JP7051526B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

A technique for detecting the state of a vehicle occupant and controlling the vehicle has been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, when acceleration is generated in a vehicle, an inertial force acts on the occupant and the posture may be disturbed. However, the acceleration of the vehicle is detected and the posture is changed with respect to the occupant. A device for tactile notification of potential disturbance has been disclosed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a device that suppresses acceleration and facilitates deceleration when the driver is inattentive driving.

JP-A-2015-182564 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-253820

When the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, acceleration and deceleration are automatically controlled by the driving environment and action plan, and basically the occupants are not notified in advance. The occupant's posture becomes even more unstable when strong acceleration or deceleration acts while the occupant is in an unstable posture, such as when he bends down to pick up something under his feet or when he tries to reach for the back seat. It may cause anxiety to the occupants.

An object of the present invention is to realize traveling control corresponding to the posture of an occupant.

According to the present invention
It is a vehicle control device that can drive a vehicle by automatic driving.
A detection means that detects the posture of the occupant sitting on the seat,
A determination means for determining whether or not the posture of the occupant is a predetermined posture based on the detection result of the detection means, and a determination means.
During the period in which the determination means determines that the vehicle is in the predetermined posture during the automatic driving, the traveling control means that suppresses the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle as compared with the case where the determination means does not determine the predetermined posture. Equipped with
The predetermined posture is
The posture in which the occupant is bending his upper body,
The posture in which the occupant has his arms extended, and
Including at least one of the postures in which the occupant is twisting the upper body,
A vehicle control device characterized by this is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize traveling control corresponding to the posture of the occupant.

The block diagram of the vehicle and the control device which concerns on embodiment. (A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams of changes in the posture of the occupant. (A) and (B) are flowcharts showing a processing example executed by the vehicle control device of FIG. (A) and (B) are flowcharts showing a processing example executed by the vehicle control device of FIG. (A) and (B) are timing charts showing an example of running control in an unstable posture period. (A) and (B) are timing charts showing an example of running control in an unstable posture period. (A) is a timing chart showing a running control example in an unstable posture period, and (B) is an explanatory diagram showing that the suppression flag changes from ON to OFF with the passage of time. The flowchart which shows the processing example executed by the control device for a vehicle of FIG.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle V and a control device 1 thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the outline of the vehicle V is shown in a plan view and a side view. Vehicle V is, for example, a sedan-type four-wheeled passenger car.

The vehicle V of the present embodiment is, for example, a parallel hybrid vehicle. In this case, the power plant 50 that outputs the driving force for rotating the driving wheels of the vehicle V can be composed of an internal combustion engine, a motor, and an automatic transmission. The motor can be used as a drive source for accelerating the vehicle V and also as a generator during deceleration or the like (regenerative braking).

<Control device 1>
The configuration of the control device 1 which is an in-vehicle device of the vehicle V will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 1 includes an ECU group (control unit group) 2. The ECU group 2 includes a plurality of ECUs 20 to 29 configured to be able to communicate with each other. Each ECU includes a processor typified by a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor and data used by the processor for processing. Each ECU may include a plurality of processors, storage devices, interfaces, and the like. The number of ECUs and the functions in charge can be appropriately designed, and can be subdivided or integrated from the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the names of typical functions of the ECUs 20 to 29 are given. For example, the ECU 20 is described as "operation control ECU".

The ECU 20 executes control related to driving support including automatic driving of the vehicle V. In automatic driving, driving of vehicle V (acceleration of vehicle V by power plant 50, etc.), steering, and braking are automatically performed without the need for driver's operation. Further, the ECU 20 can execute driving support control such as collision mitigation braking and lane deviation suppression in manual operation. The collision mitigation brake assists in avoiding a collision by instructing the operation of the brake device 51 when the possibility of collision with an obstacle in front increases. The lane deviation suppression supports the avoidance of lane deviation by instructing the operation of the electric power steering device 41 when the possibility that the vehicle V deviates from the traveling lane increases.

The ECU 21 is an environment recognition unit that recognizes the traveling environment of the vehicle V based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B that detect the surrounding condition of the vehicle V. In the case of the present embodiment, the detection units 31A and 31B are cameras for photographing the front of the vehicle V (hereinafter, may be referred to as a camera 31A and a camera 31B), and are provided on the front portion of the roof of the vehicle V. There is. By analyzing the images taken by the camera 31A and the camera 31B, it is possible to extract the outline of the target and the lane marking line (white line or the like) on the road.

