WO2018110401A1

WO2018110401A1 - Vehicle control device

Info

Publication number: WO2018110401A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/043933
Authority: WO
Inventors: 秀昭田中
Original assignee: 日立オートモティブシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2016-12-15
Filing date: 2017-12-07
Publication date: 2018-06-21
Also published as: JP6818046B2; JPWO2018110401A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device which is capable of further enhancing the stability of communication-based cruise control. The present invention is equipped with: a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 2 that acquires, via wireless communication, vehicle information pertaining to an other vehicle 101 traveling in the periphery of a host vehicle 102; a reception strength measurement unit 2a that measures the reception strength of the wireless communication between the other vehicle 101 and the host vehicle 102; and an inter-vehicle spacing control unit 6 that controls the relative position, such as the inter-vehicle spacing time, of the host vehicle 102 relative to the other vehicle 101 on the basis of the reception strength measured by the reception strength measurement unit 2a.

Description

Vehicle control device

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

As a technology related to cruise control (so-called follow-up control) for controlling the running state of the host vehicle so as to keep the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle (inter-vehicle distance) within a set range determined by the target inter-vehicle distance, for example, a patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-199267) discloses a travel control device that controls the travel state of a host vehicle based on the relative positional relationship between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and is provided in the host vehicle. Based on the received intensity of the signal transmitted from the transmitting device received by the receiving device, the receiving device provided at a distance from the transmitting device of the own vehicle, A phase of acquiring an actual attenuation state, and acquiring the relative positional relationship based on the acquired attenuation state and a reception intensity of a signal from the preceding vehicle received by the reception device. Running control apparatus is disclosed that includes a positional relationship acquisition device.

JP 2009-199267 A

By the way, in recent years, vehicle information such as vehicle speed / acceleration of the preceding vehicle is obtained by using inter-vehicle communication in addition to following driving (adaptive driving control, ACC: ACCAdaptive Cruise Control) as in the above prior art. Cooperative follow-up control (CACC), which performs more accurate follow-up based on information, is also being put into practical use as one of the advanced driving support technologies. Improvements to road capacity are being achieved through shortening.

However, in wireless communication used for inter-vehicle communication, a composite wave of a direct wave propagating linearly between target vehicles and a reflected wave such as ground reflection is received. Depending on the conditions, the reception status varies greatly. For this reason, in some cases, the reception intensity required for vehicle-to-vehicle communication cannot be obtained, and it is possible that communication-type follow-up traveling becomes 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 that can further improve the stability of communication-type follow-up traveling.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an other vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring vehicle information of another vehicle traveling around the own vehicle by wireless communication, and wireless communication between the other vehicle and the own vehicle. A reception intensity measurement unit that measures reception intensity and a control unit that controls the relative position of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to further improve the stability of communication type follow-up running.

It is a functional block diagram which shows roughly the whole structure of a vehicle control apparatus. It is a figure which shows roughly the mode of the headway control process of the vehicle by which a vehicle control apparatus is mounted, and is a figure which illustrates the state after adjusting the headway time by the headway control process. It is a figure which shows roughly the mode of the inter-vehicle control process of the vehicle by which a vehicle control apparatus is mounted, and is a figure which illustrates the case where the own vehicle is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. It is a figure which shows roughly the mode of the headway control process of the vehicle by which a vehicle control apparatus is mounted, and is a figure which illustrates the case where the own vehicle is in the headway time adjustment range, and the headway time is unadjusted. It is a flowchart which shows a distance control process. It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the simulation result about the relationship between the distance between transmission / reception supposing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and received power.

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 apparatus according to the present embodiment. 2 to 4 are diagrams schematically showing the state of the inter-vehicle control process of the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device according to the present invention.

1 to 4, the vehicle control device 1 is roughly composed of an inter-vehicle communication unit 2, an external environment 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 inter-vehicle communication unit 2 acquires vehicle information of other vehicles (for example, the other vehicle 101) around the host vehicle 102 by the inter-vehicle communication 7. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7 is information on surrounding vehicles (vehicle information: vehicle information: position, speed, acceleration, yaw rate, wireless communication between vehicles equipped with a dedicated vehicle-mounted device (wireless device) necessary for vehicle-to-vehicle communication 7. Vehicle control information, etc.), and the obtained information is used for driving support as necessary. The inter-vehicle communication unit 2 acquires the vehicle information of the other vehicle 101 by the inter-vehicle communication 7. The inter-vehicle communication unit 2 includes a reception intensity measurement unit 2 a that measures the reception intensity of a signal transmitted from the other vehicle 101 in the inter-vehicle communication 7. The vehicle information of the other vehicle 101 obtained by the inter-vehicle communication unit 2 by the inter-vehicle communication 7 and the reception intensity (measurement result) obtained by the reception intensity measuring unit 2 a are sent to the inter-vehicle control unit 6.

