JP5223631B2 - Travel control device and travel control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control device and a travel control method for controlling travel of a vehicle.

According to the driver's command, the vehicle travel control device that performs the following vehicle follow-up running and constant speed running, when the operation member is pressed within a predetermined time, increase / decrease in the set vehicle speed and increase / decrease in acceleration / deceleration during follow-up running In addition, there is known one that switches between a set vehicle speed change mode and an acceleration / deceleration change mode when operated for a long time longer than a predetermined time (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-88746 A

  However, in the conventional vehicle travel control device, when the control target value is input, the input member is changed every time the control mode is switched, and the input member is repeatedly operated for setting the target vehicle speed and the target acceleration / deceleration. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation until the desired control is executed is complicated and takes time.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by determining a travel control mode according to the degree of separation with respect to the target and accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle according to the determined travel control mode.

According to the present invention, since the traveling control mode is automatically switched according to the traveling environment, the switching operation of the traveling control mode becomes unnecessary, so that the number of operations required to set the target vehicle speed and the target acceleration is reduced. The operation until the desired control is executed can be simplified.

  A travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the travel of the host vehicle by accelerating or decelerating the host vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration of an in-vehicle device 1000 including a travel controller 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the travel controller 100 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 that stores a program for executing a travel control process of the vehicle, and a program stored in the ROM 102 to execute a travel. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 as an operation circuit that functions as a controller, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 that functions as an accessible storage device, and a timer 104 are provided. As an operation circuit, instead of or in addition to the CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Such an operation circuit can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the travel controller 100 includes a distance measuring sensor 200, a vehicle speed sensor 300, an input switch 400, a navigation device 500, a vehicle controller 900, an accelerator opening control device 600, a transmission mounted on the host vehicle. The control device 700, the brake control device 800, and other in-vehicle devices are connected to each other by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and exchange information with each other.

An outline of travel control performed by the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. The travel controller 100 controls the travel of the vehicle based on the control command input from the input switch 400.

An example of the input switch 400 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the input switch 400 of the present embodiment is installed on the steering and accepts an input of a user's control command. The input switch 400 includes an increase button 401 and a decrease button 402. Further, the input switch 400 includes an operation information acquisition function 410 that detects which of the increase button 401 and the decrease button 402 is pressed, and a pressure sensor 420 that detects a force pressing the increase button 401 or the decrease button 402. The pressure sensor 420 detects the start of pressing the increase button 401 or the decrease button 402, the release of the press, the pressing force, or the pressing time, and the pressing amount or other input amount combining these. The input switch 400 sends the control command type and the input amount input by the user to the travel controller 100.

The travel controller 100 controls the accelerator opening control device 600, the transmission control device 700, and / or the brake control device 800 based on the control command received from the user. Further, based on a command from the travel controller 100, the accelerator opening control device 600 controls the throttle actuator 610, the brake control device 800 controls the brake actuator 810, and the transmission control device 700 controls the shift actuator 710. . As a result, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled.

Next, the travel control function of the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment will be specifically described.

The travel controller 100 acquires a distance to a target existing around the host vehicle, calculates a degree of separation with respect to the target based on the distance to the target, and according to the calculated degree of separation. A control mode determination function for determining a travel control mode for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle, and a control function for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle according to the determined travel control mode based on a control command input from the user.

Hereinafter, each function of the travel controller 100 described above will be described.

First, the separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 will be described. The separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 determines whether or not there is a target that is a target of the separation degree, and if there is a target, acquires a distance from the host vehicle to the target. Further, the separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 acquires a first distance from a vehicle-mounted distance measuring sensor 200 to a target located in front of or behind the vehicle, and is predetermined on the lane boundary line of the lane in which the vehicle travels. Get the second distance to the point.

Although not particularly limited, the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment acquires the distance to the target from the distance measuring sensor 200. The distance measuring sensor 200 of this embodiment includes a camera 210 or a radar device 220.

The distance measuring sensor 200 detects the presence of a target based on a captured image around the vehicle with a predetermined period captured by the camera 210 and also detects the distance to the target. Specifically, a feature area in the captured image is extracted, and a front-rear distance to the target existing ahead (corresponding to the first distance) is calculated based on the change in the position of the feature area and the speed of the host vehicle. .

The distance measuring sensor 200 emits electromagnetic waves from the radar device 220, receives reflected waves generated by colliding with targets around the vehicle, and determines the time difference between the emitted and reflected waves from the vehicle and the target (other vehicles before and after the vehicle). ) To measure the distance.

The distance calculation function of the travel controller 100 acquires a second distance from a predetermined position of the vehicle to a predetermined point on the lane boundary line of the lane on which the host vehicle travels based on the road information 540 provided in the navigation device 500. To do.

In obtaining the second distance based on the road information 540, first, the separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 acquires the width of the road on which the host vehicle travels. The current position of the vehicle is detected by a GPS (Global Positioning System) 510 of the navigation device 500. The GPS 510 receives a radio wave transmitted from a positioning satellite with a GPS antenna, and measures the current position of the host vehicle. Further, the navigation device 500 refers to the map information 530, identifies the position of the vehicle on the map and the road on which the vehicle travels, and refers to the road information 540 including the road width, road type, and road shape. The road width of the road on which the vehicle travels is obtained and sent to the travel controller 100.

The travel controller 100 detects the second distance from a predetermined position of the host vehicle to a predetermined point on the lane boundary line of the lane on which the vehicle travels based on the road width of the travel road acquired from the navigation device 500. At this time, the predetermined point on the lane boundary line can be arbitrarily defined according to the definition of the lateral separation degree described later.

Note that the travel controller 100 may detect the second distance based on a captured image captured by the camera 210 or a reflected wave received by the radar apparatus 200.

Next, a method for calculating the degree of separation will be described. The separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 calculates the separation degree for the target based on the distance to the target.

In the present embodiment, the separation degree calculation function of the travel controller 100 calculates a front / rear separation degree with respect to another vehicle positioned in front of or behind the vehicle based on the front / rear distance (first distance) of the vehicle, and Based on the direction distance (second distance), the lateral separation degree with respect to the lane boundary line located on the side of the vehicle is calculated.

Hereinafter, a method for calculating the lateral separation and the front-rear separation will be described.

The lateral separation degree is a value indicating a distance margin with respect to the lane boundary line located on the side of the vehicle. In this example, the distance margin with respect to the lane boundary line is expressed by time.

Based on FIG. 3, the calculation example of the side separation degree of the vehicle in this embodiment is demonstrated. The lateral separation degree of the vehicle in the present embodiment is a time (lateral margin time) until the vehicle reaches a predetermined point on a lane boundary line in a predetermined direction when the host vehicle travels at the current vehicle speed. In other words, the lateral separation degree (lateral margin time) of the vehicle in this example is the distance L1 to the point (predetermined point) that intersects the left and right ends of the road when traveling at a constant vehicle yaw angle θo, and the host vehicle Based on the vehicle speed V0, the following equation 1 is used.

Lateral separation (lateral margin time) TI = L1 / V0 Equation 1
In calculating the lateral separation degree, the distance L1 to a predetermined point on the lane boundary line can be arbitrarily defined.