In the case of the present embodiment, the detection unit 32A is a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) (hereinafter, may be referred to as a lidar 32A), detects a target around the vehicle V, and is a distance from the target. To measure the distance. In the case of the present embodiment, five riders 32A are provided, one in each corner of the front part of the vehicle V, one in the center of the rear part, and one in each side of the rear part. The detection unit 32B is a millimeter-wave radar (hereinafter, may be referred to as radar 32B), detects a target around the vehicle V, and measures a distance from the target. In the case of the present embodiment, five radars 32B are provided, one in the center of the front part of the vehicle V, one in each corner of the front part, and one in each corner of the rear part.

The ECU 22 is a steering control unit that controls the electric power steering device 41. The electric power steering device 41 includes a mechanism for steering the front wheels in response to a driver's driving operation (steering operation) with respect to the steering wheel ST. The electric power steering device 41 includes a drive unit 41a including a motor that exerts a driving force for assisting steering operation or automatically steering the front wheels (sometimes referred to as steering assist torque), a steering angle sensor 41b, and a driver. It includes a torque sensor 41c and the like for detecting the steering torque to be borne (referred to as steering burden torque and distinguished from steering assist torque). The ECU 22 can also acquire the detection result of the sensor 36 that detects whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel ST, and can monitor the gripping state of the driver.

The ECU 23 is a braking control unit that controls the hydraulic device 42. The driver's braking operation with respect to the brake pedal BP is converted into hydraulic pressure in the brake master cylinder BM and transmitted to the hydraulic device 42. The hydraulic device 42 is an actuator capable of controlling the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the brake device (for example, the disc brake device) 51 provided on each of the four wheels based on the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the brake master cylinder BM. , The ECU 23 controls the drive of the solenoid valve and the like included in the hydraulic device 42. Further, the ECU 23 can turn on the brake lamp 43B during braking. As a result, it is possible to increase the attention to the vehicle V with respect to the following vehicle.

The ECU 23 and the hydraulic device 42 can form an electric servo brake. The ECU 23 can control, for example, the distribution of the braking force by the four braking devices 51 and the braking force by the regenerative braking of the motor included in the power plant 50. The ECU 23 also has an ABS function, traction control, and a vehicle based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 38, the yaw rate sensor (not shown), and the pressure sensor 35 that detects the pressure in the brake master cylinder BM provided for each of the four wheels. It is also possible to realize the posture control function of V.

The ECU 24 is a stop maintenance control unit that controls an electric parking brake device (for example, a drum brake) 52 provided on the rear wheel. The electric parking brake device 52 includes a mechanism for locking the rear wheels. The ECU 24 can control the locking and unlocking of the rear wheels by the electric parking brake device 52.

The ECU 25 is an in-vehicle notification control unit that controls an information output device 43A that notifies information in the vehicle. The information output device 43A includes, for example, a display device provided on a head-up display or an instrument panel, or an audio output device. Further, a vibration device may be included. The ECU 25 causes the information output device 43A to output, for example, various information such as vehicle speed and outside air temperature, information such as route guidance, and information regarding the state of the vehicle V.

The ECU 26 includes a communication device 26a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 26a wirelessly communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity and exchanges information between the vehicles.

The ECU 27 is a drive control unit that controls the power plant 50. In the present embodiment, one ECU 27 is assigned to the power plant 50, but one ECU may be assigned to each of the internal combustion engine, the motor, and the automatic transmission. The ECU 27 controls the output of the internal combustion engine and the motor in response to the driver's driving operation and vehicle speed detected by the operation detection sensor 34a provided on the accelerator pedal AP and the operation detection sensor 34b provided on the brake pedal BP, for example. Or switch the shift stage of the automatic transmission. The automatic transmission is provided with a rotation speed sensor 39 for detecting the rotation speed of the output shaft of the automatic transmission as a sensor for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle V. The vehicle speed of the vehicle V can be calculated from the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 39.

The ECU 28 is a position recognition unit that recognizes the current position and course of the vehicle V. The ECU 28 controls the gyro sensor 33, the GPS sensor 28b, and the communication device 28c, and processes the detection result or the communication result. The gyro sensor 33 detects the rotational movement of the vehicle V. The course of the vehicle V can be determined from the detection result of the gyro sensor 33 or the like. The GPS sensor 28b detects the current position of the vehicle V. The communication device 28c wirelessly communicates with a server that provides map information and traffic information, and acquires such information. Highly accurate map information can be stored in the database 28a, and the ECU 28 can specify the position of the vehicle V on the lane with higher accuracy based on the map information and the like.

