JP7414653B2 - Steering condition determination device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steering state determination device that determines the steering state of a helmsman.

In recent years, progress has been made in the development of vehicles that achieve so-called Level 3 or higher autonomous driving, in which a system controls all aspects of driving. On the other hand, even if the vehicle is capable of self-driving, the driver may wish to steer the vehicle when he or she wants to enjoy driving or when making an emergency evasion.

Patent Document 1 describes a technology that can detect with high reliability whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel even during automatic driving.

With such technology, even during automatic driving, it is possible to read the driver's intention based on whether the driver is holding the steering wheel, and to reflect that intention in stopping automatic driving.

JP 2018-1907 Publication

However, the driver's intention is not to choose between automated driving or manual driving, but to prepare for the transition to manual driving soon, or to continue automated driving but accidentally touches the steering wheel. This can be complicated, such as when something happens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering state determination device that can precisely determine the intentions of a steering person.

In order to achieve the above object, a steering state determination device that is one aspect of the present invention includes a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of a steering member, and a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of a steering member, and a steering state determination device that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of a steering member. Based on information from the steering detecting section, the contact detecting section, and the steering detecting section, the steering member is in a non-contact state in which the steering member is not in contact with the predetermined part of the steering member and is not steering; A contact state in which the steering member is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but no steering is being performed, a grasping state in which the steerer is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and steering the steering member, and a grip state in which the steerer is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member. A determination unit that determines that the vehicle is in one of the unstable states in which the vehicle is not in contact but is being steered.

According to the present invention, the intentions of the helmsman can be determined in detail.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating transition conditions for determination by the determination unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating transition conditions for determination by the determination unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the circulating storage unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually showing determination information according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a steering system including a steering state determination device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing changes over time in the determination results of the determination unit according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of the operation of the contact detection section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a steering state determination device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, positional relationships of the components, connection states, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. In addition, although multiple inventions may be described below as one embodiment, constituent elements not stated in a claim will be explained as arbitrary constituent elements with respect to the claimed invention. ing. Further, the drawings are schematic diagrams with appropriate emphasis, omission, and ratio adjustment for explaining the present invention, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device. The steering state determination device 100 of the first embodiment is installed in a vehicle that can switch between automatic driving and manual driving. As shown in the figure, the steering state determination device 100 is a device that determines the steering state based on the contact of the steering person with the steering member 200, and includes a contact detection section 110, a steering detection section 120, and a determination section 130. We are prepared. In the case of the first embodiment, the steering state determination device 100 further includes a power calculation section 140 and a time measurement section 150.

The steering member 200 is a member operated by a steering person for steering during manual driving. The shape of the steering member 200 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a wheel shape. In the case of the first embodiment, the steering member 200 includes an annular rim portion 201 and spoke portions 202 that connect the rim portion 201 and the rotating shaft.

The contact detection unit 110 detects that the steering person has contacted a predetermined portion of the steering member 200 based on a signal from a contact sensor 210 attached to the steering member 200, and outputs a detection result. In the case of the first embodiment, if the contact detection unit 110 detects that the helmsman is in contact with the contact sensor 210, it outputs an ON signal that is contact information, and otherwise it outputs a non-contact signal. Outputs an OFF signal which is information.

Contact sensor 210 is attached to a predetermined portion of steering member 200 such as a steering wheel. In the case of the first embodiment, the predetermined portion to which the contact sensor 210 is attached is the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion 201 of the steering member 200, and extends over the entire circumference of the rim portion 201. On the other hand, the contact sensor 210 is not attached to the spoke portion 202. The type of contact sensor 210 is not particularly limited, and any type, such as a capacitance type, a resistive film type, or a mechanical type, may be employed. In the case of the first embodiment, the contact sensor 210 is of a capacitive type.