The “constant-angle vehicle yaw angle θo” used when determining a predetermined point on the lane boundary line is generally defined from the maximum value of the steering operation fluctuation that the driver has. In order to keep the steering perfectly constant, both arms must be applied with the same force and balanced with the steering reaction force from the tires. If the consciousness is not concentrated on the operation, the operation will always be staggered. . The wobbling angle is considered to be about 1 degree at maximum in yaw angle. The driver is driving with sufficient margin on the side, taking into account this fluctuation. In other words, “distance L1 / vehicle speed at the point where the vehicle crosses the left and right ends of the road when traveling at a constant vehicle yaw angle” is based on the premise that the driver has a certain amount of fluctuation. However, time is defined as a margin that does not protrude from the driving lane.

Subsequently, a method for calculating the degree of front-rear separation will be described. The front-rear separation degree is a value indicating a distance margin with respect to another vehicle existing in front of or behind the vehicle. In this example, the distance margin with respect to the other vehicle is expressed by time.

The vehicle front-rear separation degree in this embodiment is expressed in two ways. The first front / rear separation degree is defined by the time until the host vehicle reaches the other vehicle ahead (front inter-vehicle time) when the host vehicle travels at the current “vehicle speed”, and the second front / rear separation degree is It is defined by the time required to travel at the current “relative vehicle speed” with respect to another vehicle and reach the other vehicle ahead (front allowance time).

Based on FIG. 4, an example of calculating the vehicle front-rear separation degree will be described. The first back-and-forth distance (front inter-vehicle time) is obtained by dividing the inter-vehicle distance (first distance) Lc to another vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle by the speed V0 of the host vehicle. Further, the second front-rear separation degree (front margin time) is the vehicle-to-vehicle distance (first distance) Lc to another vehicle positioned in front of or behind the vehicle, and the relative speed (V1) of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle (vehicle speed V1). Divide by -V0). Incidentally, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or the relative speed with respect to a target such as another vehicle is acquired from a vehicle speed sensor 300 mounted on the vehicle.

Below, the formula 2 which calculates | requires the 1st front-back distance (front inter-vehicle time) and the formula 3 which calculates | requires the 2nd front-back distance (front margin time) are shown.

Forward inter-vehicle time Td = (distance Lc) / (vehicle speed V) (Expression 2)

Front margin time Tc = (distance Lc) / (relative speed ΔLc) (Equation 3)
The travel control mode is determined by using the lateral separation and the front-rear separation (the first front-rear separation (front inter-vehicle time Td) and the second front-rear separation (front margin time Tc)) obtained as described above.

Next, the control mode determination function of the travel controller 100 will be described. In a normal driving operation, it can be considered that the control amount (travel control mode) that the driver is aware of when controlling the travel of the vehicle changes as follows according to the travel environment of the vehicle.

First, when traveling on a narrow road, the driver tends to control traveling by repeatedly performing acceleration / deceleration operations in order to prepare for road installations and pedestrians. It can be considered that the control amount that the driver is conscious of in such a situation is acceleration / deceleration.

Secondly, when driving on a relatively wide road, when the other vehicle is not traveling in the predetermined area ahead or the distance to the other vehicle is large, the driver can travel with a margin, so the driver has a vehicle speed of a predetermined value. There is a tendency to control the running so as to become. It can be considered that the control amount that the driver is aware of in such a scene is the traveling speed.

Third and fourth, in a scene where another vehicle is traveling ahead, the driver tends to control the degree of separation between the vehicles to a predetermined value. In this case, the driver does not regard the degree of separation between the vehicles as the distance between the vehicles, but if the driver has little change in the degree of separation and a large margin (for example, when the distance from another vehicle is large), the driver There is a tendency to control the traveling of the host vehicle so that the time required for the vehicle to travel the distance between the vehicles becomes a predetermined value. In addition, when the driver has a large change in the degree of separation and a small margin (for example, when the distance to the other vehicle is approaching), the driver considers the movement of the other vehicle and waits for separation from the other vehicle. There is a tendency to control the traveling of the host vehicle so that the time becomes a predetermined value.

Based on the above considerations, the inventor travels according to a combination of two viewpoints of the lateral separation according to the road width and the forward separation with respect to other vehicles or obstacles in the front-rear direction. We propose a method to switch the driving control mode according to the environment.

In the present embodiment, as the travel control mode to be determined, (1) an inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the front / rear separation degree with other vehicles traveling before and after the own vehicle falls within a predetermined value range. And (2) a vehicle speed monitoring control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the own vehicle has a predetermined vehicle speed, and (3) accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the own vehicle accelerates or decelerates by a predetermined amount. There are three modes of acceleration / deceleration control mode.

The traveling control mode determination function of the traveling controller 100 selects an appropriate traveling control mode from these three traveling control modes according to the front / rear distance and the lateral distance.

Next, a method for determining the travel control mode of the present embodiment will be described based on FIG. FIG. 5 is a correspondence relationship used when determining the travel control mode based on the relationship between the front-rear separation degree and the lateral separation degree.

The travel controller 100 predefines a relational expression Z between the front / rear separation (y-axis value) and the lateral separation (y-axis value). In this example, the relational expression Z is y (front / rear separation degree) = x (lateral separation degree), and the relationship between the detected front / rear separation degree and the lateral separation degree is the upper side of this relational expression Z (y> x ) The traveling control mode is determined according to whether it belongs to the region or belongs to the lower region (y ≦ x) of the relational expression Z.

When the calculated front-rear distance (front margin time Tc or front inter-vehicle time Td) is equal to or less than the calculated lateral distance (lateral margin time Tl), the user pays attention to the distance from the other vehicle. Therefore, the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle is determined as the traveling control mode so that the degree of separation from the front and rear with respect to other vehicles falls within a predetermined value range.

In the present embodiment, the front / rear separation degree is calculated based on the speed of the host vehicle and the first distance to another vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle (front inter-vehicle time Td). And a second front-rear separation degree (front margin time Tc) calculated based on the relative speed with respect to the target of the host vehicle and the first distance to the other vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle. This forward inter-vehicle time Td is a value obtained by dividing the first distance from the host vehicle to the other vehicle by the speed of the host vehicle, and the forward margin time Tc is the first distance from the host vehicle to the other vehicle. The value divided by the relative speed.

Furthermore, in the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode, the first inter-vehicle separation that accelerates and decelerates the host vehicle so that the first front-to-back separation degree (the front inter-vehicle time Td) with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Degree control mode and a second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating and decelerating the own vehicle so that a second front-rear separation degree (front margin time Tc) with another vehicle traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Includes two submodes.

The control mode determination function of the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment is such that the front / rear separation degree (Tc or Td) is equal to or less than the lateral separation degree and the front / rear separation degree (Tc or Td) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value R (see FIG. 5), the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode (accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle so that the front inter-vehicle time Td is in a predetermined value range) is determined as the travel control mode. In an environment where the inter-vehicle distance from the other vehicle is relatively long, the degree of attention paid to the speed of the other vehicle is relatively reduced, so the user perceives the inter-vehicle distance in relation to the speed of the own vehicle. For this reason, the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode that matches the user's driving feeling of controlling the traveling speed so as to maintain the inter-vehicle separation degree based on the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is selected.

Furthermore, the control mode determination function of the travel controller 100 is such that the front / rear distance (Tc or Td) is equal to or smaller than the lateral distance and the front / rear distance (Tc or Td) is less than a predetermined value R (FIG. 5). In the area indicated by B), the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode (accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle so that the front margin time Tc is in the predetermined value range) is determined as the travel control mode. In an environment where the inter-vehicle distance from other vehicles is relatively short, the user perceives the degree of vehicle separation in relation to the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle in order to pay relatively high attention to the speed of the other vehicle. For this reason, the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode that matches the driving feeling of the user to maintain the inter-vehicle separation degree based on the relative vehicle speed of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle is selected.