The external recognition unit 3 analyzes information obtained from a sensor such as a radar or a camera (hereinafter referred to as a radar camera 8) mounted on the host vehicle 102, and detects other images detected and captured 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 host vehicle 102. Further, based on these pieces of information, it is possible to acquire the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle (preceding vehicle) 101 traveling in front of the host vehicle 102 and the host vehicle 102. Information obtained by the external recognition unit 3 is sent to the inter-vehicle distance control unit 6.

The own vehicle behavior recognition unit 4 is a yaw rate that represents the behavior of the own vehicle 102 based on information obtained by the own vehicle sensor 9 such as a gyro sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a rudder angle sensor, and an acceleration sensor mounted on the own vehicle 102. Information such as wheel speed, rudder angle, and acceleration is acquired, and the obtained information is sent to the inter-vehicle distance controller 6.

The inter-vehicle time setting unit 5 is based on an input value input by an inter-vehicle time input unit 10 (for example, a driver input switch installed in the vicinity of the driver's seat) provided in the host vehicle 102. The target value of the inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle 101 (preceding vehicle) traveling in front of the host vehicle 102 and the host vehicle 102 is set, and the set value (target value) is output to the inter-vehicle control unit 6. . As the input value input by the inter-vehicle time input unit 10, in addition to inputting the inter-vehicle distance by a specific numerical value, for example, “large” that makes the inter-vehicle distance larger, “small” that makes the inter-vehicle distance smaller, It is possible to input in a stepwise manner such as “medium” as the intermediate distance between them.

The inter-vehicle control unit 6 performs inter-vehicle control processing based on information from the inter-vehicle communication unit 2, the reception intensity measurement unit 2 a, the external environment recognition unit 3, the own vehicle behavior recognition unit 4, and the inter-vehicle time setting unit 5. The inter-vehicle distance control process according to the present embodiment determines the inter-vehicle distance (inter-vehicle time) between another 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 host 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 Based on the information, the traveling state of the host vehicle 102 is more accurately controlled. The inter-vehicle distance control unit 6 outputs a control signal for controlling the traveling state of the host vehicle 102 as a result of the inter-vehicle distance control process.

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

2 to 4 schematically show the state of the inter-vehicle control processing of the own vehicle 102 on which the vehicle control device 1 according to the present invention is mounted. For example, a road 100 such as an automobile-only road is connected to another vehicle 101 and The case where the host vehicle 102 is traveling forward (leftward in the figure) at a certain interval is shown. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state after the inter-vehicle time is adjusted by the inter-vehicle control process, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a case where the host vehicle 102 is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. 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 control process, processing is performed so that the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the host vehicle 102 is kept within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range that is set to include the set value (target value). An inter-vehicle time adjustment process for adjusting the inter-vehicle time is performed. The inter-vehicle time adjustment range may be variously set depending on the use and environment of the vehicle that performs the inter-vehicle control process, and is not limited to one. For example, the inter-vehicle time setting value (target value) is 5 seconds. If this is the case, the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is determined so as to straddle the set value (target value) such as 2.5 to 3.5 seconds in the inter-vehicle time. Note that the inter-vehicle time adjustment range does not need to be uniform in the front and rear (up and down) with respect to the set value (target value), and is also a specification that is changed based on the traveling state of the host vehicle 102 and the surrounding environment. Also good.

The inter-vehicle time is, for example, the time it takes for the host vehicle 102 to pass through a certain position on the road after the preceding vehicle (the other vehicle 101) passes through the vehicle, and this inter-vehicle time is controlled. Thus, the distance from the preceding vehicle is controlled to be a desired distance (target distance between the vehicles).

In the inter-vehicle time adjustment process, the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the host vehicle 102 so that the reception intensity of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7 is in the maximum state (the state shown in FIG. 2) within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. Process to adjust. Needless to say, 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 host vehicle are also set so that the reception intensity is maximized. The process which adjusts the time between vehicles between 102 is performed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the own vehicle 102 is behind the inter-vehicle time adjustment range and the inter-vehicle control process is started, 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 host vehicle 102 is adjusted so that the reception intensity 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 control process, the traveling of the own vehicle 102 is acquired while acquiring the current value of the reception intensity of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7. The preceding vehicle 101 and the host vehicle are controlled so as to change the inter-vehicle time by controlling the state, acquire the change in the reception intensity in the inter-vehicle time adjustment range, and finally reach the maximum reception intensity (the state of FIG. 2). The inter-vehicle time with 102 is adjusted.