The steering detection unit 120 detects steering based on the steering torque applied to the steering member 200 by the steering person. In the case of the first embodiment, a torque acquisition means 220 and a rotation angle acquisition means 230 are attached to the steering member 200, and the steering detection section 120 detects the torque and rotation angle detected by the torque acquisition means 220. Based on the steering angle detected by the acquisition means 230, a torque estimation observer is used to estimate a steering torque close to the true value after removing disturbances such as reverse input torque from steered wheels. In the case of the first embodiment, the steering detection section 120 detects steering and outputs an ON signal to the determination section 130 when the steering torque is equal to or greater than the torque threshold value. Furthermore, if the state in which the steering torque is less than the torque threshold continues for a first predetermined period of time (for example, 2 seconds) or more, the steering detection section 120 detects non-steering and outputs an OFF signal to the determination section 130. That is, in the case of the first embodiment, there is a delay of the first predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) between when the steering detection unit 120 detects ON (steering) and OFF (non-steering). By intentionally providing such a delay time, it is possible to prevent the steering detection unit 120 from outputting an OFF signal when the steering torque becomes zero for a short time due to turning back the steering member 200, etc. can.

Note that "steering" includes cases in which the helmsman rotates the steering member 200 with the intention of steering, and cases in which the helmsman slightly rotates the steering member 200 with the intention of making the vehicle go straight (fine steering near the midpoint). ), and cases where the steering member 200 is rotated unintentionally by the steering person. Among the above cases, the torque threshold is set so that an ON signal is output from the steering detection unit 120 in “a case where the steering person slightly rotates the steering member 200 with the intention of driving the vehicle straight ahead”.

Further, the steering detection section 120 may use the torque detected by the torque acquisition means 220 as the steering torque.

The torque acquisition means 220 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire information related to the torque acting on the steering member 200.

The rotation angle acquisition means 230 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire the steering angle that is the rotation angle of the steering member 200 from the reference position when the steering person rotates the steering member 200. Specifically, for example, a rotary encoder can be used as the rotation angle acquisition means 230. Further, the rotation angle acquisition means 230 may acquire a rotation angle exceeding ±360 degrees as the steering angle.

The clock section 150 is a processing section that measures time. Although the timekeeping method of the timekeeping unit 150 is not particularly limited, the time may be measured based on the sampling period of the steering state determination device 100, for example. Further, the time is not an absolute time, but may be a time specific to the steering state determination device 100. For example, one sampling period may be set as time 1.

The power calculation unit 140 acquires a steering angular velocity indicating the angular velocity of the steering member 200 based on the steering angle obtained from the rotation angle acquisition unit 230 and the time obtained from the time measurement unit 150. Specifically, for example, the power calculation unit 140 takes the number of pulses obtained from the rotation angle acquisition means 230 during one sampling period of the steering state determination device 100 as the amount of change in the steering angle, and acquires this value as the steering angular velocity. I don't mind if you do. In this case as well, it is assumed that the steering angle is divided by the time obtained from the timer 150. The power calculating unit 140 multiplies the obtained steering angular velocity by the steering torque obtained from the torque obtaining means 220, calculates the obtained product as a steering power (steering degree), and outputs the calculated steering power.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing transition conditions for determination by the determination unit. The broken lines shown in the figure indicate one-way transitions, and the solid lines indicate two-way transitions. Further, in FIG. 2, an image diagram showing the relationship between the steering member 200 and the steering person's hands corresponding to each state is shown on the right side of the block diagram.

The determination unit 130 determines, based on information from the contact detection unit 110 and the steering detection unit 120, that the steering person is not in contact with the contact sensor 210 attached to the rim portion 201 of the steering member 200 and is not steering. A non-contact state 301, a contact state 302 in which the helmer is in contact with the contact sensor 210 but not steering, a held state (grip state) 303 in which the helmer is in contact with the rim portion 201 and is steering; It is determined that the vehicle is in one of the unstable states 304 in which the steering person is not in contact with the contact sensor 210 but is steering the vehicle.

