JP2007038704A - Driving attitude adjustment device for vehicle and driving attitude adjustment method for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine whether or not a cruise is possible using a road shape on which a host vehicle travels, and to switch a driving posture.
There is provided a seat including a seat back portion that is divided into an upper seat back 12 and a lower seat back 13 that can be tilted independently, and a seat seat portion 14 that is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the host vehicle. In the vehicle, the cruising possibility determination device 3 detects the road shape of the road on which the host vehicle travels by the navigation information reading unit 32, and the cruising possibility determination unit 33 determines whether the host vehicle is cruising based on the road shape. At the same time, a switching target point that is set to a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result is set, and a timing to set the predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result is set before the host vehicle reaches the switching target point. And when it becomes the road condition which can actually cruise before it becomes the road condition which can be cruised, it is made to be an appropriate driving posture.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus and a vehicle driving posture adjusting method for adjusting the state of a seat and a steering mounted on a vehicle according to a traveling environment.

Conventionally, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below, it is determined whether the traveling environment of the host vehicle is an expressway or a general road, and the seat back tilt angle, the seat slide amount, the steering tilt angle, 2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle driving posture adjusting device that automatically adjusts a telescopic position and automatically realizes a driving position (driving posture) adapted to a driving environment is known.
JP 2004-182150 A

  However, in the above-described technique, by referring to the traveling environment at the vehicle position acquired from the navigation device, it is detected that the vehicle flows into the main road or leaves the main road and switches the driving position. There may be a scene where the appropriate seat state in the road environment acquired from the navigation device does not match the appropriate seat state in the actual road environment.

  For example, it is not the main road of the highway on the map data of the navigation device like the bypass of the general national highway, but it is the main road of the highway on the map where the stable cruise traveling is possible, or conversely, the map data of the navigation device. There are many sharp curves, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Loop Line, and it is difficult to identify scenes where stable cruises are difficult. For this reason, there is a problem that the driving position is not necessarily switched to a position suitable for the driving environment at an appropriate timing.

  The present invention includes a seat back portion that is divided into an upper seat back and a lower seat back that can be tilted independently, a side support portion that can adjust the amount of support from the left and right sides of the seat back to the inner surface, and the vehicle. In order to solve the above-described problems in a vehicle including a seat having a seat seat that is slidable in the front-rear direction and a steering device that can adjust a tilt angle and a telescopic position, A road shape is detected, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is cruising based on the road shape, and a switching target point to be set to a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result is set, and the host vehicle is set as the switching target point. Before reaching, a timing for setting a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result is set.

  Before the cruising road condition is reached, the tilt angle of the upper seat back and the lower seat back, the slide position of the seat seat part, the support amount of the side support part, the tilt angle and the telescopic position of the steering device By adjusting the above, the driving posture is made appropriate when the actual cruising road condition is reached.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not cruising is possible using the shape of the road on which the host vehicle travels, and by switching the driving posture, even if it cannot be determined only by road type such as a general road, it is appropriate at the time of cruising. The driving posture can be changed.

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

[First Embodiment]
The present invention is applied, for example, to a vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus according to the first embodiment configured as shown in FIG.

[Configuration of Vehicle Driving Posture Adjustment Device]
This vehicle driving attitude adjustment device acquires a vehicle signal related to a vehicle state such as a vehicle speed of the host vehicle, an accelerator opening, a brake on signal or an off signal, and a driving operation amount such as a steering angle. And a navigation device 2 for acquiring the map information and the vehicle position information around the host vehicle as a sensor group. It is configured to receive. The cruising possibility determination device 3 determines whether or not the road situation in which the host vehicle is expected to travel in the future is cruising using a signal from the sensor group. Then, the cruise possibility determination device 3 determines the seat position switching target point (point) and the switching timing based on the determination result as to whether or not the cruise is possible, and includes a seat position including information indicating the content of the seat position switching. A switching command is output to the seat position control device 6. In such a vehicle driving posture adjusting device, the cruise enable determination device 3, the seat position control device 6, and the seat actuator 7 function as driving posture adjusting means.

  Thus, the seat position control device 6 drives the seat actuator 7 to change the seat position state and change the driving posture of the driver. The seat position control device 6 controls an upper seat back and a lower seat back that can be independently tilted in response to a seat position switching command, and each tilt angle, seat slide position, seat back Controls the amount of support on both the left and right sides. Further, the seat position control device 6 sets the target value of the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position as the driver's posture on the seat so that the actual steering tilt angle and the telescopic position reach the target values. A steering switching command including the steering switching content for adjusting the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position is output to a steering actuator (not shown) for driving.

