, a brake sensor 15, a wiper switch 16, a VDC OFF switch 17, and a SNOW MODE switch 18 are connected to the control device 3, respectively.

  The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 includes a radar device, and detects a preceding vehicle by transmitting a laser beam in front of the vehicle, and also detects an inter-vehicle distance to the detected preceding vehicle. In addition, you may comprise so that the relative speed of the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle may be detected from the detected inter-vehicle distance. The vehicle speed sensor 2 detects the speed of the host vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 2 is configured to detect the wheel speeds Vw1, Vw2, Vw3, and Vw4 of each wheel as the vehicle speed V of the host vehicle.

  The control device 3 includes a CPU and CPU peripheral components such as a ROM and a RAM, and controls the entire inter-vehicle maintenance support device based on input signals from each sensor and switch. Specifically, the preceding vehicle follow-up control for the own vehicle to automatically follow the preceding vehicle based on the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 and the speed of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2. I do. That is, when a preceding vehicle is detected, the control device 3 controls the acceleration control so that the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is maintained at a substantially constant distance with the preset vehicle speed as the upper limit. The apparatus 4 and the deceleration control apparatus 5 are controlled. This control is hereinafter referred to as constant inter-vehicle control. When the preceding vehicle is not detected, the control device 3 controls the acceleration control device 4 and the deceleration control device 5 so that the preset vehicle speed is maintained. This control is hereinafter referred to as constant speed control. Thus, in the preceding vehicle follow-up control, the constant inter-vehicle control or the constant speed control is performed depending on whether or not the preceding vehicle is detected.

  Furthermore, when the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 falls below a preset threshold value, the control device 3 controls the deceleration control device 5 so as to secure the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, thereby controlling the host vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance control (deceleration support control) is performed to decelerate the vehicle.

  The acceleration control device 4 includes, for example, a throttle actuator, and controls acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle by controlling opening / closing of a throttle valve (not shown) based on a command from the control device 3. The deceleration control device 5 includes, for example, a brake actuator, and controls the braking force of a braking device (hydraulic brake) 5 a provided on each wheel based on a command from the control device 3. The hydraulic brake 5a is operated by control by the deceleration control device 5, and is also operated by a driver operating a brake pedal (not shown).

  The display device 6 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal monitor, and displays the state of preceding vehicle follow-up control and deceleration support control performed by the inter-vehicle maintenance support device in response to a command from the control device 3. The notification device 7 includes a notification buzzer, for example, and notifies the states of the preceding vehicle follow-up control and the deceleration support control in response to a command from the control device 3. As will be described later, the accelerator pedal actuator 20 is an actuator that applies a reaction force to an accelerator pedal (not shown), and a force in a direction opposite to the direction in which the driver depresses the accelerator pedal based on a command from the control device 3. (Reaction force) is given.

  The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, the vehicle speed sensor 2, the control device 3, the acceleration control device 4, the deceleration control device 5, the display device 6, the notification device 7, the main switch 8, the set / coast switch 9, the resume / accelerate switch 10, The cancel switch 11, the inter-vehicle setting switch 12, the brake sensor 15, the wiper switch 16, the VDC OFF switch 17, and the SNOW MODE switch 18 constitute a preceding vehicle following control system (hereinafter referred to as a following control system). The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, the vehicle speed sensor 2, the control device 3, the deceleration control device 5, the display device 6, the notification device 7, the main switch 8, the brake sensor 15, the VDC OFF switch 17, the SNOW MODE switch 18, and the accelerator pedal actuator 20 constitutes a deceleration support control system (hereinafter referred to as a deceleration support control system).

  The main switch 8, the set / coast switch 9, the resume / accelerate switch 10, the cancel switch 11, and the inter-vehicle distance setting switch 12 are provided at positions where the driver on the steering wheel can easily operate. The main switch 8 is a switch for turning on / off the tracking control system and the deceleration support control system. The set / coast switch 9 is a switch for starting constant speed control from an operation standby state to be described later. When constant speed control is being performed, the set vehicle speed is decreased by operating the set / coast switch 9.

  The resume / accelerate switch 10 is a switch for starting constant speed control while maintaining the previous setting from the standby state. When constant speed control is being performed, the set vehicle speed is increased by operating the resume / accelerate switch 10.

  The cancel switch 11 is a switch for making a transition (transition) to an operation standby state when the constant speed control is being performed, and transitioning to the deceleration assist control when the constant inter-vehicle control is being performed. The inter-vehicle setting switch 12 is a switch for changing the inter-vehicle distance (target inter-vehicle distance) to the preceding vehicle.

  The shift position sensor 14 is a sensor that detects the shift position of the transmission. The brake sensor 15 is a sensor that detects that a brake pedal (not shown) has been operated by the driver. The wiper switch 16 is a switch for operating the wiper.

  The VDC OFF switch 17 is a switch for instructing cancellation of VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) control. The VDC control is vehicle behavior control for stabilizing the behavior of the vehicle. The SNOW MODE switch 18 is a switch for changing the setting of the vehicle, such as changing the relationship between the accelerator opening and the output engine torque so as to cope with a slippery road surface condition such as a snowy road.

Next, an operation performed by the inter-vehicle maintenance support device will be described.
As described above, the inter-vehicle maintenance support device performs the preceding vehicle follow-up control by the follow-up control system and the deceleration support control by the deceleration support control system. The tracking control system calculates the target vehicle speed of the host vehicle to travel following the preceding vehicle based on the detected inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle and the speed of the host vehicle, and performs acceleration control to achieve the target vehicle speed. And deceleration control. The tracking control system releases control when the brake pedal is operated.