In the case of the first embodiment, when determining that the steering member 200 is in the steering holding state (gripping state) 303, the determining unit 130 further determines that the steering member 200 is in a predetermined position when the steering member 200 is in the steering state. When an OFF signal indicating non-contact information indicating that the steering wheel is not in contact with the part is acquired, the provisional state 305 is determined to be none of the non-contact state 301, contact state 302, rudder holding state (grasping state) 303, and unstable state 304. .

The determining unit 130 further determines that the steering is in a holding state (gripping state) 303 in which the steerer is steering while contacting the rim unit 201, and the steering power obtained from the power calculating unit is greater than or equal to the power threshold. In this case, it is determined that the steering state (gripping state) 306 is present. Further, the determination unit 130 determines whether the steering state 303 is a held steering state (grasping state) in which the steering person is in contact with the rim portion 201 and is steering the vehicle, and if the steering power is less than the power threshold. judge. In other words, the steering state (gripping state) 306 and the steering holding state 303 are modes of a gripping state in which the steering person is in contact with the rim portion 201 and steering the vehicle.

Further, when the determination unit 130 obtains an OFF signal indicating non-contact information from the contact detection unit 110 while determining that the steering state (grip state) 306 is present, the determination unit 130 determines that the state is a provisional state 305 .

The specific judgment conditions of the judgment unit 130 in the first embodiment are as follows. Note that the numbers in parentheses correspond to the numbers in parentheses shown in FIG.

(1) The determination unit 130 enters the initial state 300 when the vehicle system is started, and in the initial state 300 determines that the steering state is a non-contact state 301.

(2) When the non-contact state 301 is determined, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 304 exists. do.

(3) When the non-contact state 301 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the contact state 302 is present. .

(4) In the case where the non-contact state 301 is determined, when the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, the determination unit 130 determines the held steering state (grip state) 303 It is determined that

(5) When the contact state 302 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is ON, the determination section 130 determines that the unstable state 304 exists. .

(6) When the contact state 302 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. .

(7) When the contact state 302 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection section 120 is ON, the determination section 130 determines that the state is in the held steering state (gripping state) 303. It is determined that there is.

(8) In the case where it is determined that the steering state is held (grip state) 303, when the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 It is determined that

(9) If the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF when it is determined that the steering is in the held state (grip state) 303, the determination unit 130 determines that the state is in the contact state 302. It is determined that there is.

(10) In the case where it is determined that the steering state is held (grip state) 303, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 303 It is not determined that this is the case, but it is determined that the temporary state 305 is present.

(11) When the grip state (steering state) 303 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is greater than or equal to the power threshold, the determining unit 130 determines that the steering state (gripping state) 306 is present.

(12) When the steering state (gripping state) 306 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is If the power is less than the threshold value, the determination unit 130 determines that the steering state 303 is present.

(13) If the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON when it is determined to be the steering state (grasping state) 306, the determination unit 130 is in the provisional state 305. It is determined that

(14) When the provisional state 305 is determined, the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is ON, that is, the provisional state 305 remains for a second predetermined time (≧first If the condition continues for a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 seconds) or more, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 304 exists. By setting the second predetermined time as a condition for determination, it is possible to cope with the delay from when the steering detection section 120 detects the turning state from ON to turning OFF when the actual steering torque applied by the driver approaches zero. can. Note that if no delay occurs, the transition to each state may be made without passing through the provisional state 305.

(15) When the provisional state 305 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. .

(16) When the provisional state 305 is determined, and the output from the contact detection section 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the contact state 302 is present.

(17) When the provisional state 305 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is less than the power threshold In this case, the determination unit 130 determines that the steering wheel is in a held state (gripping state) 303.

(18) When the provisional state 305 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is greater than or equal to the power threshold In this case, the steering state (gripping state) 306 is determined.

(19) When the unstable state 304 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. do.

(20) When the unstable state 304 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the contact state 302 is present. .