Incidentally, the predetermined value R for dividing the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode and the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode can be arbitrarily set. For example, the time, distance, or speed until the driver is aware of other vehicles ahead may be obtained in an actual driving experiment, and the value may be set.

In FIG. 5, the lateral separation degree is the lateral margin time TI and the front and rear separation degree is the front margin time Tc, but the front inter-vehicle time Td may be used as the front and rear separation degree.

According to the present embodiment, by automatically determining the travel control mode according to the positional relationship with the other vehicle and the travel environment, the user's driving without asking the user to select the control mode or the input mode. A travel control mode according to the sense can be used.

Hereinafter, a method for determining the travel control mode when the relationship between the detected front / rear separation degree and the side separation degree belongs to the upper region (y> x) of the relational expression Z in FIG. 5 will be described.

There is an inter-vehicle distance from another vehicle, and the front-rear separation degree (front margin time Tc or front inter-vehicle time Td) is greater than the side separation degree (lateral margin time Tl), that is, the upper side of relational expression Z (y> x) If the vehicle belongs to an area, the vehicle is in an environment where attention should be paid to the environment around the vehicle, such as obstacles and pedestrians, compared to other vehicles. Select the reference travel control mode.

Furthermore, the traveling controller 100 determines the acceleration / deceleration mode as the traveling control mode when the front / rear separation is greater than the lateral separation (y> x) and the lateral separation is less than a predetermined value Q. Acceleration / deceleration control mode that matches the driving sensation of the user to control acceleration / deceleration while paying attention to obstacles and pedestrians around the vehicle in an environment where the distance between other vehicles is secured and the road width is narrow Select.

The travel controller 100 determines the vehicle speed monitoring control mode as the travel control mode when the front / rear separation is greater than the lateral separation (y> x) and the lateral separation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Q. . In an environment where the distance between other vehicles is secured and the road width is wide, the degree of caution that other vehicles pay to the surroundings of the vehicle is relatively reduced, so the traveling speed is maintained to maintain a constant speed. The vehicle speed monitoring mode suitable for the user's driving feeling of controlling the vehicle is selected.

Incidentally, the predetermined value Q for dividing the vehicle speed monitoring control mode and the acceleration / deceleration mode can be set arbitrarily. For example, a road environment such as a road width in which the driver is aware of vehicle speed control or the driver repeatedly accelerates and decelerates (does not travel at a constant vehicle speed) may be obtained in an actual traveling experiment, and the value may be set.

According to the present embodiment, the user is prompted to select a control mode or an input mode by automatically determining a travel control mode according to a travel environment such as a road width and a positional relationship with other vehicles. The travel control mode corresponding to the driving feeling of the user can be selected and switched.

Next, the control function of the travel controller 100 will be described.

The control function of the travel controller 100 accelerates and decelerates the host vehicle in the determined travel control mode based on a control command input from the user.

Specifically, when the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode is determined as the traveling control mode, the traveling controller 100 switches the input mode (type of control command to be input) to the front / rear separation degree, and the front / rear separation degree is input from the user. The host vehicle is accelerated and decelerated so that the degree of front / rear separation (control command) is obtained.

In addition, when the vehicle speed monitoring control mode is determined as the travel control mode, the travel controller 100 switches the input mode (type of control command to be input) to the vehicle speed, and the vehicle speed ( The vehicle is accelerated or decelerated so that the control command is satisfied.

Furthermore, when the acceleration / deceleration control mode is determined as the traveling control mode, the traveling controller 100 switches the input mode (type of control command to be input) to acceleration / deceleration, and acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle is input from the user. The host vehicle is accelerated or decelerated so that the acceleration / deceleration amount (control command) is obtained.

  As described above, the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment determines an appropriate travel control mode according to the travel environment, and automatically performs the travel control using the input control command as a target value according to the travel control. For this reason, the user inputs the type of control command (the degree of separation from other vehicles (front margin time Tc, front inter-vehicle time Td), the set speed for constant speed traveling of the own vehicle, or the adjustment of the own vehicle) It is not necessary to input information for identifying the type of speed.

  Furthermore, the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment automatically sets a recommended value that is the first control target value when the travel control mode for controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle is switched, and the input switch 400 The unit change amount in unit operation (one operation) is automatically set.

  The recommended value setting method and the unit change amount setting method of the input switch 400 will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence relationship between the front / rear separation degree or the side separation degree, the recommended value when the traveling control mode is switched, and the input gain (also referred to as a unit change amount). In FIG. 6, the recommended value at the time of mode switching is a target value that is set when a control command is input from the input switch 400 for the first time after the travel control mode is automatically switched. The input gain is a change amount of a value obtained by operating (for example, pressing) the input switch 400 once.

That is, the travel controller 100 automatically sets a recommended value for the travel control mode when the driver operates the input switch 400 for the first time after the travel control mode (input mode) is switched, and then the input switch 400 is operated. The input gain (unit change amount) is automatically set. For example, when the road width of the road is widened and the acceleration / deceleration input mode is switched to the vehicle speed input mode, the vehicle speed corresponding to the lateral separation degree (lateral margin time Tl) of the road is used as a recommended value for the driving control. Do. Thereafter, when the input switch 400 is further operated once, the vehicle speed is increased by the set vehicle speed gain. In this case, the input switch includes a “+” increase button 401 and a “−” decrease button 402 (see FIG. 2). When the “+” increase button 401 is pressed, the vehicle speed increases, and “−” increases. When the decrease button 402 is pressed, the vehicle speed decreases.

Hereinafter, a method for setting a recommended value when each traveling control mode is switched will be specifically described. The travel controller 100 sets a recommended value for the vehicle speed, a recommended value for the front-rear distance, and a recommended value for acceleration / deceleration.

First, the case where the vehicle speed monitoring control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. When the acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle is controlled in the vehicle speed monitoring control mode, the travel controller 100 sets a recommended value for the vehicle speed when switching to the vehicle speed monitoring control mode.

As shown in the “recommended value at the time of control mode switching” in the case where the input mode of FIG. 6 is the vehicle speed, the traveling controller 100 determines that the lateral margin time TI, which is the lateral separation, is less than the first predetermined value. The recommended vehicle speed (recommended vehicle speed) is set to zero. In other words, when the vehicle is traveling on a road in which the side separation is small and the host vehicle approaches the lane boundary line, the target vehicle speed is set to zero and the vehicle speed is reduced.

Further, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than the second predetermined value (in the normal range), the vehicle speed is set so that the value increases as the lateral margin time TI increases. Set the recommended value. In other words, when driving on a road where the degree of side separation is the normal range and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is secured, the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is As it increases, the target vehicle speed is increased.

Further, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or longer than the second predetermined value, the predetermined speed is set as a recommended value of the vehicle speed. In other words, when driving on a road where the side separation is sufficiently wide and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is sufficiently secured, the target vehicle speed can be set to the maximum constant speed allowable. To do. The predetermined speed when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value can be arbitrarily set based on the road type, the speed limit of the road, the result of the driving experiment, and the like.

Thus, since the recommended value of the vehicle speed is set according to the road environment, the travel control can be performed at an appropriate vehicle speed immediately after switching of the travel control mode.

Next, a case where the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. When the acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle is controlled in the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode, the travel controller 100 sets a recommended value for the front-rear separation degree when switching to the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode.

