JP6818046B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle.

As a technique related to cruise control (so-called follow-up control) that controls the running state of the own vehicle so as to keep the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle (inter-vehicle distance) within the set range determined by the target inter-vehicle distance, for example, a patent. Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-199267) is a travel control device that controls the traveling state of the own vehicle based on the relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and is provided in the own vehicle. Based on the transmission device, the reception device of the own vehicle provided at a distance from the transmission device, and the reception strength of the signal transmitted from the transmission device received by the reception device, the signal of the transmission device It is provided with a relative positional relationship acquisition device that acquires the actual damping state and acquires the relative positional relationship based on the acquired damping state and the reception intensity of the signal from the preceding vehicle received by the receiving device. The travel control device is disclosed.

JP-A-2009-199267

By the way, in recent years, in addition to the follow-up driving (Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control) as in the above-mentioned conventional technology, vehicle information such as the vehicle speed and acceleration of the preceding vehicle is acquired by using inter-vehicle communication, and the obtained vehicle. Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), which performs more accurate follow-up driving based on information, is also being put into practical use as one of the advanced driving support technologies, improving the accuracy of follow-up driving and the inter-vehicle time. Improvements in road capacity are being made by shortening the roads.

However, in wireless communication used for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a composite wave of a direct wave propagating linearly between target vehicles and a reflected wave such as ground reflection is received, so that the distance between target vehicles and the surrounding environment are various. The reception status varies greatly depending on the conditions of. For this reason, in some cases, the reception strength required for vehicle-to-vehicle communication may not be obtained, and communication-type follow-up driving may become impossible or unstable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of further improving the stability of communication-type follow-up traveling.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a vehicle-to- vehicle communication unit that acquires vehicle information of another vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle by wireless communication, and reception in wireless communication between the other vehicle and the own vehicle. A reception intensity measuring unit that measures the intensity, an inter-vehicle distance control unit that controls the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit , the other vehicle and the own vehicle. A vehicle-to-vehicle time setting unit for setting an inter-vehicle time between the vehicle and the vehicle is provided , and in the wireless communication, a combined wave of a direct wave and a reflected wave that directly propagates between the other vehicle and the own vehicle is generated by the own vehicle. When the combined wave becomes large or small due to the difference in phase on the receiving side due to the propagation distance of the direct wave and the reflected wave, the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measuring unit changes, and the reception intensity is changed. Based on the vehicle information acquired by the inter-vehicle communication unit, the inter-vehicle control unit has the maximum reception intensity within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range determined to include the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit. The inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the own vehicle is controlled so as to be maximum .

According to the present invention, the stability of communication-type follow-up travel can be further improved.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the whole structure of the vehicle control device schematicly. It is a figure which shows the state of the inter-vehicle distance control processing of the vehicle which is equipped with a vehicle control device schematicly, and is the figure which illustrates the state after the inter-vehicle distance time is adjusted by the inter-vehicle distance control processing. It is a figure which shows the state of the inter-vehicle distance control processing of the vehicle which is equipped with a vehicle control device schematicly, and is the figure which illustrates the case where the own vehicle is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. It is a figure which shows the state of the inter-vehicle distance control processing of the vehicle which is equipped with a vehicle control device schematicly, and is the figure which illustrates the case where the own vehicle is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range, and the inter-vehicle time is not adjusted. It is a flowchart which shows the inter-vehicle distance control process. It is a figure which shows an example of the simulation result about the relationship between the distance between transmission and reception and received power assuming inter-vehicle communication.

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

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the vehicle control device according to the present embodiment. Further, FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrams schematically showing a state of inter-vehicle distance control processing of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device according to the present invention.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, the vehicle control device 1 is roughly composed of an inter-vehicle communication unit 2, an outside world recognition unit 3, an own vehicle behavior recognition unit 4, an inter-vehicle time setting unit 5, and an inter-vehicle control unit 6.