In the description of FIGS. 2 to 4, the case where the inter-vehicle control process is performed so as to maximize the reception intensity of the signal related to the inter-vehicle communication 7 within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is illustrated. When it is not appropriate to change the inter-vehicle time over the entire adjustment range and acquire reception intensity information (for example, when the inter-vehicle time adjustment range is wide or within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range, the reception intensity falls below the reception sensitivity) In the case where there is a state), it may be possible to control so that the reception intensity becomes the inter-vehicle time at which the maximum value is obtained.

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

In FIG. 5, the inter-vehicle control unit 6 determines whether there is another vehicle (preceding vehicle) 101 capable of inter-vehicle communication in front of the own vehicle 102 based on information obtained from the inter-vehicle communication unit 2 or the external world recognition unit 3. It is determined whether or not (step S100). If the determination result is NO, the process ends. In step S100, if the determination result is YES, that is, if it is determined that there is another vehicle 101 capable of inter-vehicle communication, notifications (not shown) such as monitors, lamps, and speakers provided near the driver's seat are provided. The driver is notified by the means that inter-vehicle distance control is possible (step S110). Subsequently, the setting value (target value) of the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit 5 is acquired based on the input value obtained by operating the inter-vehicle time input unit 10 of the driver (step S120), and the obtained set value is obtained. Based on the above, an inter-vehicle time adjustment range is set (step S130). Subsequently, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle time between the preceding vehicle 101 and the host vehicle 102 is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range (step S140). If the determination result is NO, the inter-vehicle time is within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range. Next, the traveling state of the host vehicle 102 is controlled (step S141). When the determination result in step S140 is YES, or when the process of step S141 is completed, an inter-vehicle time adjustment process (steps S150 to S160) is performed. It is determined whether or not the reception intensity of the signal related to inter-vehicle communication is maximized within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range (step S160). If the determination result in step S160 is NO, the inter-vehicle time adjustment in step S150 is performed. repeat. If the determination result in step S160 is YES, that is, if the reception intensity reaches the maximum value, the process ends.

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

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

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

As shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the received power (corresponding to the received 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 that propagates 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 synthesized wave becomes larger or smaller depending on the phase difference on the receiving side. For example, in part A and part B of FIG. 6, since it is considered that the receiver sensitivity of the inter-vehicle communication is assumed to be lower than the (minimum) reception sensitivity, the distance between the preceding vehicle and inter-vehicle communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) If the (time) falls within such a range, it is possible that the reception intensity required for vehicle-to-vehicle communication cannot be obtained, and communication-type follow-up traveling becomes impossible or unstable.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the inter-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. A reception intensity measurement unit 2a for measuring the reception intensity in the vehicle, and an inter-vehicle control unit 6 for controlling a relative position such as an inter-vehicle time of the own vehicle 102 with respect to the other vehicle 101 based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit 2a. Therefore, the stability of the communication type follow-up traveling can be further improved.

In addition, this invention is not limited to each above-mentioned embodiment, Various modifications are included. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to one having all the configurations described.
Moreover, you may implement | achieve part or all of said each structure, function, etc., for example by designing with an integrated circuit. Each of the above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function by the processor.

1 vehicle control device, 2 vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 2a reception intensity measurement unit, 3 external environment recognition unit, 4 own vehicle behavior recognition unit, 5 vehicle time setting unit, 6 vehicle control unit, 7 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

An other vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring vehicle information of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle by wireless communication;
A reception intensity measurement unit for measuring reception intensity in wireless communication between the other vehicle and the host vehicle;
A vehicle control apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a relative position of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
An inter-vehicle time setting unit that sets an inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle and the other vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle;
The control unit is connected to the other vehicle and the vehicle within an inter-vehicle time adjustment range determined to include the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit based on the reception intensity measured by the reception intensity measurement unit. A vehicle control apparatus for controlling an inter-vehicle time with a vehicle.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
An inter-vehicle time setting unit that sets an inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle and the other vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle;
The other vehicle information acquisition unit acquires vehicle information of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle by wireless communication with the preceding vehicle,
The control unit, based on the vehicle information acquired by the other vehicle information acquisition unit, within the inter-vehicle time adjustment range determined to include the inter-vehicle time set by the inter-vehicle time setting unit, the reception intensity is the maximum A vehicle control device that controls an inter-vehicle time between the other vehicle and the host vehicle.