As shown in the “recommended value at the time of control mode switching” when the input mode of FIG. 6 is the front margin time Tc or the front inter-vehicle time Td, the travel controller 100 has a front margin time Tc that is the front / rear separation degree is the third (3A , 3B) When the value is less than the predetermined value, the recommended value of the front-rear separation degree (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) is set to zero. In other words, when the vehicle is traveling on a road in which the host vehicle is in an environment where the host vehicle approaches another vehicle, the target front / rear distance is set to zero. Since the front / rear separation degree is a value based on the vehicle speed, in the specific control, control is performed so that the target vehicle speed is zero.

Further, when the front margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the third (3A, 3B) predetermined value and less than the fourth (4A, 4B) predetermined value (in the normal range), the front margin time Tc is increased. The recommended value of the front-rear separation degree (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) is set so that the value increases as the value increases. That is, when traveling in an environment in which the degree of front-rear separation is the normal range and a margin between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is secured, the front-rear separation increases as the margin between the own vehicle and the other vehicle increases. The recommended value (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) is set to a large value.

Further, when the front margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the fourth (4A, 4B) predetermined value, a certain value is set as the recommended value of the front-rear separation degree (recommended front margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time). That is, when driving in an environment where the degree of front-rear separation is sufficiently large and the margin between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is sufficiently ensured, the target front-rear separation degree is set to a constant value. When the front margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the fourth predetermined value, the recommended value of the front-rear separation degree (recommended front margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) depends on the road type, the speed limit of the road, the result of the driving experiment, etc. It can be set arbitrarily based on this.

This recommended value setting method is a first inter-vehicle distance that accelerates and decelerates the host vehicle so that the front inter-vehicle time (first front-rear distance: front inter-vehicle time Td) with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle is within a predetermined range. A second vehicle separation degree that accelerates and decelerates the own vehicle so that the front margin time (second front and rear separation degree: front margin time Tc) between the separation degree control mode and other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle falls within a predetermined range. It can be commonly used in any of the control modes.

Further, in FIG. 6, the recommended value of the front / rear separation degree (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) is set according to the value of the front allowance time Tc, but depending on the value of the front inter-vehicle time Td, A recommended value of the degree of separation (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) may be set.

As described above, since the recommended value of the vehicle separation is set according to the road environment, the vehicle travels with the recommended value of the appropriate front-rear separation (recommended forward margin time Tc or recommended inter-vehicle time Td) immediately after switching of the traveling control mode. Control can be performed.

Next, a case where the acceleration / deceleration control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. When the acceleration / deceleration control mode is used to control acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle, the travel controller 100 sets a recommended acceleration / deceleration value when switching to the acceleration / deceleration control mode. As shown in “Recommended value at control mode switching” in the case where the input mode of FIG. 6 is acceleration / deceleration, the travel controller 100 determines that the lateral margin time TI, which is the front / rear separation degree, is less than the fifth predetermined value, Set the recommended vehicle acceleration / deceleration to zero. In other words, when the vehicle is traveling on a road in an environment where the degree of side separation is small and the vehicle approaches the lane boundary line, the target acceleration / deceleration is set to zero and the change in vehicle speed is reduced.

Further, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the fifth predetermined value and less than the sixth predetermined value (in the normal range), the value is increased or decreased so that the value increases as the lateral margin time TI increases. Set the recommended speed. In other words, when driving on a road where the degree of side separation is the normal range and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is secured, the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is As it increases, the target acceleration / deceleration is increased.

When the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the sixth predetermined value, the predetermined acceleration / deceleration is set as a recommended acceleration / deceleration value. In other words, when driving on roads with a sufficiently wide lateral separation and sufficient margin between the vehicle and the lane boundary, the maximum constant speed that allows the target acceleration / deceleration And The predetermined acceleration / deceleration when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the sixth predetermined value can be arbitrarily set based on the road type, the speed limit of the road, the result of the driving experiment, and the like. The acceleration / deceleration is always a value corresponding to the input amount (an amount corresponding to the operation pressure described later), and therefore the characteristics are the same even when the mode is switched. That is, in the acceleration / deceleration control mode control, the same value may be used as the recommended value after switching and the input gain.

Thus, since the recommended value of acceleration / deceleration is set according to the road environment, the traveling control can be performed with an appropriate acceleration / deceleration immediately after the switching of the traveling control mode.

As described above, in each travel control mode, a recommended value suitable for the environment can be calculated and set. Therefore, when using the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment, the user is separated from other vehicles. The target value is set as before without inputting the recommended value of the degree (front margin time Tc, front inter-vehicle time Td), the recommended value for constant speed travel (set speed), and the recommended value for acceleration / deceleration. Since there is no need to repeatedly operate the input switch by the time, the input operation can be simplified.

Next, a method for setting the input gain (unit change amount per unit operation) after switching between the respective travel control modes will be described. The travel controller 100 of the present embodiment has a setting function for setting a vehicle speed input gain, a front-rear separation input gain, and an acceleration / deceleration input gain for a single operation (unit operation).

First, the case where the vehicle speed monitoring control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. The travel controller 100 sets a unit change amount of the vehicle speed with respect to a unit operation when receiving an input operation from the user when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle in the speed monitoring control mode.

As shown in the input gain when the input mode in FIG. 6 is the vehicle speed, the travel controller 100 determines that the vehicle speed input gain (unit: unit) when the lateral margin time TI, which is the lateral separation, is less than the seventh predetermined value. Change) is set to zero. That is, when the vehicle is traveling on a road where the side separation is small and the vehicle approaches the lane boundary line, the vehicle speed input gain is set to zero, and the change in the vehicle speed with respect to the unit operation is set to zero.

In addition, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the seventh predetermined value and less than the eighth predetermined value (in the normal range), the vehicle speed is set so that the value increases as the lateral margin time TI increases. Set the input gain. In other words, when driving on a road where the degree of side separation is the normal range and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is secured, the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is As the vehicle speed increases, the input gain of the vehicle speed is increased, and the amount of change in the vehicle speed with respect to the unit operation is increased.

Further, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the eighth predetermined value, a constant speed amount is set as the unit change amount of the vehicle speed. In other words, when driving on a road where the side separation is sufficiently wide and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is sufficiently secured, the maximum constant speed that can allow the input gain of the vehicle speed is To do. As a result, in an environment in which the degree of lateral separation is sufficiently ensured, the control responsiveness can be increased and the number of operations can be reduced. Note that the input gain of the vehicle speed when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the eighth predetermined value can be arbitrarily set based on the road type, the speed limit of the road, the result of the driving experiment, and the like.

In this way, since the input gain of the vehicle speed is set according to the road environment, the change amount of the vehicle speed appropriate for the unit operation is set immediately after the switching of the travel control mode. The corresponding traveling control can be performed.

Next, a case where the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. The traveling controller 100 sets a unit change amount of the front / rear separation degree with respect to the unit operation when receiving an input operation from the user when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle in the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode.

As shown in the input gain when the input mode in FIG. 6 is the front margin time Tc or the front inter-vehicle time Td, the travel controller 100 has a front margin time Tc that is the front / rear separation degree less than a ninth (9A, 9B) predetermined value. In this case, the input gain of the front margin time Tc (unit variation of the front margin time Tc or unit variation of the inter-vehicle time Td) is set to zero. That is, when the vehicle is traveling on a road in which the front and rear separation degree is small and the host vehicle approaches another vehicle, the input gain of the front and rear separation degree is set to zero. Since the front-rear separation degree is a value based on the vehicle speed, in the specific control, the control for making the input gain of the vehicle speed zero is performed.