  Further, the cruise possibility determination device 3 outputs a display content command to the display content control unit 4 in order to display information related to the seat position switching command and the steering switching command. Accordingly, the display content control unit 4 presents the driver and the like with the timing for switching the driving posture composed of the seat position state and the steering state and the switching content of the seat position state and the steering state.

  Further, the display content control unit 4 displays information on the current seat position state and steering state of the display device 5 according to the display content command from the cruising possibility determination device 3 that the seat position and steering are moving. Draw at an appropriate display position in the display screen.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the specific configuration of the vehicle driving posture adjusting device is as follows. The vehicle information collecting unit 1 includes various sensor groups, and the navigation device 2 includes a vehicle position measuring device 21, an infrastructure receiver 22, Comprising a road information acquisition unit 23 and a map database storage unit 24, the cruise enable determination device 3 includes a vehicle information reading unit 31, a navigation information reading unit 32, a cruise enable determination unit 33, a display content command unit 34, and a seat position command unit 35. Consists of. The vehicle information collection unit 1, the navigation device 2, and the cruise enablement determination device 3 are connected to each other via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) and can exchange signals with each other.

  The navigation device 2 generates the vehicle position information by the vehicle position measurement device 21 using autonomous navigation using a GPS receiver or a gyro, for example, a DVD (Digital Video Disc / Digital Versatile Disc) playback device or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive). ) Or the like, the map data stored in the map database storage unit 24 using a storage medium is calculated, and the travel route of the host vehicle is calculated and presented to the driver. In addition, as the own vehicle position measuring device 21, a mobile phone provided with a GPS antenna and a GPS receiver may be used.

  Further, the navigation device 2 uses the road information acquisition unit 23 to match the map data in the map database storage unit 24 with the vehicle position information, and acquires map data around the vehicle. Further, the navigation apparatus 2 receives information from an information providing infrastructure for a narrow range such as a beacon installed on a road and an information providing infrastructure for a wide range such as FM multiplex broadcasting by an antenna 22a, and receives an infrastructure receiver. 22 is provided as road information to the road information acquisition unit 23. Such a navigation device 2 supplies the map information of the surrounding area where the host vehicle travels to the navigation information reading unit 32 of the cruise enable determination device 3.

  The vehicle information collection unit 1 is connected to various sensors (not shown) via the in-vehicle LAN. The vehicle information collection unit 1 collects signals related to vehicle behavior by receiving sensor signals from, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and the like. In addition, the vehicle information collection unit 1 also acquires information on driving operation amounts such as a steering angle, an accelerator opening, a brake on / off signal, a gear position, a blinker state, and a hazard SW state as a vehicle signal. Then, the vehicle information collection unit 1 supplies vehicle signals related to the vehicle behavior and the driving operation to the vehicle information reading unit 31 of the cruising possibility determination device 3.

  The cruise possibility determination device 3 acquires the vehicle signal detected by the vehicle information collection unit 1 by the vehicle information reading unit 31 and the map information detected by the navigation device 2 by the navigation information reading unit 32. Then, the cruising possibility determination device 3 uses the vehicle signal and the map information to determine whether or not the own vehicle can be crushed by the cruising possibility determination unit 33, and based on the determination result, the seat in the seat position command unit 35. The position switching content and switching timing are determined, and the sheet position control unit 6 is controlled by the sheet position command unit 35. At the same time, the cruise enable determination unit 33 causes the display content control unit 4 to operate the display content command unit 34 so as to present the switching content and switching timing of the seat position to the driver.

  In addition, although the navigation apparatus 2 has shown each part 31-32 separately, you may comprise each part 31-32 as an independent arithmetic unit, and the vehicle information reading part 31 and the navigation information reading part 32 are the same. You may comprise by the interface for in-vehicle LAN. Further, in the vehicle driving posture adjusting device, the display content control unit 4 may be mounted in the display device 5 or the seat position control device 6 may be mounted under the seat.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat to be controlled in this vehicle driving posture adjusting device is provided with a seat back upper portion 12 and a seat back lower portion 13 that can be tilted independently at the lower portion of the headrest 11, The seat portion 14 is provided so as to be slidable and tiltable in the vehicle front-rear direction. The headrest 11, the seat back upper portion 12, the seat back lower portion 13, and the seat seat portion 14 are mounted on a pedestal 15.