  The deceleration support control system performs deceleration control so as to ensure the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle, and the control is temporarily stopped when the brake pedal is operated. Control is not released. Hereinafter, the deceleration support control performed by the deceleration support control system will be described in detail. In addition, regarding the deceleration support control described below, as described above, when it is determined that a certain operation has been performed, such as a brake pedal being operated, or that the traveling state of the vehicle has become a certain state. The deceleration support control is once stopped (interrupted). However, when it is determined that the certain operation is not performed and the traveling state of the vehicle is no longer the certain state, the deceleration support control that has been stopped is started again.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the deceleration support control performed by the deceleration support control system. As will be described later, when the main switch 8 is turned on, the control device 3 starts the process of step S11. In step S11, an accelerator opening Acc detected by an accelerator opening sensor (not shown) provided in the deceleration support control system, a vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2, and an inter-vehicle distance sensor (eg, laser radar) 1 The inter-vehicle distance L and the relative speed Vr detected with the preceding vehicle are read, and the process proceeds to step S12. As described above, the vehicle speed sensor 2 is configured to detect the wheel speeds Vw1, Vw2, Vw3, and Vw4 of each wheel as the vehicle speed of the host vehicle.

In step S12, a first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 is calculated. A detailed calculation method of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S21 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, an inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * h1 is calculated by the following equation (1). As will be described later, the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 is calculated by the sum of the steady term and the transient term of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold, but the inter-vehicle distance obtained by the equation (1) is calculated. The threshold value L * h1 is a steady term value.
L * h1 = Va × Th (1)
However, Va is the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle calculated based on the vehicle speed V and the relative speed Vr of the host vehicle, and Th is a predetermined inter-vehicle time. The vehicle speed V of the host vehicle is calculated by obtaining an average value of the wheel speeds Vw1 and Vw2 of the front wheels detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2.

  In step S22 following step S21, it is determined whether or not the accelerator opening Acc detected by the accelerator opening sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined accelerator opening threshold Acc0. If it is determined that the accelerator opening Acc is equal to or greater than the predetermined accelerator opening threshold Acc0, it is determined that the driver is operating the accelerator pedal, the accelerator operation flag Facc is set on, and then the process goes to step S23. move on. On the other hand, if it is determined that the accelerator opening Acc is less than the predetermined accelerator opening threshold Acc0, it is determined that the driver is not operating the accelerator pedal, and the accelerator operation flag Facc is set to OFF. Proceed to S24.

In step S23, a parameter Tr1 for calculating the transient term L * r1 of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated by the following equation (2).
Tr1 = (L−L * h1) / Vr (2)
In equation (2), the parameter Tr1 represents the time until the inter-vehicle distance L becomes the steady term L * h1 of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold, assuming that the current relative speed Vr is maintained. . When the parameter Tr1 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S24.

  As can be seen from the processes in steps S22 and S23, the parameter Tr1 for calculating the transient term L * r1 of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated (updated) only when the accelerator operation flag Facc is turned on. ) Therefore, when the accelerator pedal operation is performed, the parameter Tr1 is set according to the actual inter-vehicle distance L, and when the accelerator pedal operation is not performed, the value when the accelerator pedal operation is not performed is set. Maintained.

In step S24, a transient term L * r1 of the inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated from the following equation (3), and the process proceeds to step S25.
L * r1 = Tr1 × Vr (3)

In step S25, the first term is calculated by adding the steady term L * h1 of the first inter-vehicle distance threshold calculated in step S21 and the transient term L * r1 of the inter-vehicle distance threshold calculated in step S23. The inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 1 is calculated (see equation (4)).
L * 1 = L * h1 + L * r1 (4)
However, when the accelerator pedal operation is being performed (when the accelerator operation flag Facc is on), L * 1 = L is obtained from the equations (1), (3), and (4). When the first inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 1 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S13 in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S13, a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 is calculated. A detailed calculation method of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S31 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, an inter-vehicle distance threshold L * h2 is calculated based on the vehicle speed V and the relative speed Vr of the host vehicle. As will be described later, the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 is calculated by the sum of the steady term and the transient term of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold. The inter-vehicle distance threshold L * h2 is Is the value of the stationary term. Here, a function for calculating the inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * h2 is prepared in advance based on the vehicle speed V and the relative speed Vr of the host vehicle, and the vehicle speed V and the relative speed Vr of the host vehicle are included in this function. Is calculated by substituting. When the steady term L * h2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated, the process proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle is calculated from the following equation (5).
αa = d (Va) / dt (5)
When the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle is calculated, the process proceeds to step S33. In step S33, it is determined whether or not an alarm flag Fw set in step S14 (see FIG. 3) described later is set to ON. Since the processing from step S11 to step S19 is repeatedly performed, the determination is made here based on the state of the alarm flag Fw set during the previous processing. If it is determined that the alarm flag Fw is set on, the process proceeds to step S37, and if it is determined that the alarm flag Fw is set off, the process proceeds to step S34.

  In step S34, it is determined whether or not the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle calculated in step S32 is equal to or less than a predetermined acceleration / deceleration α0. Here, the predetermined acceleration / deceleration α0 is a threshold value for determining whether or not the preceding vehicle is decelerating, and both αa and α0 are assumed to have positive values during acceleration and negative values during deceleration. To do. If it is determined that the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined acceleration / deceleration α0, it is determined that the preceding vehicle is decelerating, and the preceding vehicle deceleration determination flag Fdec_a is set on, and then the process proceeds to step S35. On the other hand, if it is determined that the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle is greater than the predetermined acceleration / deceleration α0, it is determined that the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, the preceding vehicle deceleration determination flag Fdec_a is set to OFF, and the process proceeds to step S36.

In step S35, a parameter Tr2 for calculating the transient term L * r2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated from the following equation (6).
Tr2 = (L−L * h2) / Vr (6)
In Expression (6), the parameter Tr2 is an amount equivalent to a margin distance (L−L * h2) of the actual inter-vehicle distance L with respect to the steady term L * h2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold when the preceding vehicle starts to decelerate. ) Is divided by the relative speed Vr. When the parameter Tr2 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S37.