Further, when the forward margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the ninth (9A, 9B) predetermined value and less than the tenth (10A, 10B) predetermined value (in the normal range), the forward margin time Tc is increased. The input gain (the unit change amount of the front margin time Tc or the unit change amount of the inter-vehicle time Td) is set so that the value increases as the time increases. That is, when traveling in an environment in which the degree of front-rear separation is the normal range and a margin between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is secured, the front-rear separation increases as the margin between the own vehicle and the other vehicle increases. A large input gain (a recommended forward margin time Tc for a unit operation or a unit change amount of a recommended inter-vehicle time Td) is set to a large value.

Further, when the front margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the tenth (10A, 10B) predetermined value, a certain amount of front-rear separation is set as an input gain (unit variation of the front margin time Tc or unit variation of the inter-vehicle time Td). To do. That is, when driving in an environment in which the front-rear distance is sufficiently large and the margin between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is sufficiently ensured, the input gain of the front-rear distance is set to a constant value. The input gain (the unit change amount of the front allowance time Tc or the unit change amount of the inter-vehicle time Td) when the front margin time Tc is equal to or greater than the tenth (10A, 10B) predetermined value is the road type and the speed limit of the road It can be arbitrarily set based on the result of a running experiment.

This method of setting the input gain (unit variation) is to add the host vehicle so that the front inter-vehicle time (first front / rear distance: front inter-vehicle time Td) with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle is within a predetermined range. The host vehicle is accelerated or decelerated so that the front margin time (second front and rear separation degree: front margin time Tc) between the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode to be decelerated and another vehicle traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle is within a predetermined value range. It can be commonly used in any of the second inter-vehicle separation degree control modes.

In FIG. 6, the input gain of the front / rear separation degree (unit change amount of the front allowance time Tc or unit change amount of the inter-vehicle time Td) is set according to the value of the front allowance time Tc. Depending on the value, an input gain (a unit change amount of the front margin time Tc or a unit change amount of the inter-vehicle time Td) may be set for the front / rear separation degree.

In this way, in order to set the input gain of the vehicle separation according to the road environment, since the change amount of the front / rear separation suitable for the unit operation is set immediately after the switching of the traveling control mode, the user's intention It is possible to perform traveling control according to the road environment.

Next, a case where the acceleration / deceleration control mode is determined as the travel control mode will be described. When the acceleration / deceleration control mode is used to control acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle, the travel controller 100 sets a unit change amount of acceleration / deceleration with respect to a unit operation when receiving an input operation from the user.

As shown in the input gain when the input mode of FIG. 6 is acceleration / deceleration, the travel controller 100 determines that the acceleration / deceleration input gain is obtained when the lateral margin time TI, which is the lateral separation, is less than the eleventh predetermined value. Set (Unit variation) to zero. That is, when the vehicle is traveling on a road in which the side separation is small and the vehicle approaches the lane boundary, the acceleration / deceleration input gain is set to zero, and the change in acceleration / deceleration with respect to the unit operation is set to zero.

Further, when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the eleventh predetermined value and less than the twelfth predetermined value (in the normal range), the value is increased or decreased so that the value increases as the lateral margin time TI increases. Set the speed input gain. In other words, when driving on a road where the degree of side separation is the normal range and the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is secured, the margin between the host vehicle and the lane boundary is As it increases, the input gain of acceleration / deceleration is increased, and the amount of change in acceleration / deceleration with respect to unit operation is increased.

When the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the twelfth predetermined value, a constant acceleration / deceleration amount is set as the unit change amount of the acceleration / deceleration. In other words, when driving on a road with a sufficiently wide lateral separation and sufficient margin between the vehicle and the lane boundary, the maximum constant speed that allows the input gain of acceleration / deceleration And As a result, in an environment in which the degree of lateral separation is sufficiently ensured, the control responsiveness can be increased and the number of operations can be reduced. The acceleration / deceleration input gain when the lateral margin time TI is equal to or greater than the twelfth predetermined value can be arbitrarily set based on the road type, the speed limit of the road, the result of the driving experiment, and the like. .

In this way, since the acceleration / deceleration input gain is set according to the road environment, an appropriate acceleration / deceleration change amount is set for the unit operation immediately after switching of the travel control mode. Travel control according to the environment can be performed.

As described above, in each travel control mode, the input gain (unit change amount) can be calculated and set. Therefore, when the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment is used, the user can communicate with other vehicles. The input gain of the separation degree (front margin time Tc, front inter-vehicle time Td), the input gain of the set speed for constant speed driving, and the input gain of the acceleration / deceleration are set to appropriate values. Since the number of required input switch operations can be reduced, the input operation can be simplified.

Further, the control function of the travel controller 100 calculates the control amount based on the input amount to the input switch 400. Specifically, the travel controller 100 refers to the correspondence relationship in which the input amount of the user and the correction coefficient of the unit change amount with respect to the unit operation are associated in advance, and based on the input amount of the control command input from the user, The control amount for the operation is calculated. FIG. 7 shows an example of a correspondence relationship in which a user input amount is associated with a unit change amount correction coefficient Kp for a unit operation. According to the correspondence relationship shown in FIG. 7, the control amount of the input gain can be adjusted based on the pressure when the user operates the input switch 400. The correspondence relationship shown in FIG. 7 is a relationship in which the correction coefficient increases (1.0 or more) as the operating pressure of the input switch 400 increases, and the correction coefficient becomes constant when the operating pressure exceeds a predetermined value. Incidentally, the pressing force when the input switch 400 is operated is detected by the pressure sensor 420.

In the present embodiment, the control amount for the unit operation is calculated by the following expression 4.

Control amount for unit operation = (input gain) × (correction coefficient Kp corresponding to operation pressure) (Equation 4)

The correction coefficient Kp is defined for each of the acceleration / deceleration, vehicle speed, and front / rear separation degree in the input mode. The travel controller 100 reads the correspondence relationship of the correction coefficient Kp corresponding to the determined travel control mode, corrects the input gain using the correction coefficient Kp corresponding to the detected operation pressure, and calculates the control amount for the unit operation. To do.

  Since the input gain is corrected based on the operation pressure in this way, when the user strongly presses the buttons 401 and 402 of the input switch 400, the acceleration / deceleration, the vehicle speed, and the front / rear separation degree can be greatly changed. When the buttons 401 and 402 of the switch 400 are pressed weakly, the acceleration / deceleration, the vehicle speed, and the front / rear distance can be changed by a minute amount. For this reason, a user's intention with respect to traveling control can be reflected in automatic control.

  In addition, it is preferable that the process which correct | amends input gain based on this operation pressure is employ | adopted especially in driving control mode in acceleration / deceleration control mode. As a result, when the user presses the buttons 401 and 402 of the input switch 400 weakly, the user can quickly accelerate or decelerate, and can realize travel control with good responsiveness.

  Next, a control procedure of the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control process for switching the traveling control mode of the present embodiment and controlling the traveling of the vehicle by the switched traveling control mode.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the flow A of S101 to S105 corresponds to the travel control mode determination process. The subsequent flow B of S106 to S115 corresponds to the setting of the recommended value and the setting of the unit input amount when the traveling control mode is switched. Furthermore, the flow C of S116 actually corresponds to the execution processing of the vehicle travel control.

  Hereinafter, each processing will be described.

  When the travel control is started, first, in step S <b> 101, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 temporarily stores road information 540 including the road width, road type, road shape, and the like of the travel road of the host vehicle from the navigation device 500 in the acquisition RAM 103. Remember me. This is because the information necessary for the side separation degree calculation process described later is acquired in advance.