The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 acquires vehicle information of other vehicles (for example, another vehicle 101) around the own vehicle 102 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7 is information on surrounding vehicles (vehicle information: position, speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc.) by wireless communication between vehicles equipped with a dedicated in-vehicle device (radio device) required for vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7. It is a system that obtains vehicle control information and the like and uses the obtained information for driving support and the like as needed, and the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 acquires vehicle information of another vehicle 101 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7. Further, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 has a reception strength measuring unit 2a that measures the reception strength of a signal transmitted from another vehicle 101 in the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7. The vehicle information of the other vehicle 101 obtained by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7 and the reception intensity (measurement result) obtained by the reception intensity measurement unit 2a are sent to the vehicle-to-vehicle control unit 6.

The outside world recognition unit 3 analyzes information obtained from sensors such as radars and cameras mounted on the own vehicle 102 (hereinafter referred to as radar camera 8), and is detected and imaged by the radar camera 8. It recognizes and discriminates vehicles, obstacles, road signs, etc., and acquires information such as the relative position and relative speed between them and the own vehicle 102. Further, based on this information, it is possible to acquire the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle (preceding vehicle) 101 traveling in front of the own vehicle 102 and the own vehicle 102. The information obtained by the outside world recognition unit 3 is sent to the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6.

The own vehicle behavior recognition unit 4 represents the behavior of the own vehicle 102 based on the information obtained by the own vehicle sensor 9 such as the gyro sensor, the wheel speed sensor, the steering angle sensor, and the acceleration sensor mounted on the own vehicle 102. , Wheel speed, steering angle, acceleration, etc. are acquired, and the obtained information is sent to the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6.

The inter-vehicle time setting unit 5 performs inter-vehicle distance control processing (for example, based on an input value input by an inter-vehicle time input unit 10 (for example, a driver input switch installed near the driver's seat) provided in the own vehicle 102. In (described later), a target value of the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle 101 (preceding vehicle) traveling in front of the own vehicle 102 and the own vehicle 102 is set, and the set value (target value) is output to the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6. .. As the input value input by the inter-vehicle time input unit 10, in addition to inputting a specific numerical value, for example, "large" which takes a large inter-vehicle distance, "small" which takes a small inter-vehicle distance, and so on. It is conceivable to input in stages, such as "medium", which is the inter-vehicle distance between them.

The inter-vehicle distance control unit 6 performs inter-vehicle distance control processing based on information from the inter-vehicle distance communication unit 2, the reception intensity measurement unit 2a, the outside world recognition unit 3, the own vehicle behavior recognition unit 4, and the inter-vehicle time setting unit 5. The inter-vehicle distance control process in the present embodiment determines the inter-vehicle distance (inter-vehicle time) between the other vehicle 101 (preceding vehicle) traveling in front of the own vehicle 102 and the own vehicle 102 based on the set value (target value) of the inter-vehicle time. The vehicle obtained by controlling the running state of the own vehicle 102 so as to keep it within the set range (inter-vehicle time adjustment range) and acquiring vehicle information such as the vehicle speed and acceleration of the preceding vehicle 101 using the inter-vehicle communication 7. It controls the running state of the own vehicle 102 more accurately based on the information. The inter-vehicle distance control unit 6 outputs a control signal for controlling the traveling state of the own vehicle 102 as a result of the inter-vehicle distance control process.

Here, the details of the inter-vehicle distance control processing in the present embodiment will be described.

2 to 4 schematically show a state of inter-vehicle distance control processing of the own vehicle 102 equipped with the vehicle control device 1 according to the present invention. For example, a road 100 such as an automobile-only road is referred to as another vehicle 101 and The case where the own vehicle 102 is traveling forward (to the left in the figure) at a certain interval is shown. Further, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state after the inter-vehicle time is adjusted by the inter-vehicle distance control process, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a case where the own vehicle 102 is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where the own vehicle 102 is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range and the inter-vehicle time is not adjusted.