  The vehicle seat is provided with a plurality of actuators 7 a to 7 e constituting the seat actuator 7 in order to operate the seat back upper portion 12, the seat back lower portion 13 and the seat seat portion 14 independently. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat is provided with a right side support portion and a left side support portion that are driven by supporting the end portions in the width direction of the seat back upper portion 12 and the seat back lower portion 13 inward. ing.

  The seat back upper portion 12 is tilted by an actuator 7a provided at a connecting portion with the seat back lower portion 13, and the seat back lower portion 13 is tilted by an actuator 7b provided at a connecting portion with the seat seat portion 14 to The part 14 is slid by the actuators 7c and 7d and tilted by the actuator 7e. In addition, the left and right side support portions are adjusted to the inward support amount by an actuator (not shown).

  Thus, the vehicle driving posture adjusting device controls the seat position control device 6 and the seat actuator 7 by the seat position commanding unit 35, whereby the tilt angle of the seat back upper portion 12, the tilt angle of the seat back lower portion 13, and the seat seat. The sliding position of the part 14 and the support amounts of the left and right side support parts can be adjusted. In addition, the vehicle driving posture adjusting device drives not only the adjustment of the vehicle seat but also the actuator that adjusts the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position, respectively, and moves the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position to desired positions, respectively. Control to do.

  In addition, the display device 5 includes a wide display in which a plurality of liquid crystal displays are connected in a range from the meter hood to the center console and the cluster panel, a configuration having a large display of 15 inches or more in the center console, an instrument panel A horizontal monitor with a single display from the passenger seat to the left end of the passenger seat can be used.

  In the vehicular driving posture adjusting apparatus configured as described above, the map information supplied from the navigation apparatus 2 to the cruising enablement determination apparatus 3 is as shown in FIG. 3 for branch points such as intersections and junctions (JCT). It is composed of node data that is position coordinates, point data of complementary points that are position coordinates of points for drawing road bends, and link data that connects the node and interpolation points. Further, the point data and link data of the map information are associated with attribute information.

  As attributes of the point data, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, information regarding the road type, the number of lanes, the link type of the interpolation point, and the road shape are identified and identified by numerical values. As point data attributes, as shown in FIG. 8, a point type, which is specific information, is specified by a numerical value.

  When such map information is received by the cruising possibility determination device 3, the cruising possibility determination device 3 indicates that the road type on the map as shown in FIGS. 9 (a), 9 (b), and 10 is “general national road” or “ Although it is a “main local road”, it can be determined that the road conditions are such as Hodogaya Bypass (BP), Jobu Bypass, Asama Sunline, and so on.

  On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the road type is “urban expressway”, but it is a road situation in which steep curves are continuous, such as around the city center loop line, Horikiri, and Kominato junction. As shown in (b), the road type is “Highway national highway” as from the Usui Pass on the Joshinetsu Road to Saku IC, but it is a road situation where there are continuous sharp curves and tunnels. It can be determined that the road condition is difficult to cruise.

  That is, the Hodogaya bypass shown in FIG. 9 (a) is almost the same as a road where the road type has no sharp curve or the like and the road type is "Highway national highway" as shown in FIG. 12 (a). As a branch point, there is no intersection with a signal, and the diversion to the IC exit is only an interval of several kilometers or more. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the Takebu bypass shown in FIG. 9 (b) has many intersections that are three-dimensional intersections, and there are only plane intersections with signals at sparse intervals of several kilometers. Furthermore, the Asama Sunline shown in FIG. 10 has a road type of “major local road” on the map data and is not so important in the road type of FIG. 4, but the distance between intersections with traffic lights is several kilometers. There are many sections.

  In addition, the three roads such as Hodogaya Bypass, Jobu Bypass, and Asama Sunline have a very large radius of curvature in all sections and are almost straight, making it easy to cruise at a constant speed.

  As described above, in order to acquire the characteristics of the map information on each road, the cruising possibility determination device 3 uses the information of “with signal” of the point type shown in FIG. 8 and the nodes and point data constituting each road. Using the arrangement, the average interval of intersections with signals from the vehicle position to a predetermined distance (for example, 5 km) ahead and the minimum radius of curvature are estimated. When the average distance between the intersections and the value of the minimum radius of curvature are equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the cruising possibility determining device 3 can determine that the cruising road condition is possible. As a result, in the driving environment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, even in the same driving posture for a long time, it is possible to switch to a seat position state and a steering state suitable for cruising with less burden on the waist and the like. It becomes.

  On the other hand, in the case of an intersection with a signal or a road situation where the minimum curvature radius is a predetermined value or less, regardless of the road type, the cruise possibility determination device 3 determines that the road situation is difficult to cruise. Thus, the seat position state and the steering state are kept as normal.