  In step S <b> 102, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 acquires the distance Lc between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and / or the relative vehicle speed relative to the other vehicle from the distance measuring sensor 200. This is because the information necessary for the calculation process of the front-rear separation degree described later is acquired in advance.

  In step S103, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 calculates the lateral separation (lateral margin time TI) based on the road information and the yaw angle, and the front-rear separation based on the inter-vehicle distance Lc and the vehicle speed or relative speed ( A front inter-vehicle time Td and a front margin time Tc) are calculated. As a calculation method, the method shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is used. This is because the traveling environment of the vehicle is estimated from the relationship between the lateral separation (lateral margin time TI) and the front-rear separation (forward inter-vehicle time Td, forward margin time Tc).

  In step S104, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100, based on the relationship between the lateral separation (lateral margin time TI) calculated in step S103 and the longitudinal separation (front inter-vehicle time Td, forward margin time Tc), Determine the travel control mode. In order to select a travel control mode according to the travel environment of the vehicle, when determining the travel control mode, as shown in FIG. 5, the lateral separation (lateral margin time TI) and the front-rear separation (front inter-vehicle time Td). , Reference is made to a correspondence map between the front margin time Tc) and the travel control mode.

In step S105, the travel controller 100 automatically sets a travel control mode suitable for the environment around the vehicle, and automatically switches the input mode of the input switch 400 in accordance with the travel control mode. That is, the travel controller 100 switches the input mode of the input switch 400 to a mode that accepts input of acceleration / deceleration, vehicle speed, or the degree of separation between vehicles, and defines the type of information input to the input switch 400.

Further, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 acquires the control command input to the input switch 400 via the operation information acquisition function 410 and the pressure sensor 420.

In step S106, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 determines whether or not the input switch has been operated after switching the travel control mode. If the input switch is not operated, the process proceeds to step S116. If the input switch is operated, the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 determines whether or not the travel control mode after switching is different from the travel control mode used last time.

Since it is necessary to set a recommended value for the travel control mode after switching to a different travel control mode, if the travel control mode after switching is different from the travel control mode used last time, the process proceeds to step S108. . On the other hand, if the travel control mode after switching is the same as the travel control mode used last time, the previous recommended value may be used, and the process proceeds to step S110.

In step S108, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 calculates a recommended value according to the front / rear distance or the lateral distance in order to set a recommended value at the time of switching corresponding to the travel control mode for the travel control mode after switching. To do. Then, in the subsequent step S109, the calculated recommended value is set as a target value when the traveling control is executed.

After the recommended value is set, in step S110, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 determines whether or not the travel control mode is the acceleration / deceleration control mode. When the traveling control mode is the acceleration / deceleration control mode, the process proceeds to step S111 in order to set the input gain of acceleration / deceleration to the control amount according to the pressing force. When the traveling control mode is not the acceleration / deceleration control mode, the process proceeds to step S114. . In this example, when the determined travel control mode is the acceleration / deceleration control mode, the processing of steps S111 to S113 (processing for setting the input gain to the control amount according to the pressing force) is performed. The processing in steps S111 to S113 may be performed also in the separation degree control mode or the vehicle speed monitoring control mode.

When the traveling control mode is the acceleration / deceleration control mode, in step S111, the CPU 101 of the traveling controller 100 calculates a control amount according to the pressing force, and therefore, the input gain correction coefficient Kp from the pressing force of the operation of the input switch 400. Ask for. At this time, the correspondence shown in FIG. 7 as an example is referred to.

In the subsequent step S112, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 calculates an input gain of acceleration / deceleration based on the lateral margin time TI. At this time, the correspondence shown in FIG. 6 is referred to. This process may be performed in the same manner as step S111.

Furthermore, in step S113, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 calculates an input gain corresponding to the pressing force of the user input switch 400 from the correction coefficient Kp and the input gain obtained in step S112, and this input gain is calculated as a unit change amount. Set as. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S116.

In step S114, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 calculates the respective input gains in the vehicle speed monitoring control mode and the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode in order to set an input gain according to the travel environment. At this time, the correspondence shown in FIG. 6 is referred to.

In subsequent step S115, CPU 101 of travel controller 100 sets the input gain calculated in step S114.

In step S116, the CPU 101 of the travel controller 100 controls the travel of the vehicle by controlling the accelerator opening control device 600, the transmission control device 700, and the brake control device 800. As a result, the travel controller 100 performs travel control for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle so that the degree of front-rear distance from the other vehicle is in a predetermined value range, travel control for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle so that the host vehicle has a predetermined vehicle speed, or The vehicle is caused to travel under traveling control for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the own vehicle accelerates or decelerates by a predetermined amount.

If the ignition switch is turned off in step S107, the process is terminated. If the ignition switch is not turned off, the process returns to step S101 to repeat the process.

Since this invention is comprised as mentioned above and acts as mentioned above, there exist the following effects.

According to the travel controller 100 of the present embodiment, a travel control mode for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle can be determined according to the degree of separation of the host vehicle with respect to the target, and the host vehicle can be accelerated and decelerated using the determined travel control mode. . In this way, since the driving control mode is automatically switched according to the environment, the switching operation of the driving control mode becomes unnecessary, so the number of operations until reaching the target vehicle speed and target acceleration can be reduced, and the user The operation until the desired control is executed can be simplified.

Since the travel control mode for accelerating and decelerating the own vehicle is determined according to the degree of front-rear separation with respect to the target located in front or rear of the vehicle and the side separation with respect to the lane boundary located on the side of the vehicle, Acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle can be controlled in the travel control mode according to the driving environment, so the number of operations required to reach the target vehicle speed and target acceleration is reduced, and the operation until the desired control is executed is simplified. Can be.

Further, an inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the degree of front-rear distance from the other vehicle is in a predetermined value range, and a vehicle speed monitoring control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the own vehicle has a predetermined vehicle speed, Travel control based on speed such as constant speed travel, follow-up travel by switching between three travel control modes of acceleration / deceleration control mode for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle so that the host vehicle accelerates or decelerates by a predetermined amount A travel control mode suitable for the current travel environment of the vehicle can be selected from travel control based on the degree of separation between the vehicles and the like, and travel control that performs acceleration / deceleration while paying attention to the surroundings.

When the front / rear distance is equal to or less than the side distance (y ≦ x), the inter-vehicle distance control is performed to accelerate / decelerate the own vehicle so that the front / rear distance from other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is within a predetermined range. Since the mode is determined as the travel control mode, the vehicle travel control is performed in the inter-vehicle distance control mode that matches the driving sensation of the user to pay attention to the distance from the other vehicle when the distance from the other vehicle in the front-rear direction is relatively small. It can be performed.

In addition, when the front / rear distance is larger than the side distance (y> x) and the side distance is less than a predetermined value, the acceleration / deceleration mode is determined as the travel control mode. In an environment where the distance is secured and the road width is narrow, vehicle driving control is performed in an acceleration / deceleration control mode that matches the user's driving feeling that attention should be paid to obstacles and pedestrians around the vehicle to control acceleration / deceleration. It can be carried out.

Furthermore, when the front / rear separation is equal to or greater than the lateral separation and the lateral separation is equal to or greater than the predetermined value Q, the vehicle speed monitoring control mode is determined as the traveling control mode. In this way, the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle is secured, and in a wide road environment, the degree of attention paid to the vehicle surroundings for the other vehicle is relatively reduced, so a constant speed is maintained. As described above, it is possible to perform vehicle travel control in a vehicle speed monitoring mode that matches the driving sensation of the user who wants to control the travel speed.