In the inter-vehicle distance control process, processing is performed so as to keep the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle 102 within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range determined to include the set value (target value), and further, within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. Adjusting the inter-vehicle time Performs the inter-vehicle time adjustment process. The inter-vehicle time adjustment range can be set in various ways depending on the application and environment of the vehicle that performs the inter-vehicle distance control processing, and is not limited to one. For example, the inter-vehicle time setting value (target value) is 5 seconds. If so, the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is set so as to straddle before and after the set value (target value) such as 2.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds in the inter-vehicle time. The inter-vehicle time adjustment range does not have to be even in the front-rear direction (up and down) with respect to the set value (target value), and is changed based on the running condition of the own vehicle 102 and the surrounding environment. Is also good.

The inter-vehicle time is, for example, the time required for the own vehicle 102 to pass there (a certain position) after the preceding vehicle (another vehicle 101) passes a certain position on the road, and the inter-vehicle time is controlled. The distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is controlled to be a desired distance (target vehicle-to-vehicle distance).

In the inter-vehicle time adjustment process, the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle 102 is set to the maximum state (state in FIG. 2) of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7 within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. Performs the process of adjusting. Needless to say, even when the reception intensity is maximized at the end of the inter-vehicle time adjustment range (maximum or minimum inter-vehicle time), the preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle are similarly so as to maximize the reception intensity. The process of adjusting the inter-vehicle time with 102 is performed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the inter-vehicle distance control process is started when the own vehicle 102 is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range, the traveling state of the own vehicle 102 is controlled and the inter-vehicle time is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. Further, the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle 102 is adjusted so that the reception strength of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7 is maximized (the state shown in FIG. 2). ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, even when the own vehicle 102 is in the inter-vehicle time adjustment range at the start of the inter-vehicle distance control process, the own vehicle 102 travels while acquiring the current value of the signal reception intensity related to the inter-vehicle communication 7. The preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle so as to control the state to change the inter-vehicle time, acquire the change in the reception intensity in the inter-vehicle time adjustment range, and finally reach the maximum reception intensity state (the state shown in FIG. 2). Adjust the inter-vehicle time to and from 102.

In the description of FIGS. 2 to 4, the case where the inter-vehicle control process is performed so that the reception strength of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7 is maximized within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is shown as an example. When it is not appropriate to change the inter-vehicle time over the entire adjustment range and acquire the reception intensity information (for example, when the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is wide or the reception intensity is lower than the reception sensitivity within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range). If there is a state), it is conceivable to control the reception intensity so that it becomes the inter-vehicle time showing the maximum value.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the inter-vehicle distance control process.

In FIG. 5, the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6 has another vehicle (preceding vehicle) 101 capable of inter-vehicle inter-vehicle communication in front of the own vehicle 102 based on the information obtained from the inter-vehicle distance communication unit 2 and the outside world recognition unit 3. It is determined whether or not (step S100), and if the determination result is NO, the process is terminated. Further, in step S100, when the determination result is YES, that is, when it is determined that there is another vehicle 101 capable of inter-vehicle communication, a monitor, a lamp, a speaker, or the like provided near the driver's seat is notified (not shown). The driver is notified by means that the inter-vehicle distance control is possible (step S110). Subsequently, the set value (target value) of the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit 5 is acquired based on the input value operated by the driver's inter-vehicle time input unit 10 (step S120), and the obtained set value is obtained. The inter-vehicle time adjustment range is set based on (step S130). Subsequently, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the own vehicle 102 is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range (step S140), and if the determination result is NO, the inter-vehicle time is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. The running state of the own vehicle 102 is controlled (step S141). If the determination result in step S140 is YES, or when the process of step S141 is completed, the inter-vehicle time adjustment process (steps S150 to S160) includes the inter-vehicle time adjustment (step S150) and the vehicle within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. It is determined whether or not the reception strength of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication is maximized within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range (step S160), and if the determination result in step S160 is NO, the inter-vehicle time adjustment in step S150 is performed. repeat. Further, when the determination result in step S160 is YES, that is, when the reception intensity reaches the maximum value, the process ends.