  On the other hand, in step S36 that proceeds after it is determined that the preceding vehicle has not decelerated, the value of the parameter Tr2 for calculating the transient term L * r2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold is set to 0, and the process proceeds to step S37. .

In step S37, the transient term L * r2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold is calculated from the following equation (7), and the process proceeds to step S38.
L * r2 = Tr2 × Vr (7)

In step S38, the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 is calculated by adding the steady term L * h2 of the second inter-vehicle distance threshold and the transient term L * r2 (formula (8) )reference).
L * 2 = L * h2 + L * r2 (8)

When the second inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 2 is calculated in step S38, the process proceeds to step S14 in the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S14, an alarm flag Fw is set. For this reason, first, from the following equation (9), the deviation ΔL2 between the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 calculated in step S13 and the inter-vehicle distance L detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 is calculated. calculate.
ΔL2 = L * 2-L (9)

  Subsequently, if the deviation ΔL2 calculated based on the equation (9) is equal to or greater than 0, the inter-vehicle distance L with respect to the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2, and thus the warning flag Fw Is set to ON, and if the deviation ΔL2 is less than 0, the alarm flag Fw is set to OFF. When the warning flag Fw is set, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, control for applying a reaction force to an accelerator pedal (not shown) is performed based on the deviation ΔL2 in the inter-vehicle distance. The detailed processing contents of the control for applying the reaction force to the accelerator pedal will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S41 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the target accelerator pedal reaction force τ * a is calculated from the following equation (10).
τ * a = Kp × ΔL2 (10)
However, Kp (Kp> 0) in Expression (10) is a predetermined gain for calculating the target accelerator pedal reaction force from the inter-vehicle distance deviation ΔL.

  In step S42 following step S41, a command for giving the accelerator pedal a reaction force corresponding to the target accelerator pedal reaction force τ * a calculated in step S41 is issued to the accelerator pedal actuator 20. The accelerator pedal actuator 20 that has received this command gives a reaction force corresponding to the target accelerator pedal reaction force τ * a to the accelerator pedal 81. As can be seen from Equation (10), the reaction force to the accelerator pedal is given when ΔL2 is positive, that is, when the inter-vehicle distance L is shorter than the inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2. When the process of step S42 is completed, the process proceeds to step S16 of the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S16, based on the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 calculated in step S12 and the inter-vehicle distance L with the preceding vehicle detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, the following equation (11) 1 target deceleration rate α * 1 is calculated.
α * 1 = Kv × Kr1 × (L * 1-L) (11)
However, Kr1 is a gain for calculating the first target deceleration force generated in the vehicle. The gain Kv is a gain for converting the target deceleration force into the target deceleration, and is set in advance based on vehicle specifications. The first target deceleration rate α * 1 is a positive value in the acceleration direction and a negative value in the deceleration direction.

  As described above, when the accelerator pedal operation is being performed (when the accelerator operation flag Facc is on), L * 1 = L, so the first target deceleration rate α * 1 is zero. Further, when the first target deceleration rate α * 1 calculated by the equation (11) is smaller than the predetermined first lower limit value Δα * 1, the value of the first target deceleration rate α * 1 is set to the lower limit value. Let Δα * 1. When the first target deceleration rate α * 1 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S17.

In step S17, based on the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 calculated in step S13 and the inter-vehicle distance L with the preceding vehicle detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, the following equation (12) 2 target deceleration rate α * 2 is calculated.
α * 2 = Kv × Kr2 × (L * 2-L) (12)
However, Kr2 is a gain for calculating the second target deceleration force generated in the vehicle, and the value of the second target deceleration rate α * 2 when the accelerator pedal operation is performed is 0. Further, the second target deceleration rate α * 2 has a positive value in the acceleration direction and a negative value in the deceleration direction.

  When the second target deceleration rate α * 2 calculated by the equation (12) is smaller than a predetermined second lower limit value Δα * 2 (Δα * 2 <Δα * 1), the second target deceleration rate α * Let the value of 2 be the lower limit value Δα * 2. When the second target deceleration rate α * 2 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S18.

  In step S18, a final target deceleration rate α * generated in the vehicle is obtained. Here, the first target deceleration rate α * 1 calculated in step S16 and the second target deceleration rate α * 2 calculated in step S17 are compared, and the deceleration with the smaller value, that is, the deceleration rate is reduced. The target deceleration with the higher speed is defined as the final target deceleration α *. Here again, the final target deceleration rate α * is positive for acceleration and negative for deceleration.

In step S19 following step S18, braking control based on the final target deceleration rate α * is performed. First, as shown in the following equation (13), the target deceleration rate α * generated by the brake is obtained by subtracting the deceleration rate α * eng generated by the engine brake from the final target deceleration rate α * obtained in step S18. brk is calculated.
α * brk ＝ α * −α * eng (13)
However, α *, α * brk, and α * eng each have a positive value in the acceleration direction and a negative value in the deceleration direction. When the accelerator pedal operation is being performed (when the accelerator operation flag Facc is on), α * = α * eng = 0, so α * brk = 0.

Subsequently, based on the calculated target deceleration rate α * brk, the target braking hydraulic pressure P * is calculated from the following equation (14).
P * = − (Kb × α * brk) (14)
However, Kb is a gain for converting the target deceleration to the target brake hydraulic pressure, and is set in advance based on vehicle specifications. Further, when the accelerator pedal operation is being performed (when the accelerator operation flag Facc is turned on), α * brk = 0 and P * = 0.