The input device 45 is arranged in the vehicle so that the driver can operate it, and receives instructions and information input from the driver.

The ECU 29 is an occupant recognition unit that recognizes the occupant's condition based on the detection results of the detection units 29a to 29d that detect the occupant's condition seated on the seat of the vehicle V. In the case of the present embodiment, the detection units 29a to 29d are cameras for photographing the vehicle interior (hereinafter, may be referred to as cameras 29a to 29d). The occupants present in the vehicle interior can be recognized from the images taken by the cameras 29a to 29d. The cameras 29a and 29b are arranged so as to photograph the occupants seated in the front row seats (driver's seat and passenger seat), the camera 29a photographs the front row seats from the front, and the cameras 29b photographs the front row seats from the side. It is arranged like this. The cameras 29c and 29d are arranged so as to photograph the occupants seated in the back row seats (rear seats), the camera 29c is arranged so as to photograph the rear row seats from the front, and the cameras 29d are arranged so as to photograph the rear row seats from the side. Has been done.

In the case of the present embodiment, the postures of the occupants seated on the seats are detected by the cameras 29a to 29d. FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C) illustrate the case where the posture of the occupant is unstable. FIG. 2A illustrates a posture in which the occupant bends his upper body forward and extends his arms downward in order to pick up an object at his feet (for example, a lost item). In the figure, the broken line shows the normal posture before the posture change.

FIG. 2B shows a posture in which the occupant faces sideways (in the vehicle width direction) and extends his arms to the side. This posture is, for example, a posture when taking an object on the next seat or when communicating with an occupant on the next seat. The broken line shows the normal posture before the posture change. FIG. 2C shows a posture in which the occupant twists his upper body and extends his arm to the rear seat. This posture is, for example, a posture when taking an object on the rear seat or when communicating with an occupant on the rear seat. It should be noted that FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C) are examples of unstable postures, and other postures can also be included.

Whether or not the posture of the occupant is a predetermined posture that can be regarded as unstable can be determined by image analysis of the captured image. For example, in the example of the posture of FIG. 2A, it can be determined by the difference in the inclination angle θ of the upper body before and after the change in posture, the direction of the head or the line of sight, and the contour of the arm. In the posture examples of FIGS. 2B and 2C, it can be determined by the difference in the direction of the head or line of sight and the contour of the arm before and after the posture change.

The number and arrangement of the cameras 29a to 29d for detecting the posture of the occupant is not limited to the illustrated example, and a detection unit other than the camera may detect the change in the posture of the occupant. For example, load sensors may be arranged at a plurality of places on the seat, and the posture may be estimated from the change in the position of the center of gravity of the occupant based on the detection result of the load sensor. The target occupant for detecting the posture change may be all occupants, only the driver, or only some occupants such as the occupants in the back row seats.

<Control example>
A control example of the control device 1 will be described. FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing a mode selection process of operation control executed by the ECU 20.

In S1, it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a mode selection operation. The driver can instruct to switch between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode by, for example, operating the input device 45. If there is a selection operation, the process proceeds to S2, and if not, the process ends.

In S2, it is determined whether or not the selection operation is an instruction for automatic operation, and if it is an instruction for automatic operation, the process proceeds to S3, and if it is an instruction for manual operation, the process proceeds to S4. In S3, the automatic operation mode is set and the automatic operation control is started. In S4, the manual operation mode is set and the manual operation control is started. The current setting regarding the operation control mode is notified from the ECU 20 to the ECUs 21 to 29 and recognized.

In the manual driving control, the vehicle V is driven, steered, and braked according to the driving operation of the driver, and the ECU 20 appropriately executes the driving support control. In the automatic driving control, the ECU 20 outputs a control command to the ECU 22, the ECU 23, and the ECU 27 to control the steering, braking, and driving of the vehicle V, and automatically drives the vehicle V regardless of the driver's driving operation. The ECU 20 sets the travel path of the vehicle V, refers to the position recognition result of the ECU 28 and the recognition result of the target, and causes the vehicle V to travel along the set travel path. The target is recognized based on the detection results of the detection units 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B.