  In addition, when a driving environment with a small minimum radius of curvature is acquired, the amount of support that supports the driving posture by the left and right side support parts so that the driver's body is not easily moved by external force from before entering the section to the end. Switch.

  An existing technique can be used as a method of estimating the radius of curvature from the arrangement of node and point data. Specifically, a curve section is extracted from point data in a vehicle travel route route in which the host vehicle will travel in the future, and the curvature of the curve section is obtained using the point data in the extracted curve section. Then, a predetermined section in the vehicle travel route is set as a processing target section, and within this processing target section, an average value of the link length that is an interval between two consecutive point data, and a maximum value or a minimum value of the link length, A section in which an average value of link angles, which are angles formed by two adjacent links, satisfies a predetermined condition is extracted as a curve section.

  Thus, depending on various road conditions, the cruising possibility determining device 3 determines whether or not the cruising is possible with less driving operation by referring to the attribute information included in the point data of the map information, The control for setting the appropriate seat position state and steering state in various road conditions is executed at an appropriate switching timing. Note that the above-mentioned “cruising” refers to a driving operation that allows the host vehicle to travel in a state where the amount of driving operation is smaller than steering operation such as turning left and right in city driving, braking operation, and accelerator operation. Yes.

[Operation of the vehicle driving posture adjusting device]
Next, the operation of the vehicle driving posture adjusting device for controlling the driving posture of the driver according to the driving environment as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. This control may be executed by calling a main program executed by the cruise enablement determination unit 33 at regular time intervals (for example, 2 [sec]), and the host vehicle advances by a predetermined distance (for example, 200 [m]). Or every time the attribute of the point data reaches a node with “signal present”.

  First, in step S1, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 receives the vehicle position information and the map information around the vehicle position from the navigation device 2 via the navigation information reading unit 32, and uses the vehicle position as a base point. Set the search range of map information. When this search range is set, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 sets the attribute of the point data included in the road information ahead of the vehicle position by a predetermined distance (for example, 5 km) from the vehicle position, as shown in FIG. Inspection is performed in the closest order to determine whether or not a branch point exists.

  And when a branch point appears as an attribute of point data, the direction which searches map information according to conditions (1)-(3) as shown below is determined.

(1) In the link type attribute of the branch destination (see FIG. 6), “main line (up / down line non-separation) link” or “main line (up / down line separation) link” and “connection path (junction) link” or “connection path” If (Ramp) Link ”is selected, select the direction of“ Main Line (Up / Down Line Separation) Link ”or“ Main Line (Up / Down Line Separation) Link ”. (2) The branch type road type attribute (see Fig. 4) If they are different, select the direction with the highest degree of importance (the value in Fig. 4 is small). (3) If all the road type attributes at the branch destination (see Fig. 4) are the same, the intersection angle with the link on the vehicle position side Select the direction with the smallest (estimate the radius of curvature from the arrangement of nodes and interpolation points)
Specifically, when the vehicle position is as shown in FIG. 15, the main road side link is selected according to the condition (1), and the national road side link having a higher priority than the general road according to the condition (2). In accordance with the condition (3), a link having a small intersection angle with respect to the traveling direction of the host vehicle is selected, and a search range as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 15 is set.

  In the next step S2, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 acquires information (branch information) related to the branch such as the average interval of the intersection with the signal and the branch type within the search range set in step S1. Note that the processing procedure of this branch information acquisition processing will be described later with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, this branching information is for type A which is an intersection where a traffic light is installed, type B which is a branch to an IC exit or junction, a road with a high degree of importance such as “general national highway” without a signal. On the other hand, type C which is an intersection where low-priority roads such as “narrow street” and “general road” are connected like a side road is detected. The branch information classified by type is used to set the average interval of intersections and the switching start point of the seat position state. The processing procedure of this branch information acquisition processing will be described later with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the next step S3, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 acquires information (curvature radius information) related to the curve such as the minimum value of the radius of curvature and the distance to the curve entrance within the search range set in step S1. At this time, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 executes processing for estimating the radius of curvature from the arrangement of nodes and interpolation points as described above.

  In the next step S4, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 receives road information such as VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) information received by the infrastructure receiver 22 of the navigation device 2 via the navigation information reading unit 32, Information related to the degree of road congestion within the search range set in step S1 (road congestion degree information) is acquired. Examples of the information related to the degree of congestion include average travel speed information.