(21) When the unstable state 304 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is the power threshold If the value is less than 1, the determining unit 130 determines that the steering condition is held (gripping condition) 303.

(22) When the unstable state 304 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is the power threshold In the above case, the steering state (gripping state) 306 is determined.

According to the steering state determination device 100 according to the first embodiment, a non-contact state 301, a contact state 302, a held steering state (gripping state) 303, an unstable state 304, a steering state (grasping state) 306, and an auxiliary It is possible to perform control in detail in accordance with the steering state of the helmsman in six stages of provisional states 305.

Thereby, the determination unit 130 outputs a signal corresponding to each state to the control device 240, so that the vehicle can smoothly switch between automatic operation and manual operation.

Note that the control device 240 is a device that performs main control of the vehicle including automatic driving control. Specifically, examples include engine control that controls the engine, brake control that controls four-wheel brake devices, and steering control that controls power steering provided in the steering system of the vehicle.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, another embodiment of the steering state determination device 100 will be described. Note that the steering state determination device 100 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the steering state determination device 100 according to the first embodiment, but the determination method of the determination unit 130 is different. 2, the determination method in the determination unit 130 will be explained.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing transition conditions for determination by the determination unit. The broken lines shown in the figure indicate one-way transitions, and the solid lines indicate two-way transitions. Further, the numbers in parentheses shown in FIG. 3 correspond to the numbers in parentheses below.

In the case of the second embodiment, the determination unit 130 includes a steering intention no mode 311 and a steering intention mode 312. In the no-intention steering mode 311, the determination unit 130 selectively determines a non-contact state 301, an unstable state 304, a temporary state 305, and an intentional no-contact state 307 in which the vehicle is in contact with the contact sensor 210 without any intention of steering. . In addition, in the steering intention mode 312, the determination unit 130 determines whether the steering state (grasping state) 303, the steering state (grasping state) 306, and the intentional contact which is in contact with the contact sensor 210 with the intention of steering are detected. A state 308 is selectively determined.

The specific judgment conditions of the judgment unit 130 in the second embodiment are as follows.

The determining unit 130 determines the steering state to be the provisional state 305 when the vehicle system is started.

(31) In the no steering intention mode 311, when the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, a transition is made to the steering intention mode 312.

(32) In the steering intention mode 312, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF, the mode changes to the steering intention no mode 311.

Immediately after transitioning from the steering intention mode 312 to the no steering intention mode 311, the determination unit 130 enters a state determined to be a provisional state 305. Immediately after transitioning from the no steering intention mode 311 to the steering intention mode 312, the determination unit 130 performs the determination again as the initial state 310.

The specific determination method of the determining unit 130 in the no steering intention mode 311 is as follows.

(33) When the provisional state 305 is determined, the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is ON, that is, the provisional state 305 remains for the second predetermined time (≧first If the condition continues for a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 seconds) or more, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 304 exists.

(34) When the provisional state 305 is determined and the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. .

(35) When the provisional state 305 is determined and the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF, the determination unit 130 determines that the intended non-contact state 307 is present. do.

(36) When the non-contact state 301 is determined, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 304 exists. do.

(37) When the non-contact state 301 is determined, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF, the determination unit 130 determines that the intended non-contact state 307 is present. judge.

(38) When the unstable state 304 is determined, if the output from the contact detection section 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. do.

(39) When the unstable state 304 is determined and the output from the contact detection section 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection section 120 is OFF, the determination section 130 determines that the intended non-contact state 307 is present. judge.

(40) When the intentional no-contact state 307 is determined, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, the determination unit 130 determines that the unstable state 304 is present. judge.

(41) When the intentional non-contact state 307 is determined, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is OFF and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF, the determination unit 130 determines that the non-contact state 301 is present. judge.

The specific determination method of the determining unit 130 in the steering intention mode 312 is as follows.