  Then, an instruction for generating a braking fluid pressure based on the calculated target braking fluid pressure P * is issued to the deceleration control device 5. Receiving this instruction, the deceleration control device 5 generates a brake fluid pressure based on the target brake fluid pressure P * and supplies it to a wheel cylinder (not shown) of the hydraulic brake 5a provided on each wheel. Thus, when the inter-vehicle distance L becomes shorter than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1, and when the inter-vehicle distance L becomes shorter than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2, the driver operates the accelerator pedal. If not, control for decelerating the vehicle is performed. Further, when the driver is operating the accelerator pedal, since the target brake fluid pressure P * = 0, the deceleration control is not performed.

  When the process of step S19 ends, the process returns to step S11. Thereafter, the processing from step S11 to step S19 is repeatedly performed.

  As described above, the follow-up control system and the deceleration support control system perform different controls, respectively, but have a common function of decelerating according to the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus of the present embodiment, the control state transitions in each system as follows. That is, in the inter-vehicle maintenance support device of the present embodiment, the vehicle transition state is detected, and the control states in the tracking control system and the deceleration support control system are changed according to the detected vehicle transition state. Details will be described below.

  FIG. 7 shows the transition of the control state in the tracking control system and the deceleration support control system. For example, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is set to the accessory-on state (ACC ON), the power supply of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device is turned on and the system is turned off. In the system OFF state, the preceding vehicle follow-up control and deceleration support control described above are not performed.

(1) Transition from system OFF state to standby state (transition)
When the main switch 8 is turned on while in the system OFF state, the control device 3 controls each part so as to transit to the operation standby state (state transition A). In the operation standby state, the preceding vehicle follow-up control and the deceleration support control described above are not performed, but the control device 3 monitors each part of the vehicle and the inter-vehicle maintenance support device and determines that the conditions described later are satisfied. Based on the satisfied condition, the control state is changed from the operation standby state to another control state.

(2) Transition from a state other than the system OFF state to the system OFF state When in an operation standby state, a constant speed control state, a constant inter-vehicle control state, and a deceleration support control state to be described later (when there is a state other than the system OFF state) When any of the following conditions is satisfied, the control device 3 controls each unit so as to transition from each control state to the system OFF state (state transition B).
(2a) The main switch 8 is turned off. (2b) A failure in the tracking control system or the deceleration support control system is detected.

(3) Transition from the operation standby state to the constant speed control state When all of the following conditions are satisfied in the operation standby state, the control device 3 controls each part to transition from the operation standby state to the constant speed control state. (State transition C). In the constant speed control state, the above-described constant speed control is performed.
(3a) The set / coast switch 9 or the resume / accelerate switch 10 is turned on. (3b) The vehicle speed V exceeds about 30 km / h. (3c) The brake sensor 15 does not detect the driver's brake operation. (3d) The wiper switch 16 is not turned on. (3e) The transmission shift position detected by the shift position sensor 14 is neither parking (P), reverse (R), nor neutral (N).

(4) Transition from constant speed control state to constant inter-vehicle control state When the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 detects a preceding vehicle in the constant speed control state, the control device 3 transits from the constant speed control state to the constant inter-vehicle control state. Each part is controlled to perform (state transition D). In the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the above-described constant inter-vehicle control is performed.

(5) Transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state When all of the following conditions are satisfied in the operation standby state, the control device 3 controls each unit to transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state. (State transition E). In the deceleration support control state, the above-described deceleration support control is performed.
(5a) The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 detects the preceding vehicle. (5b) The brake sensor 15 does not detect the driver's brake operation. (5c) The VDC OFF switch 17 is not turned on.
(VDC function is not canceled)
(5d) It is not a slippery road surface Note that the condition “(5d) Not a slippery road surface” is based on the detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 2 or the like when the SNOW MODE switch 18 is not turned on. When it is determined that the vehicle is not slipping, it is determined that the road surface is not slippery.

(6) Transition from the deceleration support control state to the constant inter-vehicle control state When all of the following conditions are satisfied when the vehicle is in the deceleration support control state, the control device 3 causes each part to transition from the deceleration support control state to the constant inter-vehicle control state. (State transition F). In the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the above-described constant inter-vehicle control is performed.
(6a) Set / coast switch 9 or resume / accelerate switch
10 is turned on (6b) The brake sensor 15 does not detect the driver's brake operation (6c) The wiper switch 16 is not turned on (6d) The transmission shift position detected by the shift position sensor 14 is parked ( P), reverse (R), or neutral (N)

(7) Transition from the fixed inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state When at least one of the following conditions is satisfied in the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the control device 3 changes from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state. Each part is controlled to make a transition (state transition G).
(7a) Cancel switch 11 is turned on (7b) Wiper switch 16 is turned on (7c) The shift position of the transmission detected by shift position sensor 14 is parked (P), reverse (R), and neutral (N (7d) Based on a detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 2 or the like, at least one wheel is idled.
It is judged that

  In addition, the said conditions are conditions judged that it is not appropriate to perform control with acceleration in order to follow a preceding vehicle. For example, the case where the cancel switch 11 is turned on is a case where a driver who wishes to cancel the constant inter-vehicle control operates the cancel switch 11. When the wiper switch 16 is turned on, the road surface becomes slippery as in the case of rain / snow, and the detection accuracy of the preceding vehicle by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 using a laser radar may be lowered. In addition, this is a case where it is desirable to cancel the fixed inter-vehicle control.

  When the shift position of the transmission detected by the shift position sensor 14 is any one of parking (P), reverse (R), and neutral (N), the driver is independent regardless of whether the preceding vehicle is moving forward. This is a case where the vehicle is to be stopped or moved backward, and the constant inter-vehicle control needs to be released. The case where it is determined that at least one wheel is idling is a driving environment in which the behavior of the vehicle is becoming unstable, and it is a driving environment where it is desirable to cancel the constant inter-vehicle control with acceleration. It is.

  That is, whether or not to change from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state is determined according to the detected driving environment and the presence or absence of a driver operation performed to adapt to the driving environment.