  In the next steps S5 to S10, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 uses the branch information acquired in step S2, the curvature radius information acquired in step S3, and the road congestion information acquired in step S4 to A road condition necessary for the switching operation is determined, and in step S11, the seat position state is switched to any one of FIGS. Note that the timing for switching the sheet position state in step S11 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

  In step S5, the road condition is determined by determining whether the road condition satisfies a cruising condition. In step S7, it is determined whether the road condition satisfies a normal driving condition. Determine whether the road conditions meet the conditions for support. At this time, the cruise possibility determination unit 33, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, preset branch type and branch interval conditions, curvature radius conditions, road congestion conditions, threshold values shown in FIG. 19, and step S2 The information acquired in step S4 is compared. The threshold value shown in FIG. 19 is set assuming a traveling speed according to the road type. When the road type of the vehicle position is “general road” or “narrow street”, the road condition may not be determined when the degree of importance is low and the possibility of cruising is low.

  In the example shown in FIG. 19, the thresholds Lth and Dth relating to the branch interval and road congestion are provided with hysteresis such as Lth1, Lth2, Dth1 and Dth2, respectively. Only Lth1 and the threshold regarding the degree of congestion may be Dth1 only. Note that the threshold Rth regarding the radius of curvature is a reference speed set for each road type (high-speed automobile national road: 100 [km / h], urban highway, toll road: 80 [km / h], general national road, main local road: 70 [km / h], general prefectural road, main general road: 50 [km / h]), the lateral acceleration when traveling is a predetermined value (Rth1: 0.15 [G], Rth2: 0.25 [G]) ) It is determined based on the above radius of curvature. For example, the reference curvature radius that is the threshold value Rth1 when traveling on a toll road at 80 [km / h] is calculated from the following formula, and the margin is 350 (m).

(80 / 3.6) ^ 2 / (0.15 * 9.8) ≈330 (m)
The reference speed corresponding to each road type may be increased or decreased according to the number of lanes as attribute information of the point data. Specifically, the number of reference lanes for each type of road (high-speed automobile national road: 2 lanes, urban highway, toll road: 2 lanes, general national road, main local road: 2 lane, general prefectural road, main general road: 1 For example, every time the lane increases, the reference speed may be increased or decreased by 10 (km / h). For example, a general lane of one lane is 70-10 = 60 [km / h].

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S5, the road condition is “cruiseable” in step S6. If an affirmative determination is made in step S7, the road condition is “normal travel” in step S8. If the determination in step S9 is affirmative, it is determined in step S10 that the road condition is “support required”.

  Here, the road conditions determined in step S6, step S8, and step S10 are the three of “cruising possible”, “normal travel”, and “support required” shown in FIG. 18 corresponding to the seat position state. In S11, the sheet position state is switched.

  When it is determined in step S6 that the road condition is cruising, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 performs a seat position corresponding to the road condition in which the vehicle can continuously travel at a substantially constant speed without almost operating the steering, accelerator, and brake. The sheet position command unit 35 and the sheet position control device 6 are controlled so as to be in the state, and the sheet actuator 7 is driven. Accordingly, in step S11, as shown in FIG. 17A, even if the seat position is kept in the same posture for a long time, the burden on the lower back is less and the arousal level necessary for driving is less likely to be lowered. Switch to the state you want. In the seat position state shown in FIG. 17A, the inclination angle of the seat back lower portion 13 is increased with respect to the seat back upper portion 12 and the seat back lower portion 13 which are vertically divided at the intermediate portion in the entire seat back, The inclination angle of the back upper portion 12 is made smaller than that of the seat back lower portion 13. In step S11, the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position are also changed as the seat position state is switched.

  If it is determined in step S8 that the road condition is normal driving, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 sets the seat position so as to be in a seat position corresponding to the road condition in which the vehicle travels while repeatedly accelerating and decelerating on a general road such as an urban area. The position command unit 35 and the sheet position control device 6 are controlled to drive the sheet actuator 7. Accordingly, in step S11, as shown in FIG. 17B, the seat position state is switched to a state adjusted according to his / her physique when the driver normally travels in an urban area or the like. This seat position state is the respective inclination angles of the seat back upper part 12 and the seat back lower part 13, the sliding amount of the seat seat part 14, the steering tilt angle and the telescopic position which are manually set by the driver.