(42) In the initial state 310, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is less than the power threshold, the determination unit 130 It is determined that the steering wheel is in the holding state (gripping state) 303.

(43) In the initial state 310, if the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is greater than or equal to the power threshold, the determination unit 130 is determined to be in the steering state (gripping state) 306.

(44) When the intentional contact state 308 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is the power If it is less than the threshold, the determination unit 130 determines that the steering is in a held state (grip state) 303.

(45) When the intentional contact state 308 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is the power If it is greater than or equal to the threshold, the determination unit 130 determines that the steering state (gripping state) 306 is present.

(46) When it is determined that the steering is in the held state (grip state) 303, and the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF, the determination unit 130 determines that the state is in an intentional contact state. It is determined that the number is 308.

(47) When it is determined that the steering is in the held state (gripping state) 303, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is greater than or equal to the power threshold, the determining unit 130 determines that the steering state (gripping state) 306 is present.

(48) When the steering state (grip state) 306 is determined, the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON, the output from the steering detection unit 120 is ON, and the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit 140 is If the power rate is less than the threshold value, the determination unit 130 determines that the steering state (gripping state) 303 is present.

(49) When the steering state (grasping state) 306 is determined, and the output from the contact detection unit 110 is ON and the output from the steering detection unit 120 is OFF, the determination unit 130 determines the intentional contact state 308 It is determined that

According to the steering state determination device 100 according to the second embodiment, since the steering state determination device 100 includes the no steering intention mode 311 and the steering intention mode 312, the information on whether to perform automatic operation or manual operation is transmitted to the control device 240. can be output accurately. Specifically, the determination unit 130 can output information on the non-contact state 301, the intentional non-contact state 307, the unstable state 304, and the provisional state 305 in the no-intention steering mode 311 to the control device 240. Further, in the steering intention mode 312, the determination unit 130 outputs information on the intention contact state 308, the steering holding state (grasping state) 303, the steering state (grasping state) 306, and the initial state 310 to the control device 240. Can be done. Therefore, in each mode, control can be executed in detail in accordance with the steering state of the helmsman.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, another embodiment of the steering state determination device 100 will be described. Note that parts (portions) having the same functions, functions, shapes, mechanisms, and structures as those in Embodiments 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the following description will focus on the points that are different from Embodiments 1 and 2, and the description of the same contents may be omitted.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device according to the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, the steering state determination device 100 according to the third embodiment includes a circulating storage section 160 and an abnormality information acquisition section 170 in addition to the steering state determination device 100 according to the first embodiment. .

The circulation storage unit 160 is a processing unit that functions as a so-called ring buffer that stores the determination results of the determination unit 130 over a predetermined period of time as determination information in the storage device 250 and sequentially updates the determination information as time passes.

The abnormality information acquisition unit 170 is a processing unit that acquires abnormality information indicating an abnormality of the vehicle such as the occurrence of an accident from another ECU (Electronic Control Unit) installed in the vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the circulating storage section. As shown in the figure, the circulation storage unit 160 counts up the counter (S101), and determines whether a new determination result has been obtained from the determination unit 130 (S102). The circulation storage unit 160 continues counting up until a new determination result is acquired (S102: No), and when a new determination result is acquired (S102: Yes), the abnormality information acquisition unit 170 determines whether or not the abnormality information has been acquired. It is determined whether or not (S103).

If the abnormality information acquisition unit 170 has not acquired abnormality information (S103: No), the circulation storage unit 160 updates the determination information stored in the storage device 250 (S104: determination information update). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, at time t1, the circulation storage unit 160 stores the determination result of the determination unit 130 during a predetermined period of time T from the current time t1 in the storage device 250 as determination information h1. . Note that the dots (black circles) in the figure indicate the determination results of the determination unit 130. Next, at time t2, the circulation storage unit 160 acquires a new determination result from the determination unit 130 and updates the information from the determination information h1 to the new determination information h2. The circulation storage unit 160 sequentially updates the determination information until the abnormality information acquisition unit 170 acquires the abnormality information.