<Driving control corresponding to the posture of the occupant>
When the vehicle V suddenly accelerates or decelerates in a state where the posture of the occupant is unstable as illustrated in FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C), the posture of the occupant becomes more unstable due to the inertial force. It may cause anxiety to the occupants. In the present embodiment, when the occupant is in an unstable posture, both acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle V are suppressed as compared with the case of the normal posture. As a result, it is possible to realize automatic driving by running control corresponding to the posture of the occupant.

<Posture judgment>
FIG. 3B shows an example of processing for setting the reference posture of the occupant. The process shown in the figure is executed by the ECU 29. The reference posture is for determining whether or not the posture of the occupant has changed with the unstable posture (hereinafter, also referred to as unstable posture) exemplified in FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C). It is a reference posture and is a posture in a normal sitting state.

In S11, it is determined whether or not the timing is set. If it is the set timing, the process proceeds to S12, and if it is not the set timing, one process is terminated. The set timing is a timing at which it is estimated that the occupant is seated in the seat in a normal sitting posture, for example, an initial stage after the occupant has boarded the vehicle V and the vehicle V has started traveling (for example,). (During constant speed running) can be mentioned.

In S12, the postures of the occupants are detected by the cameras 29a to 29d, and the detection results are saved. The storage destination is, for example, a storage device included in the ECU 29. In S13, the posture detected in S12 is set as the reference posture. If there are multiple occupants, it can be set for each occupant. The reference posture may be an image taken or data obtained by extracting a feature amount from the image. This completes one process.

In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the actual posture of the occupant is detected and the reference posture is set as a judgment material for determining whether or not the posture is unstable. However, this setting process may be omitted, and the information may be uniformly prepared in advance as virtual occupant images or feature amount data.

FIG. 4A shows an example of processing for determining whether or not the posture of the occupant has become an unstable posture while the vehicle V is traveling by automatic driving. The process shown in the figure is executed by the ECU 29 during automatic operation.

In S21, the postures of the occupants are detected by the cameras 29a to 29d, and the detection results are saved. The storage destination is, for example, a storage device included in the ECU 29. In S22, the posture of the occupant detected in S21 is compared with the reference posture, and it is determined whether or not the posture of the occupant detected in S21 is an unstable posture. If it is determined that the posture is unstable, the process proceeds to S23, and if it is determined that the posture is not unstable, the process proceeds to S26.

In S23, it is determined whether or not the suppression setting set in S24 is being set. If the suppression setting is not being set, the process proceeds to S24, and if the suppression setting is being set, one process is terminated. In S24, the suppression setting for suppressing the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle V is set, and the start thereof is notified to the ECU 20. Upon receiving the notification, the ECU 20 turns on the suppression flag indicating that the suppression setting has been made. The suppression flag is a flag that uses a predetermined storage area of the storage device of the ECU 20. In S25, the time counting of the elapsed time of the suppression setting is started. The significance of this timing will be described later.

In S26, it is determined whether or not the suppression setting set in S24 is being set. If the suppression setting is not in progress, one process is terminated, and if the suppression setting is in progress, the process proceeds to S27. In S27, the suppression setting is terminated and the ECU 20 is notified of the completion of the setting. The ECU 20 turns off the suppression flag.

The end of the restraint setting may be made only when the posture of the occupant returns to the normal posture. However, if the unstable posture continues for a long time, it can be said that the unstable posture is not as much as on the left, and conversely, the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle V is suppressed for a long time. It is disadvantageous for achieving the action plan of vehicle V. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the suppression setting is terminated when the suppression setting period continues for a predetermined time. FIG. 4B is a flowchart thereof, which is executed by the ECU 29.

In S28, it is determined whether or not a predetermined predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the suppression setting with reference to the value of the timer that started the time measurement in S25. The specified time is, for example, about several tens of seconds. If it has passed, the process proceeds to S29, and if it has not passed, one process is terminated. In S29, the suppression setting is completed and the ECU 20 is notified of the completion of the setting. The ECU 20 turns off the suppression flag. In S30, the timer is reset. After that, the occupant determined to be in an unstable posture can be excluded from the subject of the posture determination process of FIG. 4A until it is detected that the occupant has returned to the normal posture.