  When it is determined in step S10 that the road condition is required to be supported, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 sets the road condition such that a lateral acceleration of a predetermined value (for example, 0.2 G) or more travels on a steep curve applied to the driver. The sheet position command unit 35 and the sheet position control device 6 are controlled to drive the sheet actuator 7 so as to obtain a corresponding sheet position state. Accordingly, in step S11, as shown in FIG. 17 (c), the seat support is moved inward so that the side support part (lumbar support) on the side of the seat back is moved inward so that the driver's body is not easily moved by external force. To support the driver's condition from both sides. It should be noted that the respective inclination angles of the seat back upper portion 12 and the seat back lower portion 13, the sliding amount of the seat seat portion 14, the steering tilt angle, and the telescopic position use the same set values as when the normal running is determined.

  The operation of the vehicular driving posture adjusting apparatus described with reference to FIG. 13 is based on the tunnel exit based on the attribute information of the point data within the search range set in step S1 based on the “cruising possible” determination condition in step S5. 8 (point type in FIG. 8) and the wind speed information from the navigation device 2, the number of tunnel exits is less than a predetermined value (for example, 3), and the wind speed is also less than a predetermined value (for example, 10 [m]). When conditions are added and the crosswind at the tunnel exit is strong, the seat position state as shown in FIG. 17C may be switched. Further, it is possible to adjust the road condition by adjusting any one of the tilt angle of the seat back upper portion 12 and the seat back lower portion 13, the slide amount of the seat seat portion 14, the steering tilt angle, and the telescopic position without adjusting all of them. The driving posture may be adapted to the vehicle.

[Branch information acquisition processing]
Next, the branch information acquisition process performed in step S2 in the operation of the vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus described above will be described. This branch information acquisition process is executed by switching the point data sequentially from the point data close to the vehicle position toward the end of the search range for the point data in the search range set in step S1. Further, the initial value of the number of branches to be updated in step S24 described later is set to 0.

  In this branch information acquisition process, first, in step S21, with reference to FIG. 8 of point data, it is determined whether or not the point type of the point data to be processed is a node that is point data with a branch. At this time, if the second bit of the value of the point type attribute is ON, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 determines that the point data is a node and proceeds to step S22. If not, Advances the process to step S30 to set the next point data as a processing target.

  In the next step S22, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 refers to the attribute information in FIG. 8 of the point data and determines the presence or absence of a signal at the position of the point data to be processed. At this time, if the third bit of the value of the point type attribute is ON, the cruise enablement determination unit 33 determines that there is a signal at the position of the point data and calculates the average value of the branch intervals In step S23, the branch type of the node is set to “A”, the number of branches used for the average calculation of the branch interval is added in step S24, and the distance from the vehicle position to the node in step S29 Remember.

  Further, in step S25 when a negative determination is made in step S22, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 refers to the attribute information of FIG. 6 of the point data, and determines whether or not the point data to be processed is a branch to an IC exit or a junction. Judgment is made. At this time, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 determines whether the third bit or the fifth bit of the value of the link type attribute is ON, so that the link type of the branch destination link is “connection path ( It is determined whether it is “junction)” or “connection path (ramp)”. If the third or fifth bit of the link type attribute value is ON, it is determined that the point data indicates a branch to the IC exit or junction. In step S26, the branch type of the node is set to “B”, and the distance from the vehicle position to the node is stored in step S29.

  Further, in Step S27 when negative determination is made in Step S22 and Step S25, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 determines whether or not a link with a low degree of importance is connected to the node of the point data to be processed. Determine whether. In other words, if there is a link with a low degree of importance such as “ordinary road” or “narrow street” as the road type of the branch destination link in FIG. 4, the branch type of the node is set to “C” in step S28. In step S29, the distance from the vehicle position to the node is stored.

Then, by storing the branch type of the branch in the search range set in step S1 and the distance to the branch by the processing of step S22 to step S29, the next point data is read in step S30, and in step S31, If there is the next point data read in step S30, it is determined that it is not the end of the search range, and the processing in steps S21 to S30 is repeated. On the other hand, if there is no next point data read in step S30, the process proceeds from step S31 to step S32, the interval between adjacent branch points stored in step S29 is calculated, and the average interval between branch points is calculated. Is calculated. At this time, assuming that the number of branches in the search range is N, the distance to the branch closest to the vehicle position is LN (m), and the distance to the farthest branch is LF (m), the average value LM (m )
LM = (LF−LN) / (N−1)
Can be obtained by performing the operation. Then, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 advances the process to step S3 in FIG.