When the abnormality information acquisition unit 170 acquires the abnormality information (S103: Yes), the latest determination information at the time when the abnormality information was acquired is fixed (S105: determination information fixation). Fixation means to retain the latest determination information at the time when the abnormality information is acquired, and includes, for example, stopping update of the circulation storage unit 160. Further, the circulation storage unit 160 may fix the stored information by storing the latest determination information at the time when the abnormality information is acquired in a separate storage area.

As described above, according to the steering state determining device 100 according to the third embodiment, since the operating state of the steering member 200 by the driver immediately before an abnormality such as an accident occurs can be maintained, the driver's behavior after the abnormality occurs can be maintained. It becomes possible to verify.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, another embodiment of the steering state determination device 100 will be described. Note that parts (portions) having the same functions, functions, shapes, mechanisms, and structures as those in Embodiments 1, 2, and 3 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the following description will focus on the points that are different from Embodiments 1, 2, and 3, and the description of the same contents may be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a steering system including a steering state determination device. The steering system 400 is a system in which the amount of operation of the steering member 200 by the driver is converted into a signal (information), and the ECU 440 that receives the signal steers the steered wheels 420 by controlling the steering mechanism 430. .

The steering mechanism 430 is a mechanism for steering the steered wheels 420 using a steering motor 432 controlled by the ECU 440 as a drive source, and in the case of this embodiment, a rack shaft 431, a steering motor 432, It includes a steered reduction gear 433 equipped with a pinion shaft that amplifies the rotational driving force of the rudder motor 432 and transmits it to the rack shaft 431, and a tie rod 434 that connects the linearly moving rack shaft 431 and the steered wheels 420. There is.

The steering system 400 also includes a reaction motor that provides an appropriate steering feeling to the driver operating the steering member 200 during manual driving, and automatically rotates the steering member 200 during automatic driving. A reaction force generating means 260 is provided.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing each function of the steering state determination device according to the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, the steering state determining device 100 according to the fourth embodiment includes a transmission ratio changing section 180 in addition to the steering state determining device 100 according to the first embodiment.

The transmission ratio changing unit 180 changes the transmission ratio, which is the ratio of the rotation angle of the steering member 200 to the turning angle of the steered wheels 420, according to the determination result of the determination unit 130 ((transmission ratio) = (steering member 200 (rotation angle of the steered wheels 420)/(steering angle of the steered wheels 420)). The transmission ratio changing section 180 outputs the changed transmission ratio to the reaction force generating means 260. The reaction force generating means 260 rotates the steering member 200 according to the turning angle of the turning wheels 420 based on the acquired transmission ratio.

For example, the transmission ratio changing unit 180 digitizes the determination result of the determining unit 130 as the amount of involvement of the driver in the steering member 200, as shown in parentheses in FIG. Then, at the start of automatic operation, the value is set to 1, and the involvement amounts in which the determination results are quantified are sequentially added to 1 for integration, and a transmission ratio according to the integration results is output to the reaction force generation means 260. Note that when the integration result becomes 0, it remains 0 even if a negative contribution occurs. The maximum value of the amount of involvement is saturated at 1, and when the amount of involvement exceeds 1, it is maintained at 1. The minimum value of the amount of involvement can be arbitrarily set between 0 and 1, and if the amount of involvement is less than the minimum value, the minimum value is maintained. The transmission ratio changing unit 180 calculates the transmission ratio using the formula (transmission ratio) = (normal gear ratio) * (involvement amount) from the numerically expressed amount of involvement and the normal gear ratio (default gear ratio). do.