(8) Transition from the deceleration support control state to the operation standby state When at least one of the following conditions is satisfied in the deceleration support control state, the control device 3 transitions from the deceleration support control state to the operation standby state. Each part is controlled (state transition H). In other words, when it is determined that the following constant operation has been performed or the vehicle driving condition (traveling environment) has reached a certain condition, the transition from the deceleration support control state to the operation standby state is made, and the deceleration support is once performed. Control is stopped (suspended). However, if it is determined that the certain operation is not performed and the traveling state of the vehicle is no longer the certain state, as described in “(5) Transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state” above. Then, the operation shifts from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state, and the stopped deceleration support control is restarted.
(8a) The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 no longer detects the preceding vehicle. (8b) The brake sensor 15 detects the driver's brake operation. (8c) The VDC OFF switch 17 is turned on (the VDC function is canceled).
(8d) It is a slippery road surface. As for the condition “(8d) a slippery road surface”, the vehicle is detected based on the detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 2 or the like when the SNOW MODE switch 18 is turned on. When it is determined that the vehicle is slipping, it is determined that the road surface is slippery.

  The above condition is a condition for which it is determined that it is desirable to temporarily stop (interrupt) the deceleration support control. For example, when the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 no longer detects the preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance L used in the calculation in the deceleration support control cannot be calculated, and the deceleration support control cannot be calculated, so the deceleration support control is interrupted. Is desirable. When the brake sensor 15 detects the driver's brake operation, it is desirable to interrupt the deceleration support control in order to give priority to the driver's brake operation (deceleration operation).

  When the VDC OFF switch 17 is turned on, that is, when the VDC function is canceled, the unstable behavior of the vehicle not intended by the driver cannot be suppressed by the VDC function. desirable. When the road surface is slippery, it is desirable to interrupt the deceleration support control accompanied by the braking operation.

  In other words, the conditions (5a) to (5d) described in “(5) Transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state” are determined to be preferable to return the interrupted deceleration support control. It can be said that this is a condition.

(9) Transition from the fixed inter-vehicle control state to the operation standby state If at least one of the following conditions is satisfied in the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the control device 3 transitions from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the operation standby state. Each part is controlled (state transition I).
(9a) The inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 detects the preceding vehicle while the vehicle speed V is below about 30 km / h.
(9b) The brake sensor 15 detected the driver's brake operation. (9c) The VDC OFF switch 17 was turned on (the VDC function was canceled).
(9d) It is a slippery road surface It should be noted that the condition “(9d) a slippery road surface” is the same as the condition “(8d) a slippery road surface” described above.

(10) Transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the constant speed control state If the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 no longer detects the preceding vehicle when the host vehicle speed V exceeds about 30 km / h in the constant inter-vehicle control state. The control device 3 controls each unit so as to transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the constant speed control state (state transition J).

(11) Transition from the constant speed control state to the operation standby state When at least one of the following conditions is satisfied in the constant speed control state, the control device 3 transitions from the constant speed control state to the operation standby state. Each part is controlled (state transition K).
(11a) Cancel switch 11 is turned on (11b) The vehicle speed V is below about 30 km / h (11c) The brake sensor 15 detects the driver's brake operation (11d) The wiper switch 16 is turned on ( 11e) The shift position of the transmission detected by the shift position sensor 14 is one of parking (P), reverse (R), and neutral (N). (11f) Based on a detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 2 or the like. At least one wheel is idle
It is judged that

  8 to 11 are flowcharts showing operations related to the transition of the control state described above. For example, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is set to the accessory-on state (ACC ON), the power supply of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device is turned on, and a program for performing the processing shown in FIG. In step S101, each unit is controlled to make a transition to the system OFF state, and the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, it is determined whether or not the main switch 8 is turned on. If a negative determination is made in step S102, the process returns to step S101.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103, and each unit is controlled to transition to the operation standby state, and the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, it is determined whether or not the main switch 8 is turned off. If a positive determination is made in step S104, the process returns to step S101. If a negative determination is made in step S104, the process proceeds to step S105, in which whether or not the constant speed control transition condition is satisfied, that is, described in the explanation of “(3) Transition from the operation standby state to the constant speed control state” above. It is determined whether all the conditions (3a) to (3e) are satisfied.

  If a positive determination is made in step S105, the process proceeds to step S111 in FIG. When a negative determination is made in step S105, the process proceeds to step S106, which is described in the explanation of whether or not the deceleration support control transition condition is satisfied, that is, in the above description of “(5) Transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state”. It is determined whether or not all the conditions (5a) to (5d) are satisfied. If a positive determination is made in step S106, the process proceeds to step S121 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S106, the process returns to step S103.

  In step S111 of FIG. 9, the above-described constant speed control is performed. Since constant speed control is well known, detailed description is omitted. If step S111 is performed, it will progress to step S112 and it will be judged whether the main switch 8 was turned off. If a positive determination is made in step S112, the process returns to step S101 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S112, the process proceeds to step S113, which is described in the explanation of whether or not the constant inter-vehicle control transition condition is satisfied, that is, the above-described "(4) Transition from the constant speed control state to the constant inter-vehicle control state". As shown, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 has detected a preceding vehicle.

  If a positive determination is made in step S113, the process proceeds to step S131 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S113, the process proceeds to step S114, and whether or not the operation standby state transition condition is satisfied, that is, described in the explanation of “(11) Transition from the constant speed control state to the operation standby state” above. It is determined whether at least one of the conditions (11a) to (11f) is satisfied. If a positive determination is made in step S114, the process returns to step S103 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S114, the process returns to step S111.