  In this branch information acquisition process, in step S24, the number of branches is added only when the branch type is “A”. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the branch information is connected before the node to be processed. If the value specifying the road type is 4 or more and “ordinary national roads” or less, and the value specifying the number of lanes in FIG. Even if it is determined that the branch is a type C branch that is an intersection, the number of branches may be added. Thereby, it is possible to consider the possibility that the cruising state is not possible due to the inflow of other vehicles from the side road on the one-lane general road.

[Sheet position state switching timing control processing]
Next, in the operation of the vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus described above, the control processing of the switching timing of the seat position state switched in step S11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S41, the road position determination result differs from the previous road state determination result in steps S6, S8, and S10 shown in the flowchart of FIG. If the road condition has changed, the process proceeds to step S42. If the road condition has not changed, the process is terminated without switching the current seat position state.

  In the next step S42, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 sets the timing for switching the seat position depending on whether the current road condition determination result after the change is cruise enable, normal travel, or support required. Proceed with the process.

  If the road condition is “support required”, in step S44, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 sets the seat position state switching target point (point) to a curve entrance whose curvature radius is equal to or less than the threshold value Rth2 in FIG. Then, the process proceeds to step S46.

  When the road condition is “normal driving”, in step S43, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 extracts the switching target point (point) of the seat position state in step S22 and step S23 of the branch information acquisition process of FIG. The branch point of type A (with signal) and the radius of curvature are set to the curve entrance of the threshold value Rth2 or less in FIG. 19, and the process proceeds to step S46.

  In the next step S46, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 searches the point closest to the host vehicle among the points set as the switch target point in step S44 or step S43, and switches the target closest to the host vehicle position. The distance to the point (L1 [m]) is calculated.

  In the next step S47, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 first reads the time required for switching from the current seat position state to the seat position state corresponding to the current road state determined in step S41. Here, as shown in FIG. 21, the cruise speed determination unit 33 stores in advance the switching speed (required switching time Tc) corresponding to the combination of the seat position state before switching and the seat position state after switching. Has been.

  Referring to FIG. 21, when the seat position state is switched from normal, which is a normal driving posture, to neutral, which is a comfortable driving posture, it is necessary to perform an operation in a direction in which the seat back upper portion 12 and the seat back lower portion 13 are tilted. For this reason, since it is necessary to switch the seat position state slowly to slow down the switching speed, a long switching time Tc of 10 seconds is set. Also, when switching the seat position state from neutral to normal, the scene where the driving load becomes high is approaching, so it is necessary to return to normal as soon as possible, so a short switching required time Tc of 5 seconds is set. Yes. Further, when the seat position state is switched from normal to side support, it is necessary to quickly switch in preparation for the lateral G, so a short switching required time Tc of 3 sec is set. Furthermore, when the seat position state is switched from the side support to the normal, if the switching required time Tc is shortened, the driving posture may be lost when the driver leans on the side support portion. Since it is necessary to switch the position state to slow down the switching speed, a long required switching time Tc of 6 sec is set.

  In step S47, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 acquires the current vehicle speed from the vehicle information collection unit 1 via the vehicle information reading unit 31, and until the switching of the seat position state is completed as shown in FIG. The expected travel distance L2 [m] is calculated. Here, FIG. 22 shows a case where the switching of the sheet position state ends before the switching target point set in step S43 or step S44.

For example, in order for the road condition to change from “cruising possible” to “normal driving” and to change the seat position state from neutral in FIG. 17A to normal in FIG. When the vehicle speed is 10 [sec] and the vehicle speed is 80 [km / h], the expected travel distance L2 is
L2 = (80 / 3.6) * 10≈223 (m)
It becomes.

  In the next step S48, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 sets a margin ΔL between the distance L1 to the switching target point calculated in step S46 and the expected traveling distance L2 from the start to the end of the switching of the seat position state calculated in step S47. Is compared with the value obtained by adding. As shown in FIG. 22, this margin ΔL is the distance from the switching end point of the seat position state to the switching target point, and the larger the value, the more the switching of the seat position state is completed before the switching target point. become. For example, it may be set so as to increase in proportion to the vehicle speed, as shown in the following formula. A predetermined value (highway automobile national road: 200 [m]) for each road type at the switching target point, urban expressway toll road : 150 [m], general national road, main local road: 100 [m], general prefectural road, main general road: 100 [m]).

ΔL = Ka × VSP (VSP [m / s]: current vehicle speed, Ka [s]: constant Here, Ka in the above equation is a switching target from the end of switching the seat position state when the vehicle speed VSP is maintained. Represents the number of seconds to point, for example, set to 5.0 when changing the seat position from normal to neutral or neutral to normal, and 2 to switch from normal to side support and side support to normal. Set to .0.