This completes one process. In the present embodiment, the suppression of both acceleration and deceleration is released by ending the suppression setting when a predetermined predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the suppression setting, but only one of them may be used. For example, only the suppression of acceleration may be released, and the suppression of deceleration may be maintained while the posture of the occupant is determined to be an unstable posture. In the case of acceleration, even if the occupant's posture flows to the rear side, it may be supported by the seat back.

<Running control example>
An example of traveling control during suppression setting will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (A) to 7 (A). Each figure is a timing chart showing a time transition of a suppression flag, a required driving force, a controlled target driving force, a required reduction ratio, a control target reduction ratio, and a vehicle speed. The suppression flag is as described above, is turned on during the suppression setting, and is turned off when the setting is completed. The period from when the suppression flag is turned on to when it is turned off is called a suppression period, and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle V is suppressed in this period.

The required driving force is a calculated value of the propulsive force or braking force required to drive the vehicle V according to the action plan, and is calculated by the ECU 20 based on, for example, the traveling environment of the vehicle V recognized by the ECU 21. To. The control target driving force is a control target value for actually driving the engine, motor, or brake device 51 of the power plant 50 set based on the required driving force, and is instructed by the ECU 20 to the ECU 27 and the ECU 23. Since the control target driving force is for realizing the required driving force, its increasing / decreasing tendency basically matches the required driving force.

The required reduction ratio is a reduction ratio of the automatic transmission of the power plant 50, which is necessary for realizing the required driving force. In the case of the present embodiment, a stepped automatic transmission is assumed as the automatic transmission, and the automatic transmission is specified by the transmission stage (1st speed, 2nd speed, 3rd speed, etc.). The control target reduction ratio is a control target value for actually driving the automatic transmission of the power plant 50 set based on the required reduction ratio, and is instructed by the ECU 20 to the ECU 27.

FIG. 5A illustrates a case where an acceleration request is generated during the suppression period. An acceleration request is generated at time t1, and a shift down request for an automatic transmission is generated. Normally, the control target driving force is increased in response to the acceleration request, but the control target driving force is maintained during the suppression period. That is, the vehicle V is maintained in a constant speed traveling state, and it is possible to suppress the action of inertial force on the occupant. Similarly, normally, the shift speed of the automatic transmission is lowered in response to the shift down request, but the change of the reduction ratio is restricted during the suppression period, and in the case of the present embodiment, the current shift speed is maintained. .. That is, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a shift shock in the vehicle V and reduce the influence of the inertial force on the occupant. As for the regulation to change the reduction ratio, in addition to maintaining the status quo, it is permissible on the high shift side where the shift shock is relatively small (for example, change in 7th to 10th gear), and the low shift where the shift shock is relatively large. It may be prohibited on the side (for example, change in 1st to 4th speed).

Then, in the case of the present embodiment, the response to the acceleration request and the shift down request is delayed to respond after the end of the suppression period, and the control target driving force is increased and the shift down is performed. As a result, the traveling control of the vehicle V can be performed without significantly disturbing the action plan.

FIG. 5B illustrates a case where a deceleration request is generated during the suppression period. A deceleration request is generated at time t2, and a shift down request for the automatic transmission is generated. Normally, the control target driving force is lowered by deceleration corresponding to the deceleration request, but during the suppression period, the deceleration is made smaller than usual to decelerate the vehicle V. That is, the vehicle V can be decelerated slowly and the inertial force acting on the occupant can be suppressed. As with acceleration, the control target driving force may be maintained during deceleration, but deceleration requests are often generated to ensure safety, so slow deceleration makes the occupant feel uneasy. It can be resolved and decelerated.

The shift down request is the same as when accelerating. That is, normally, the shift gear of the automatic transmission is lowered in response to the shift down request, but the change of the reduction ratio is restricted during the suppression period, and in the case of the present embodiment, the current shift gear is maintained. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of a shift shock in the vehicle V and reduce the influence of the inertial force on the occupant. Then, the response to the downshift request is delayed to respond after the end of the suppression period.

FIG. 6A illustrates a case where the suppression period is started after the acceleration request is generated. That is, the vehicle V is accelerating at the start of the suppression period. In this case, the acceleration is gradually stopped and the vehicle shifts to constant speed running. This reduces the inertial force acting on the occupant. Then, after the suppression period, acceleration is restarted in response to the acceleration request. Further, in the example of the figure, a shift-up request is generated during the suppression period, but as in the previous examples, the change of the reduction ratio is restricted during the suppression period, and in the case of the present embodiment, the current shift is performed. Maintain the gear to avoid the occurrence of shift shock.