In this way, by automatically determining the traveling control mode according to the traveling environment, the traveling control mode according to the driving feeling of the user can be obtained without requiring the user to perform the switching operation of the control mode or the switching operation of the input mode. Vehicle traveling control can be performed.

Further, in the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode, the first inter-vehicle separation degree for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the first front / rear separation degree (the front inter-vehicle time Td) with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A control mode and a second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the second front / rear separation degree (front allowance time Tc) between the other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Since there are two sub-modes, out of the first front-to-back separation degree based on the speed of the host vehicle (front inter-vehicle time Td) and the second front-to-back separation degree based on the relative speed between the host vehicle and the other vehicle (front margin time Tc) The vehicle travel control can be performed in the travel control mode suitable for the current travel environment of the vehicle.

In this case, when the front / rear separation degree (Tc or Td) is equal to or smaller than the lateral separation degree and the front / rear separation degree (Tc or Td) is equal to or greater than the predetermined value R, the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode is controlled to travel. Determine as the mode. In this way, in an environment where the road width is wide and the distance between other vehicles is secured to some extent, the distance between vehicles is perceived in relation to the speed of the own vehicle. The vehicle travel control can be performed in the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode that matches the driving sensation of the user who wants to control the travel speed so as to maintain the vehicle speed.

Furthermore, the control mode determination function of the travel controller 100 is the second when the front / rear distance (Tc or Td) is less than or equal to the lateral distance and the front / rear distance (Tc or Td) is less than the predetermined value R. The inter-vehicle separation degree control mode is determined as the travel control mode. In this way, in an environment where the road width is wide and the distance between other vehicles is short, attention is paid to the speed of the other vehicle, so the degree of separation is perceived in relation to the relative speed of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle travel control can be performed in the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode that matches the driving feeling of the user who wants to control the traveling speed so as to maintain the inter-vehicle separation degree based on the relative vehicle speed of the own vehicle with respect to the other vehicle. it can.

In this way, by automatically determining the travel control mode according to the travel environment, the travel control mode corresponding to the user's driving feeling is used without requiring the user to select the control mode or the input mode. Can do.

Further, the first front-rear separation degree is obtained by dividing the first distance to another vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle by the speed of the host vehicle, and the second front-rear separation degree is located in front of or behind the vehicle. By dividing the first distance to the other vehicle by the relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle, the first front-rear separation degree and the second front-rear separation degree can be obtained quantitatively, A travel control mode can be determined according to the user's driving feeling.

  As described above, the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment determines an appropriate travel control mode according to the travel environment and automatically handles the input control command as a target value according to the travel control. When the travel controller 100 according to the present embodiment is used, whether the control command to be input is the degree of separation from other vehicles (front margin time Tc, front inter-vehicle time Td), or the set speed for constant speed travel of the host vehicle Therefore, it is not necessary to perform an operation of inputting information for identifying the type of input information, such as whether the vehicle is an acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle, and an operation of switching between them, and therefore the input operation can be simplified.

In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 6, the input mode (the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode (including the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode and the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode), the vehicle speed monitoring control mode, and the acceleration / deceleration control mode. In order to automatically set a recommended value when switching the driving control mode based on the relationship between the front / rear distance and the side distance, the user can set the distance from other vehicles. Until the target value is set as before without inputting the recommended value (front margin time Tc, forward inter-vehicle time Td), the recommended value for constant speed travel (set speed), and the recommended value for acceleration / deceleration Since the input switch does not need to be repeatedly operated, the input operation can be simplified.

In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 6, the input mode (the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode (including the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode and the second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode), the vehicle speed monitoring control mode, and the acceleration / deceleration control mode. The input gain (unit variation) of the control command is automatically set on the basis of the relationship between the front / rear distance and the side distance for each input mode). The input gain of the degree (the front margin time Tc, the front inter-vehicle time Td), the input gain of the constant speed running speed, and the input gain of the acceleration / deceleration are set to appropriate values, so it is necessary to set the target value. Since the number of operations of the input switch can be reduced, the input operation can be simplified.

In the present embodiment, the travel controller 100 reads the correspondence relationship of the correction coefficient Kp according to the determined travel control mode, corrects the input gain using the correction coefficient Kp according to the detected operation pressure, and performs unit operation. When the user strongly presses the buttons 401 and 402 of the input switch 400, the acceleration / deceleration, the vehicle speed, and the front / rear separation degree can be greatly changed, and the user can select the buttons 401 and 402 of the input switch 400. When the button is pressed weakly, the acceleration / deceleration, the vehicle speed, and the front / rear separation degree can be changed by a minute amount. For this reason, a user's intention with respect to traveling control can be reflected in automatic control, and input operation can be simplified.

  The embodiment described above is described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

  That is, in the present specification, the travel controller 100 is described as an example of the travel control device according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In the present specification, the travel controller 100 including the CPU 101, the ROM 102, and the RAM 103 has been described as an example of the travel control device, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Further, in the present specification, as an aspect of the travel control device according to the invention of the present application, which includes the separation degree calculation means, the control mode determination means, and the control means, the separation degree calculation function, the control mode determination function, and the control A travel controller 100 having a function will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Further, in the present specification, as one aspect of the setting unit of the control means according to the present invention, the travel controller 100 having a setting function for setting a recommended value of the vehicle speed, a recommended value of the front-rear distance, and a recommended value of the acceleration / deceleration is provided. Although described, the present invention is not limited to this.

Further, in this specification, as an aspect of the setting unit of the control means according to the present invention, an input gain of the vehicle speed, an input gain of the front / rear distance, and an input gain of the acceleration / deceleration are set for one operation (unit operation). The travel controller 100 having the setting function to be described will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

It is a block block diagram of the travel controller of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of an input switch. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation example of a side separation degree. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation example of the front-back separation degree. It is a figure which shows an example of the correspondence used when determining the traveling control mode based on the relationship between the front-rear separation degree and the side separation degree. It is a figure which shows an example of the correspondence of the front-rear separation degree or side separation degree, input gain (unit variation | change_quantity), the front-rear separation degree or side separation degree, and the recommended value at the time of driving control mode switching. An example of a correspondence relationship in which a user input amount and a unit change amount correction coefficient Kp for a unit operation are associated with each other is shown. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the process of the travel controller of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100 ... Running controller 101 ... CPU
102 ... ROM
103 ... RAM
104 ... Timer 200 ... Ranging sensor 210 ... Camera 220 ... Radar device 300 ... Vehicle speed sensor 400 ... Input switch 410 Investigation information acquisition function 420 ... Pressure sensor 500 ... Navigation device 540 ... Road information 600 ... Accelerator opening control device 610 ... Throttle Actuator 700 ... Transmission control device 710 ... Shift actuator 800 ... Brake control device 810 ... Brake actuator 900 ... Vehicle controller

Claims (13)