As described above, at the start of automatic driving, the rotation angle of the steering member 200 is synchronized in accordance with the turning angle of the steered wheels 420 in the same manner as during manual driving, and if the driver does not touch the steering member 200, the steering member 200 is gradually rotated. 200's rotation amount decreases and stops. According to this, when stable automatic driving continues, it is possible to suppress the annoyance caused to the driver due to the steering member 200 stopping. In addition, when the amount of involvement is small, the transmission ratio is small, so the steering angle is also small, and the direction of progress of automatic driving can be communicated to the driver with a minimum amount of rotation.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments described above. For example, the embodiments of the present invention may be realized by arbitrarily combining the components described in this specification or by excluding some of the components. The present invention also includes modifications obtained by making various modifications to the above-described embodiments that a person skilled in the art can conceive without departing from the gist of the present invention, that is, the meaning of the words written in the claims. It will be done.

For example, the steering state determination device 100 may not include the timer 150 and the power calculation unit 140. Further, a parameter other than the steering power (for example, steering torque) may be used as the steering degree. Even in these cases, the steering state determination device 100 is capable of finely determining the steering state of the helmsman.

Furthermore, the steering member 200 may include multiple types of contact sensors 210. This makes it possible to determine the contact state more precisely.

Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the steering state determination device 100 is installed in a vehicle capable of switching between automatic operation and manual operation has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a vehicle equipped with LKA (Lane Keep Assist) when determining whether to enable or disable LKA control. For example, the LKA control may be enabled in the grasping state or the steering state, and may be disabled in the non-contact state.

Further, the value of the contact threshold value, which is a criterion for the contact detection unit 110, may be changed based on the output signal of the contact detection unit 110 and the output signal of the steering detection unit 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the output signal of the contact detection section 110 is ON (S201: Yes) and the output signal of the steering detection section 120 is ON (S202: Yes), or the output signal of the contact detection section 110 is is OFF (absent) (S201: No) and when the output signal of the steering detection unit 120 is OFF (absent) (S203: No), the contact threshold value is not changed. When the output signal of the contact detection unit 110 is ON (S201: Yes) and the output signal of the steering detection unit 120 is OFF (No) (S202: No), the contact threshold of the contact detection unit is changed from B to A (B <A) Do (S204). When the output signal of the contact detection section 110 is OFF (absent) (S201: No) and when the output signal of the steering detection section 120 is ON (S203: Yes), the contact threshold of the contact detection section is changed from A to B. Change (B<A) (S205). According to this, the contact threshold value can be changed so that the contact state is detected before the steering is detected, and it is possible to optimize the detection order.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in vehicles such as automobiles, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery that can be operated according to the driver's intention.

100... Steering state determination device, 110... Contact detection section, 120... Steering detection section, 130... Judgment section, 140... Power calculation section, 150... Time measurement section, 160... Circulation storage section, 170... Abnormality information acquisition section, 180 ...Transmission ratio changing unit, 200...Steering member, 201...Rim part, 202...Spoke part, 210...Contact sensor, 220...Torque acquisition means, 230...Rotation angle acquisition means, 240...Control device, 250...Storage device, 260 ...Reaction force generating means, 301... Non-contact state, 302... Contact state, 303... Grasping state, 304... Unstable state, 305... Temporary state, 306... Steering state, 307... Intended non-contact state, 308... Intended contact State, 310... Initial state, 311... No steering intention mode, 312... Steering intention mode, 400... Steering system, 420... Steered wheel, 430... Steering mechanism, 431... Rack shaft, 432... Steering motor, 433... Steering reduction gear, 434...tie rod, 440...ECU