  In step S121 of FIG. 10, the deceleration support control described above is performed. Note that the details of the deceleration support control are as described above with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. If step S121 is performed, it will progress to step S122 and it will be judged whether the main switch 8 was turned off. If a positive determination is made in step S122, the process returns to step S101 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S122, the process proceeds to step S123, and is described in the explanation of whether or not the constant inter-vehicle control transition condition is satisfied, that is, the above-described “(6) Transition from the deceleration support control state to the constant inter-vehicle control state”. It is determined whether all the conditions (6a) to (6d) are satisfied.

  If a positive determination is made in step S123, the process proceeds to step S131 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S123, the process proceeds to step S124, and whether or not the operation standby state transition condition is satisfied, that is, described in the explanation of “(8) Transition from the deceleration support control state to the operation standby state” above. It is determined whether at least one of the conditions (8a) to (8d) is satisfied. If a positive determination is made in step S124, the process returns to step S103 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S124, the process returns to step S121.

  In step S131 of FIG. 11, the above-described constant vehicle distance control is performed. In addition, since constant vehicle distance control is well-known, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. If step S131 is performed, it will progress to step S132 and it will be determined whether the main switch 8 was turned off. If a positive determination is made in step S132, the process returns to step S101 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S132, the process proceeds to step S133, which is described in the explanation of whether or not the constant speed control transition condition is satisfied, that is, the above-described "(10) Transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the constant speed control state". As described above, it is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 stops detecting the preceding vehicle in a state where the vehicle speed V exceeds about 30 km / h.

  If a positive determination is made in step S133, the process proceeds to step S111 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S133, the process proceeds to step S134, in which whether or not the operation standby state transition condition is satisfied, that is, described in the explanation of “(9) Transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the operation standby state” above. It is determined whether at least one of the conditions (9a) to (9f) is satisfied.

  If a positive determination is made in step S134, the process returns to step S103 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S134, the process proceeds to step S135, and is described in the explanation of whether or not the deceleration support control transition condition is satisfied, that is, the above-described "(7) Transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state". It is determined whether at least any one of the conditions (7a) to (7d) is satisfied. If a positive determination is made in step S135, the process proceeds to step S121 in FIG. If a negative determination is made in step S135, the process returns to step S131.

The inter-vehicle maintenance support device described above has the following operational effects.
(1) When at least one of the above-described conditions (7a) to (7d) is satisfied in the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the control device 3 changes each part to make a transition from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state. It was configured to control (state transition G in FIG. 7). That is, the fixed inter-vehicle distance control is canceled based on the detected driving environment of the host vehicle or the driver's operation performed to adapt to the driving environment, but the deceleration assist control is not canceled. did. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from being accelerated by the constant inter-vehicle distance control and to continue the deceleration support control for decelerating the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to expand a driving scene that supports deceleration while preventing unintended vehicle behavior of the driver, so that driving of the vehicle can be appropriately supported according to the driving environment and the driver's operation.

(2) In the deceleration support control state, control is performed to control the amount of engine torque generated, control of the braking force by the hydraulic brake 5a, and control to apply the operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal. In other words, by performing these controls, even if a transition from the fixed inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state is made, that is, even if the constant inter-vehicle control is released, the vehicle can be decelerated, so the burden on the driver's driving operation is reduced. Can be reduced.

(3) As described above in “(8) Transition from the deceleration support control state to the operation standby state”, when it is determined that it is desirable to temporarily stop (suspend) the deceleration support control, the deceleration support control Configured to interrupt. As a result, the vehicle behavior not intended by the driver is suppressed, and the driver does not feel uncomfortable.

(4) When all the conditions (5a) to (5d) described in “(5) Transition from the operation standby state to the deceleration support control state” are satisfied, that is, it is desirable to return the interrupted deceleration support control. When determined, the interrupted deceleration support control is restored. Thereby, since deceleration of a vehicle can be supported, the burden of driving operation of a driver can be reduced.

(5) If the set / coast switch 9 or the resume / accelerate switch 10 is turned on even if the constant inter-vehicle control or the constant speed control is canceled, another state for changing to the constant inter-vehicle control state or the constant speed control state is established. If the condition is also established, it is configured to shift to a constant inter-vehicle control state or a constant speed control state. Thereby, since it can transfer to a constant inter-vehicle control state and a constant speed control state easily, the burden of the driving operation of a driver can be reduced.

(6) When the main switch 8 is turned off, the system is switched to the system OFF state. As a result, the control in the follow-up control system and the deceleration support control system can be easily released, so that the intention of the driver who does not desire control in the follow-up control system and the deceleration support control system can be easily reflected.

(7) When the cancel switch 11 is turned on, it is configured to shift from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state. Thereby, the driver can easily select the control state according to the traveling environment.

---- Modified example ---
(1) In the above description, in the deceleration support control state, the engine torque generation amount control, the braking force control by the hydraulic brake 5a, and the control to apply the accelerator pedal operation reaction force are performed. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is not necessary to apply an operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal, and it is necessary to perform all of the control of the engine torque generation amount, the control of the braking force by the hydraulic brake 5a, and the control to apply the operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal. Absent. That is, in the deceleration support control, at least one of engine torque, braking force of the braking device, and operation reaction force generated on the accelerator pedal may be controlled.

(2) In the above description, both the follow-up control system and the deceleration support control system are configured to be turned on / off by turning on / off the main switch 8, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a switch for turning on / off the tracking control system (tracking control on / off switch) and a switch for turning on / off the deceleration support control system (deceleration support control on / off switch) may be provided. If both the follow-up control on / off switch and the deceleration support control on / off switch are on, the control device 3 controls each part so that the main switch 8 in the above description is turned on. May be. If both the follow-up control on / off switch and the deceleration support control on / off switch are off, the control device 3 may control each part so that the main switch 8 in the above description is turned off. Good.