The effects of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

In recent years, in addition to following driving (Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control), vehicle information such as the vehicle speed and acceleration of the preceding vehicle is acquired using vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and more accurate tracking is performed based on the obtained vehicle information. Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), which performs driving, is also being put into practical use as one of the advanced driving support technologies, and the accuracy of following driving is improved and the road accommodation rate is improved by shortening the inter-vehicle time. Etc. are planned. However, in wireless communication used for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a composite wave of a direct wave propagating linearly between target vehicles and a reflected wave such as ground reflection is received, so that the distance between target vehicles and the surrounding environment are various. The reception status varies greatly depending on the conditions of.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a simulation result regarding the relationship between the distance between transmission and reception and the received power assuming inter-vehicle communication. In FIG. 6, the vertical axis shows the received power of the signal on the receiving side, and the horizontal axis shows the distance between the transmitting side and the receiving side (distance between transmission and reception).

As shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the received power (corresponding to the reception intensity) changes depending on the distance between transmission and reception. This is because in wireless communication used for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a composite wave of a direct wave propagating linearly between target vehicles and a reflected wave such as ground reflection is received, so it depends on the propagation distance of the direct wave and the reflected wave. This is because the composite wave becomes large or small due to the difference in phase on the receiving side. For example, in the parts A and B of FIG. 6, it is considered that the reception sensitivity is lower than the (minimum) reception sensitivity assumed on the receiving side of the inter-vehicle communication, so that the distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle (inter-vehicle distance) in which the inter-vehicle communication is performed. If the time) falls within such a range, it is possible that the reception strength required for vehicle-to-vehicle communication cannot be obtained, and communication-type follow-up driving becomes impossible or unstable.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 that acquires the vehicle information of the other vehicle 101 traveling around the own vehicle 102 by wireless communication, and the wireless communication between the other vehicle 101 and the own vehicle 102. The reception intensity measuring unit 2a that measures the reception intensity in the vehicle, and the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6 that controls the relative position of the own vehicle 102 with respect to the other vehicle 101, such as the inter-vehicle time, based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit 2a. Therefore, the stability of the communication type follow-up running can be further improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to the one including all the described configurations.
Further, each of the above configurations, functions and the like may be realized by designing a part or all of them by, for example, an integrated circuit. Further, each of the above configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by the processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

1 Vehicle control device, 2 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 2a Reception strength measurement unit, 3 External world recognition unit, 4 Own vehicle behavior recognition unit, 5 Vehicle-to-vehicle time setting unit, 6 Vehicle-to-vehicle control unit, 7 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, 8 Radar camera, 9 Own vehicle sensor, 10 Inter-vehicle time input unit, 100 Road, 101 Other vehicle (preceding vehicle), 102 Own vehicle

Claims (3)

The inter-vehicle communication unit that acquires vehicle information of other vehicles traveling in front of the own vehicle by wireless communication,
A reception strength measuring unit that measures the reception strength in wireless communication between the other vehicle and the own vehicle,
An inter-vehicle distance control unit that controls the relative position of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle based on the reception strength measured by the reception strength measurement unit .
An inter-vehicle time setting unit that sets an inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the own vehicle,
Equipped with a,
In the wireless communication, a composite wave of a direct wave and a reflected wave directly propagating between the other vehicle and the own vehicle is received by the own vehicle, and on the receiving side due to the propagation distance of the direct wave and the reflected wave. The reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measuring unit changes as the composite wave becomes larger or smaller due to the difference in phase.
Based on the vehicle information acquired by the inter-vehicle communication unit, the inter-vehicle control unit has the maximum reception intensity within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range determined to include the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit. Alternatively, a vehicle control device characterized in that the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the own vehicle is controlled so as to be maximized . In the vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
Prior Symbol vehicle control unit, so that the reception intensity at the end portion of the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is maximum, the vehicle control apparatus characterized by controlling the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the own vehicle. In the vehicle control device according to claim 1 ,
Prior Symbol vehicle control unit, as before Symbol reception intensity becomes maximum, the vehicle control apparatus characterized by controlling the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the own vehicle.

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