FIG. 6B illustrates a case where the suppression period is started after the deceleration request is generated. That is, the vehicle V is decelerating at the start of the suppression period. In this case, the deceleration is gradually stopped and the vehicle shifts to constant speed running. This reduces the inertial force acting on the occupant. Then, after the suppression period, deceleration is restarted in response to the deceleration request. Further, in the example of the figure, a shift down request is generated during the suppression period, but as in the previous examples, the change of the reduction ratio is restricted during the suppression period, and in the case of the present embodiment, the current shift is performed. Maintain the gear to avoid the occurrence of shift shock.

FIG. 7A also exemplifies the case where the suppression period is started after the occurrence of the deceleration request, but exemplifies the case of the deceleration request due to the possibility of collision with a forward obstacle. Such collision prediction is performed by the ECU 21 and notified to the ECU 20. In this case, the same deceleration as in normal times is maintained even during the suppression period, and collision avoidance is prioritized. The same can be applied when a deceleration request occurs due to the possibility of a collision during the suppression period. On the other hand, the change of the reduction ratio of the automatic transmission is regulated to avoid the occurrence of shift shock. In the example of the figure, the shift down request is generated during the suppression period, but the current shift stage is maintained and the shift down is performed after the suppression period as in the previous examples.

FIG. 7B illustrates a case where the suppression period ends with the elapsed time. Even if the occupant's posture determination result remains unstable, the restraint period ends when the specified time elapses.

FIG. 8 shows an example (suppression processing) of traveling control of the ECU 20 during the suppression period, and shows a processing example of the example described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 7A. In S31, it is determined whether or not the suppression flag is ON. If it is ON, the process proceeds to S32, and if it is OFF, one process is completed. In S32, the reduction ratio is maintained and set, and an instruction is given to the ECU 27. If a request to change the reduction ratio occurs during the suppression period, the ECU 27 is instructed after the suppression period ends. In S33, it is determined whether or not the suppression flag changes from OFF to ON (at the start of the suppression period). If it is at the start of the suppression period, the process proceeds to S34, and if it is after the start, the process proceeds to S40.

In S34 to S39, it is an example of the control processing during the suppression period when it is started after acceleration or deceleration, which was described with reference to FIGS. 6 (A) to 7 (A). In S34, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is decelerating. If the vehicle is decelerating, the process proceeds to S35, and if the vehicle is not decelerating, the process proceeds to S38. In S35, it is determined whether or not the collision is predicted and decelerated, and the process proceeds to S37 in the case of deceleration caused by collision prediction, and proceeds to S36 in the case of deceleration not caused by collision prediction. In S36, the vehicle shifts to constant speed traveling (example of FIG. 6B). In S37, the deceleration is maintained (example of FIG. 7A). In S38, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is accelerating. If it is accelerating, the process proceeds to S39, and if it is not accelerating, one process is terminated. In S39, the vehicle shifts to constant speed driving (example of FIG. 6A).

S40 to S45 are examples of control processing when an acceleration request or a deceleration request is made during the suppression period, which is described with reference to FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B). In S40, it is determined whether or not there is a deceleration request, and if there is a deceleration request, the process proceeds to S41, and if there is no deceleration request, the process proceeds to S44. In S41, it is determined whether or not the collision is predicted and decelerated, and if the deceleration is caused by the collision prediction, the process proceeds to S43, and if the deceleration is not caused by the collision prediction, the process proceeds to S42. In S42, the deceleration is weakened to decelerate (example of FIG. 5B). In S43, the deceleration is maintained and decelerated. In S44, it is determined whether or not the vehicle V is accelerating. If it is accelerating, the process proceeds to S45, and if it is not accelerating, one process is terminated. In S45, acceleration is set after the suppression period ends (FIG. 5A).

<Summary of embodiments>
1. 1. The vehicle control device (for example, 1) of the above embodiment is
It is a vehicle control device that can drive a vehicle by automatic driving.
A detection means (for example, 29a-29d) that detects the posture of the occupant sitting on the seat, and
A determination means (for example, 29, FIG. 4B) for determining whether or not the posture of the occupant is a predetermined posture based on the detection result of the detection means.
During the period in which the determination means is determined to be in the predetermined posture during the automatic driving, the traveling control means (for example,) that suppresses the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle as compared with the case where it is determined that the determination means is not in the predetermined posture. 20, Fig. 8) and.