A travel control device mounted on a vehicle for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle,
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting a vehicle speed of the host vehicle or a relative speed with respect to the target;
In the process of calculating the degree of separation with respect to the target based on the distance to the target existing around the host vehicle, a first distance to the target located in front of or behind the vehicle and a lane in which the vehicle travels A second distance to a predetermined point on the lane boundary of the vehicle, and based on the first distance and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or a relative speed with respect to the target, a front-rear distance with respect to a target located in front of or behind the vehicle And a degree-of-separation calculating means for calculating a degree of side separation with respect to a lane boundary line located on the side of the vehicle based on the second distance and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or the relative speed with respect to the target. ,
Control mode determining means for determining a travel control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle according to the calculated front / rear separation degree and side separation degree ;
Control means for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle in the determined travel control mode based on a control command input from a user;
The travel control mode includes an inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the degree of front-rear separation with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is in a predetermined value range,
The said control mode determination means is a travel control apparatus which determines the said inter-vehicle distance control mode as the said travel control mode, when the said front-back distance is below the said side distance. The control device according to claim 1 ,
The travel control mode includes a vehicle speed monitoring control mode for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle so that the host vehicle has a predetermined vehicle speed,
The control mode determination means determines the vehicle speed monitoring control mode as the travel control mode when the front / rear separation is greater than the lateral separation and the lateral separation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Control device. The control device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The travel control mode includes an acceleration / deceleration control mode for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle so that the host vehicle accelerates or decelerates a predetermined amount.
The control mode determining means is a travel control that determines the acceleration / deceleration mode as the travel control mode when the front / rear separation is greater than the lateral separation and the lateral separation is less than a predetermined value. apparatus. In the travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The front-rear separation degree is a first front-rear separation degree calculated based on a speed of the host vehicle and a first distance to another vehicle positioned in front of or behind the vehicle, and a relative speed with respect to the target of the host vehicle. And a second front-rear distance calculated based on a first distance to another vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle,
The inter-vehicle separation degree control mode includes a first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the first front / rear separation degree with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle falls within a predetermined range, and A second inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating and decelerating the host vehicle so that the second front-rear separation degree with other vehicles traveling in a predetermined value range,
The control mode determining means determines the first inter-vehicle separation degree control mode as the traveling control mode when the front / rear separation degree is equal to or less than the lateral separation degree and the front / rear separation degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. And a travel control device that determines the second inter-vehicle distance control mode as the travel control mode when the front / rear distance is less than or equal to the lateral distance and is less than a predetermined value. In the travel control device according to claim 4,
The first front-rear distance is obtained by dividing a first distance to another vehicle located in front of or behind the vehicle by the speed of the host vehicle,
The second front-rear separation degree is a travel control device that is obtained by dividing a first distance to another vehicle positioned in front of or behind the vehicle by a relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle. In the traveling control apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5 dependent on claim 2 and claim 2 ,
The control means, when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle by the vehicle speed monitoring control mode determined by the control mode determining means, a setting unit for setting a recommended value of the vehicle speed at the time of switching to the vehicle speed monitoring control mode Have
The setting unit
If the lateral separation is less than a first predetermined value, the recommended vehicle speed of the vehicle is set to zero,
When the lateral separation is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value and less than a second predetermined value, the recommended value of the vehicle speed is set so that the value increases as the lateral separation increases.
A travel control device that sets a predetermined speed as a recommended value of the vehicle speed when the lateral separation is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value. In the travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The control means sets a recommended value of the front / rear separation degree when switching to the vehicle separation degree control mode when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle by the vehicle separation degree control mode determined by the control mode determination means. Having a setting part,
The setting unit
If the front-rear distance is less than a third predetermined value, the recommended value of the front-rear distance is set to zero,
If the front-rear distance is equal to or greater than a third predetermined value and less than a fourth predetermined value, the recommended value of the front-rear distance is set so that the value increases as the front-rear distance increases.
A travel control device that sets a constant value as a recommended value of the front-rear separation degree when the front-rear separation degree is equal to or greater than a fourth predetermined value. In the traveling control device according to any one of claims 3 to 7 dependent on claim 3 and claim 3 ,
The control means sets a recommended acceleration / deceleration value at the time of switching to the acceleration / deceleration control mode when controlling the acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle in the acceleration / deceleration control mode determined by the control mode determining means. Have
The setting unit
If the lateral separation is less than a fifth predetermined value, the recommended acceleration / deceleration value of the vehicle is set to zero,
If the lateral separation is greater than or equal to a fifth predetermined value and less than a sixth predetermined value, the recommended value of the acceleration / deceleration is set so that the value increases as the lateral separation increases.
A travel control device that sets a predetermined acceleration / deceleration as a recommended value of the acceleration / deceleration when the lateral separation is equal to or greater than a sixth predetermined value. In the traveling control device according to any one of claims 3 to 8 dependent on claim 2 and claim 2 ,
The control means is a setting for setting a unit change amount of a vehicle speed with respect to a unit operation when receiving an input operation from a user when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle by the vehicle speed monitoring control mode determined by the control mode determination means. Part
The setting unit
When the lateral separation is less than a seventh predetermined value, the unit change amount of the vehicle speed is set to zero,
When the lateral separation is greater than or equal to a seventh predetermined value and less than an eighth predetermined value, the unit change amount of the vehicle speed is set so that the value increases as the lateral separation increases.
A travel control device that sets a constant speed amount as a unit change amount of the vehicle speed when the lateral separation is equal to or greater than an eighth predetermined value. In the traveling control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
In the case where the control means controls acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle according to the inter-vehicle separation degree control mode determined by the control mode determining means, a unit change amount of the front / rear separation degree with respect to a unit operation when receiving an input operation from a user is determined. It has a setting part to set,
The setting unit
When the front-rear distance is less than a ninth predetermined value, the unit change amount of the front-rear distance is set to zero,
When the front-rear separation degree is equal to or greater than a ninth predetermined value and less than a tenth predetermined value, the unit change amount of the front-rear separation degree is set so that the value increases as the front-rear separation degree increases,
A travel control device that sets a constant front-rear separation degree as a unit change amount of the front-rear separation degree when the front-rear separation degree is equal to or greater than a tenth predetermined value. In the traveling control device according to any one of claims 4 to 10 dependent on claim 3 and claim 3 ,
The control unit sets a unit change amount of acceleration / deceleration with respect to a unit operation when receiving an input operation from a user when controlling acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle in the acceleration / deceleration control mode determined by the control mode determination unit. Having a setting part,
The setting unit
When the lateral separation is less than an eleventh predetermined value, the unit change amount of the acceleration / deceleration is set to zero,
When the lateral separation is greater than or equal to the eleventh predetermined value and less than the twelfth predetermined value, the unit change amount of the acceleration / deceleration is set so that the value increases as the lateral separation increases. ,
A travel control device that sets a constant acceleration / deceleration amount as a unit change amount of acceleration / deceleration when the lateral separation is equal to or greater than a twelfth predetermined value. In the traveling control device according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The control means refers to a correspondence relationship in which a user input amount and a unit change amount correction coefficient corresponding to a unit operation are associated in advance, and based on an input amount of a control command input from the user, the unit operation A travel control device that calculates a control amount for. A first distance to the target located around the vehicle and located in front of or behind the vehicle; a second distance to a predetermined point on a lane boundary line of the lane in which the vehicle travels; Vehicle speed or relative speed with respect to the target,
Based on the first distance and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or the relative speed with respect to the target, a front / rear separation degree with respect to a target located in front of or behind the vehicle is calculated, and the second distance and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle are calculated. Or, based on the relative speed with respect to the target, calculate a lateral separation with respect to a lane boundary located on the side of the vehicle,
A travel control mode for accelerating / decelerating the vehicle according to the calculated front / rear separation degree and side separation degree is determined,
A vehicle travel control method for accelerating / decelerating the host vehicle in the determined travel control mode based on a control command input by a user,
The travel control mode includes an inter-vehicle separation degree control mode for accelerating / decelerating the own vehicle so that the degree of front-rear separation with other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the own vehicle is in a predetermined value range,
In the process of determining the control mode, a vehicle travel control method that determines the inter-vehicle distance control mode as the travel control mode when the front-rear distance is equal to or less than the lateral distance.

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