  If only the tracking control on / off switch is turned on, the control device 3 controls each part so that only the state transitions A, B, C, D, I, J, and K in FIG. 7 in the above description are performed. May be. If only the deceleration support control on / off switch is turned on, the control device 3 may control each unit so that only the state transitions A, B, E, and H of FIG. 7 in the above description are performed. Further, even if the main switch 8 is turned off, the control device 3 may control each unit so that only the state transitions A, E, and H of FIG. 7 in the above description are performed. That is, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is set to the accessory-on (ACC ON) state, the inter-vehicle maintenance support device is turned on, and only the tracking control system is turned on / off by turning on / off the main switch 8, You may comprise so that the deceleration assistance control mentioned above may be performed irrespective of ON / OFF of the main switch 8. FIG.

(3) In the above description, the deceleration assist control may be performed simultaneously when the fixed inter-vehicle control is performed in the fixed inter-vehicle control state. In this case, for example, the control for decelerating the vehicle using the engine brake or the hydraulic brake 5a is controlled by constant distance control, and the control for giving the reaction force to the accelerator pedal is controlled by the deceleration assist control. You may do it.

(4) In the above description, the conditions for the transition of the control state are listed as examples, and if the purpose and the reason for the transition to each control state are met, even if some of the listed conditions are deleted Well, other conditions may be added.

(5) In the above description, when at least one of the conditions (7a) to (7d) is satisfied in the fixed inter-vehicle control state, the control device 3 transitions from the constant inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when it is determined that the driver is stepping on the accelerator pedal, the respective units may be controlled so as to transition from the fixed inter-vehicle control state to the deceleration support control state. When the accelerator pedal is depressed, such as when the driver is overtaking the preceding vehicle, it is necessary to give priority to the driver's operation. Therefore, it is desirable to cancel the fixed inter-vehicle control for controlling the inter-vehicle distance on the vehicle side during the period when it is determined that the driver is stepping on the accelerator pedal for overtaking or the like. In addition, when it is not determined that the driver is stepping on the accelerator pedal for overtaking or the like, it may be configured to transit to the fixed inter-vehicle control state again.

(6) As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 12, the controller 3 includes a constant inter-vehicle / constant speed control controller 3a, a deceleration support control controller 3b, a constant inter-vehicle / constant speed control controller 3a, and a deceleration. You may comprise so that the integrated controller 3c which integrates control by the controller 3b for assistance control may be included. The constant inter-vehicle / constant speed control controller 3a and the integrated controller 3c perform the above-described constant inter-vehicle control or constant speed control. The deceleration support control controller 3b and the integrated controller 3c perform the deceleration support control described above.
(7) You may combine each embodiment and modification which were mentioned above, respectively.

  In the above-described embodiment and its modifications, the travel control means is the acceleration control device 4, the deceleration control device 5, the display device 6, and the notification device 7 of the tracking control system, and the deceleration control means is the deceleration control of the deceleration support control system. It corresponds to the device 5, the display device 6, the notification device 7, and the accelerator pedal actuator 20, respectively. The travel environment detection means corresponds to the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1, the vehicle speed sensor 2, the wiper switch 16, the VDC OFF switch 17, and the SNOW MODE switch 18. The operation detection means corresponds to the main switch 8, the set / coast switch 9, the resume / accelerate switch 10, the cancel switch 11, the shift position sensor 14, and the brake sensor 15. The control means is realized by the control device 3 and a control program executed by the control device 3. The above description is merely an example, and when interpreting the invention, there is no limitation or restriction on the correspondence between the items described in the above embodiment and the items described in the claims.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a vehicle maintenance support apparatus. It is a lineblock diagram of vehicles carrying an inter-vehicle maintenance support device. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the deceleration assistance control performed by the deceleration assistance control system. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed calculation method of 1st inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 1. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed calculation method of 2nd inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 2. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed processing content of the control which gives reaction force to an accelerator pedal. It is a figure which shows the transition of the control state in a tracking control system and a deceleration assistance control system. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement regarding transition of a control state. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement regarding transition of a control state. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement regarding transition of a control state. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement regarding transition of a control state. It is a figure which shows a modification.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle distance sensor 2 Vehicle speed sensor 3 Control device 8 Main switch 9 Set / coast switch 10 Resume / Accelerate switch 11 Cancel switch 14 Shift position sensor 15 Brake sensor 16 Wiper switch 17 VDC OFF switch 18 SNOW MODE switch

Claims (9)