Claims (10)

a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of the steering member;
a steering detection unit that detects steering by a steering person based on steering torque;
Based on information from the contact detection unit and the steering detection unit, a non-contact state in which the steering person is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and no steering is being performed, and a non-contact state in which the steering person is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member a contact state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering; a grasping state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and steering; and a grip state in which the driver is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering a determination unit that determines that the device is in one of the unstable states ;
The determination unit includes:
When the gripping state is determined, when non-contact information indicating that the steering person is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member from the contact detection unit and steering information of the steering person from the steering detection unit are acquired, It is determined that the state is a temporary state that is neither a non-contact state, a contact state, a grasping state, nor an unstable state.
Steering condition determination device. a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of the steering member;
a steering detection unit that detects steering by a steering person based on steering torque;
Based on information from the contact detection unit and the steering detection unit, a non-contact state in which the steering person is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and no steering is being performed, and a non-contact state in which the steering person is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member a contact state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering; a grasping state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and steering; and a grip state in which the driver is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering a determination unit that determines that the state is in one of the unstable states;
A timing section that measures time;
A power calculation unit that acquires a steering angular velocity based on the steering angle obtained from the steering detection unit and the time obtained from the time measurement unit, and calculates a steering power based on the steering torque and the steering angular velocity.
The steering detection section includes:
Detects steering according to steering torque and steering angle,
The determination unit includes:
calculating a steering degree based on the steering torque;
If the steering member is in a grasping state in which the steering member is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and is steering the steering member, and the degree of steering is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the steering state is determined;
If the steering member is in a grasping state in which the steering member is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and is steering the steering member, and the steering degree is less than a predetermined threshold value, the steering member is determined to be in a holding state;
The steering state and the steering state are determined using the steering power obtained from the power calculation unit as the steering degree.
Steering condition determination device. a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of the steering member;
a steering detection unit that detects steering by a steering person based on steering torque;
Based on information from the contact detection unit and the steering detection unit, a non-contact state in which the steering person is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and no steering is being performed, and a non-contact state in which the steering person is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member a contact state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering; a grasping state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and steering; and a grip state in which the driver is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering a determination unit that determines that the state is in one of the unstable states;
a circulation storage unit that stores the determination results of the determination unit for a predetermined period of time as determination information, and sequentially updates the determination information as time passes;
an abnormality information acquisition unit that acquires abnormality information indicating an abnormality in the vehicle;
The circular storage unit is
fixing the determination information when the abnormality information acquisition unit determines an abnormality;
Steering condition determination device. a contact detection unit that detects that a steering person has touched a predetermined part of the steering member;
a steering detection unit that detects steering by a steering person based on steering torque;
Based on information from the contact detection unit and the steering detection unit, a non-contact state in which the steering person is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and no steering is being performed, and a non-contact state in which the steering person is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member a contact state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering; a grasping state in which the driver is in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member and steering; and a grip state in which the driver is not in contact with a predetermined portion of the steering member but is not steering a determination unit that determines that the device is in one of the unstable states ;
The contact detection section is
When a signal from a contact sensor is determined by a threshold value based on a contact threshold value to detect that the steering person has contacted the steering member, and the steering detection unit detects steering before the contact is detected based on the contact threshold value. change the contact threshold
Steering condition determination device. Furthermore, it is equipped with a timekeeping section that measures time.
The steering detection section includes:
If the steering torque is greater than or equal to a predetermined torque threshold, the steering is detected;
The steering state determining device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein non-steering is detected when a state in which the steering torque is less than a predetermined torque threshold continues for a first predetermined time period or more. The steering detection section includes:
The steering state determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the steering torque from which disturbance has been removed is estimated using a torque estimation observer. The contact detection section is
The steering state determining device according to claim 4 , wherein after changing the contact threshold, if the steering detection unit does not detect steering, the contact threshold is returned to its original value. 5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission ratio changing unit that changes a transmission ratio that is a ratio of the rotation angle of the steering member to the turning angle of the steered wheels, depending on the determination result of the determination unit. steering condition determination device. The transmission ratio changing section is
The steering state determining device according to claim 8 , wherein after the start of automatic driving, the transmission ratio is gradually decreased in accordance with a value obtained by integrating an amount of involvement obtained by quantifying the determination result of the determination unit. If the provisional state continues for a second predetermined time (≧first predetermined time) or more, it is determined that the state is unstable.
The steering state determination device according to claim 1.

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