According to this embodiment, when the occupant is in an unstable posture, it is possible to reduce further instability due to the action of inertial force due to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and traveling control corresponding to the occupant's posture. Can be realized.

2. 2. In the above embodiment,
The predetermined posture is
The posture in which the occupant is bending the upper body (for example, FIG. 2 (A)),
The posture in which the occupant has his arms extended (for example, FIG. 2B), and
It includes at least one of the postures in which the occupant is twisting the upper body (for example, FIG. 2C).

According to this embodiment, when the occupant is in an unstable posture, it is possible to reduce further instability due to the action of inertial force due to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and traveling control corresponding to the occupant's posture. Can be realized.

3. 3. In the above embodiment,
The vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission (eg 50) and
The travel control means regulates a change in the reduction ratio of the automatic transmission during the period (for example, S32).

According to this embodiment, when the occupant is in an unstable posture, it is possible to reduce the possibility of further instability due to a shift shock, and it is possible to realize traveling control corresponding to the occupant's posture.

4. In the above embodiment,
If the vehicle needs to be accelerated during the period, the travel control means starts accelerating after the period (for example, FIG. 5A).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to respond to the acceleration request while reducing the posture of the occupant from becoming more unstable.

5. In the above embodiment,
When the vehicle needs to be decelerated during the period, the traveling control means decelerates more slowly than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the predetermined posture (for example, FIG. 5B).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to respond to the deceleration request while further reducing the posture of the occupant from becoming unstable.

6. In the above embodiment,
If the vehicle needs to be decelerated during the period due to the possibility of a collision, the vehicle is decelerated in the same manner as when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the predetermined posture (for example, S43).

According to this embodiment, collision avoidance can be prioritized.

7. In the above embodiment,
If the vehicle is accelerating at the start of the period, the vehicle shifts to constant speed running during the period (for example, FIG. 6A).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to further reduce the instability when the occupant is in an unstable posture while accelerating the vehicle.

8. In the above embodiment,
If the vehicle is decelerating at the start of the period, the vehicle shifts to constant speed running during the period (for example, FIG. 6B).

According to this embodiment, when the occupant is in an unstable posture during deceleration of the vehicle, it is possible to further reduce the instability.

9. In the above embodiment,
If the vehicle is decelerating at the start of the period due to the possibility of a collision, the deceleration at the start is not changed during the period (eg, FIG. 7A).

According to this embodiment, collision avoidance can be prioritized.

10. In the above embodiment,
When the period continues for a predetermined time, the suppression of at least one of the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle is released (for example, FIG. 6B).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle from being unnecessarily suppressed.

V vehicle, 1 control device, 29a-29d detection unit

Claims (9)

It is a vehicle control device that can drive a vehicle by automatic driving.
A detection means that detects the posture of the occupant sitting on the seat,
A determination means for determining whether or not the posture of the occupant is a predetermined posture based on the detection result of the detection means, and a determination means.
During the period in which the determination means determines that the vehicle is in the predetermined posture during the automatic driving, the traveling control means that suppresses the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle as compared with the case where the determination means does not determine the predetermined posture. Equipped with
The predetermined posture is
The posture in which the occupant is bending his upper body,
The posture in which the occupant has his arms extended, and
Including at least one of the postures in which the occupant is twisting the upper body,
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .
The vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission
The traveling control means regulates a change in the reduction ratio of the automatic transmission during the period.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.
If the vehicle needs to be accelerated during the period, the travel control means starts accelerating after the period.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
When the vehicle needs to be decelerated during the period, the traveling control means decelerates more slowly than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the predetermined posture.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 .
If it is necessary to decelerate the vehicle during the period due to the possibility of a collision, the vehicle will decelerate in the same manner as when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the predetermined posture.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .
If the vehicle is accelerating at the start of the period, the vehicle shifts to constant speed running during the period.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .
If the vehicle is decelerating at the start of the period, the vehicle shifts to constant speed running in the period.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to claim 7 .
If the vehicle is decelerating at the start of the period due to the possibility of a collision, the deceleration at the start will not be changed during the period.
A vehicle control device characterized by this. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
When the period continues for a predetermined time, the suppression of at least one of the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle is released.
A vehicle control device characterized by this.

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