When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, traveling control means for performing control for traveling following the preceding vehicle;
Deceleration control means for performing control for supporting deceleration of the host vehicle in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle;
Traveling environment detection means for detecting the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
Operation detecting means for detecting a driver's operation performed to adapt to the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
Transition state detecting means for detecting a transition state of the host vehicle based on the driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the driving environment detecting unit or based on the operation of the driver detected by the operation detecting unit; ,
Control means for controlling the travel control means and the deceleration control means according to information from the travel environment detection means, the operation detection means, and the transition state detection means,
The control means includes
When the transition state detecting means detects that the transition state of the host vehicle is a predetermined transition state, the constant distance control is canceled even if the constant distance control is performed by the traveling control means. Controlling the travel control means, controlling the deceleration control means so that the deceleration support control can be operated,
When the traveling environment detecting means detects that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, or the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and If the operation detection means detects at least one of the instructions given during traveling so that the vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed, the deceleration support control is temporarily stopped. controlling said speed reduction control means so as to,
The traveling environment detecting means detects that the host vehicle is not traveling on a slippery road surface, and the braking operation by the braking device is released because the brake pedal is not depressed and the behavior of the host vehicle is When the operation detection means detects that the vehicle behavior control to be stabilized is instructed, the deceleration control means is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control;
An inter-vehicle maintenance support device characterized by that. When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, traveling control means for performing control for traveling following the preceding vehicle;
Deceleration control means for performing control for supporting deceleration of the host vehicle in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle;
Traveling environment detection means for detecting the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
Operation detecting means for detecting a driver's operation performed to adapt to the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
Transition state detecting means for detecting a transition state of the host vehicle based on the driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the driving environment detecting unit or based on the operation of the driver detected by the operation detecting unit; ,
Control means for controlling the travel control means and the deceleration control means according to information from the travel environment detection means, the operation detection means, and the transition state detection means,
The control means includes
Based on the transition state of the host vehicle detected by the transition state detection means, it is determined whether or not the control for accelerating the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle is inappropriate, and the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. If the control for accelerating the vehicle is determined to be inappropriate, the travel control unit is controlled so as to cancel the constant vehicle distance control even when the constant vehicle distance control is performed by the travel control unit, and the deceleration support control is performed. Controlling the deceleration control means to be operable,
When the traveling environment detecting means detects that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, or the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and If the operation detection means detects at least one of the instructions given during traveling so that the vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed, the deceleration support control is temporarily stopped. controlling said speed reduction control means so as to,
The traveling environment detecting means detects that the host vehicle is not traveling on a slippery road surface, and the braking operation by the braking device is released because the brake pedal is not depressed and the behavior of the host vehicle is When the operation detection means detects that the vehicle behavior control to be stabilized is instructed, the deceleration control means is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control;
An inter-vehicle maintenance support device characterized by that. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to claim 1,
The transition state detection means instructs the wiper operation when the driving environment detection means detects at least one of a wheel slipping and running on a slippery road surface. If the operation detection means detects at least one of the fact that the shift position is set to neutral, reverse, or parking, the transition state of the host vehicle is a predetermined transition. An inter-vehicle maintenance support device that detects that the vehicle is in a state. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The control means performs the deceleration support control by controlling at least one of an engine torque, a braking force of the braking device, and an operation reaction force generated on an accelerator pedal. Support device. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The control means controls the travel control means so as to return the released fixed inter-vehicle control when the operation detecting means detects that the driver has instructed the return of the fixed inter-vehicle control. The inter-vehicle maintenance support device. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
When the operation detecting means detects that the driver has instructed the release of the fixed inter-vehicle control and the deceleration support control, the control means is configured to release the constant inter-vehicle control and the deceleration support control. An inter-vehicle maintenance support device that controls a control means and the deceleration control means. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The control means controls the traveling control means so as to release the constant inter-vehicle control when the operation detecting means detects that the release of the constant inter-vehicle control is instructed by the driver. An inter-vehicle maintenance support device that controls the deceleration control means so as not to cancel the control. When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, a traveling control step for performing control for traveling following the preceding vehicle;
A deceleration control step for performing control for supporting deceleration of the host vehicle in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle;
A driving environment detection step of detecting the driving environment of the host vehicle;
An operation detection step of detecting an operation of the driver performed to adapt to the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
A transition state detection step of detecting a transition state of the host vehicle based on the driving environment of the host vehicle detected in the driving environment detection step or based on the operation of the driver detected in the operation detection step. When,
A control process for controlling the travel control process and the deceleration control process according to each detection information in the travel environment detection process, the operation detection process, and the transition state detection process,
The control step includes
When it is detected in the transition state detecting step that the transition state of the host vehicle is a predetermined transition state, the constant inter-vehicle control is canceled even if the constant inter-vehicle control is performed by the traveling control step. Controlling the travel control process, controlling the deceleration control process so that the deceleration support control can be operated,
When it is detected in the traveling environment detection step that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, or the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and The deceleration support control is temporarily suspended when at least one of instructions instructed during traveling so that vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed is detected in the operation detection step. controlling the deceleration control process so as to,
It is detected in the traveling environment detection step that the host vehicle is not traveling on a slippery road surface, and the braking operation by the braking device is released because the brake pedal is not depressed, and the behavior of the host vehicle is When the operation detecting step detects that the vehicle behavior control to be stabilized is instructed, the deceleration control step is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control;
An inter-vehicle maintenance support method characterized by the above. When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, a traveling control step for performing control for traveling following the preceding vehicle;
A deceleration control step for performing control for supporting deceleration of the host vehicle in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle;
A driving environment detection step of detecting the driving environment of the host vehicle;
An operation detection step of detecting an operation of the driver performed to adapt to the traveling environment of the host vehicle;
A transition state detection step of detecting a transition state of the host vehicle based on the driving environment of the host vehicle detected in the driving environment detection step or based on the operation of the driver detected in the operation detection step. When,
A control process for controlling the travel control process and the deceleration control process according to each detection information in the travel environment detection process, the operation detection process, and the transition state detection process,
The control step includes
Based on the transition state of the host vehicle detected in the transition state detection step, it is determined whether or not the control for accelerating to follow the preceding vehicle is inappropriate and to follow the preceding vehicle If the control for accelerating the vehicle is determined to be inappropriate, the travel control step is controlled so as to cancel the constant vehicle distance control even if the constant vehicle distance control is performed by the travel control step, and the deceleration support control is performed. Controlling the deceleration control process so that it can be operated,
When it is detected in the traveling environment detection step that the host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road surface, or the brake pedal of the host vehicle is depressed and the braking operation by the braking device is being performed, and The deceleration support control is temporarily suspended when at least one of instructions instructed during traveling so that vehicle behavior control that stabilizes the behavior of the host vehicle is not performed is detected in the operation detection step. controlling the deceleration control process so as to,
It is detected in the traveling environment detection step that the host vehicle is not traveling on a slippery road surface, and the braking operation by the braking device is released because the brake pedal is not depressed, and the behavior of the host vehicle is When the operation detecting step detects that the vehicle behavior control to be stabilized is instructed, the deceleration control step is controlled so as to cancel the suspension of the deceleration support control;
An inter-vehicle maintenance support method characterized by the above.

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