  The reason for increasing the margin ΔL when switching from normal to neutral is to allow cruise at least some distance after switching from normal to neutral, and increase the margin ΔL when switching from neutral to normal. This is because scenes where driving impossibility such as intersections and curves become high are approaching. The reason why the margin ΔL when switching from normal to side support is made small is to avoid giving a sense of incongruity by switching the seat position state before the curve where the lateral G occurs. The reason why the margin ΔL when switching from the side support to the normal is made small is to end the side support promptly when the curve that causes the lateral G is finished.

  In step S48, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 determines that the distance L1 to the switching target point is not longer than the distance obtained by adding the predicted travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL, that is, the switching target point. If it is determined that the switching of the sheet position state has not been completed even after reaching the position, the process proceeds to step S50, and the switching of the sheet position state is immediately started.

  In step S48, if the distance L1 to the switching target point is longer than the distance obtained by adding the estimated travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL, that is, the vehicle position is switched even when the switching of the seat position state is completed. If the target point has not been reached and there is a margin, in step S49, switching of the seat position state is started at a point of a distance obtained by adding the expected travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL before the switching target point.

  In this way, by performing the processing of step S43 to step S49, it is possible to adjust the sheet position state switching start timing with a margin before the entrance of the curve or the branch with a signal.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), there is a sharp curve with a radius of curvature equal to or less than a threshold value Rth2 at the tip of the switching target point, and it is necessary to switch the seat position state to side support, and the switching target point closest to the host vehicle is the curve. In the scene set at the entrance, the switching of the seat position state is finished at a point where the estimated travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL are added before the entrance of the curve. Even in a scene that is the start point of a section where the road congestion level is less than or equal to the threshold value Dth2 at the switching target point, the seat position state is ahead of the point where the predicted travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL are added from the switching target point. The switching of is terminated.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C, there are a plurality of type C branches ahead of the switching target point with an average interval <threshold Lth2 or less, and it is necessary to switch from neutral to normal. When there is a scene and the switching target point closest to the vehicle position is a branch of type A (with signal), only the point where the predicted travel distance L2 and the margin ΔL are added before the switching target point. To start switching the seat position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14B, a branch of type B or type C may exist before the branch of type A.

  As shown in FIG. 14B, when there is a type B branch before the switching target point, when the host vehicle is advanced to the IC exit side, the road condition search range in step S1 immediately. Moves to the link on the IC exit side, and the curve entrance of the exit ramp becomes the switching target point. Also, as shown in FIG. 24, when the transition to the type B branch is made, if the switching of the seat position state is not completed by the curve entrance of the exit ramp, the switching of the sheet position state is performed at an intermediate stage before the entrance of the curve. May be temporarily stopped and switching of the seat position state may be resumed after passing the curve. At this time, it goes without saying that all the movable parts of the seat and the steering are controlled to move simultaneously.

  Also, in the determination in step S42, if the changed road situation is cruising, in step S45, the cruising possibility determination unit 33 determines the seat position state switching target point in the branch information acquisition process of FIG. The extracted type A (with signal) branch point or type B (branch to IC exit or junction) branch point is set, and the process proceeds to step S51 and step S52.

  And in this step S51 and step S52, the cruising possibility discrimination | determination part 33 performs the process similar to the above-mentioned step S46 and step S47, The distance L1 from the own vehicle position to the nearest switching object point, and estimated driving distance L2 is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S53.

  In the next step S53, the cruise possibility determination unit 33 determines that the distance L1 to the switching target point calculated in step S51 is a margin for continuing the cruise to the expected travel distance L2 from the start of switching the seat position state to the end of switching. It is determined whether or not the value is longer than the value obtained by adding CL. The margin CL is, for example, a predetermined value for each road type (highway automobile national road: 1000 [m], urban highway, toll road: 1000 [m], general national road, main local road: 500 [m], general city Prefectural roads and main roads: 500 [m]) may be set.

  In step S53, when the distance L1 to the switching target point is longer than the distance obtained by adding the predicted travel distance L2 and the margin CL, that is, after the switching of the seat position state is completed, the cruise is performed to the switching target point. If it can be continued, it is assumed that switching of the sheet position state is immediately started in step S54.

  On the other hand, when the distance L1 to the switching target point is not longer than the distance obtained by adding the predicted travel distance L2 and the margin CL, that is, the switching target point is reached soon after the cruising is continued after the switching of the seat position state is completed. In such a case, in step S55, the switching is started after passing the switching target point.

  In this way, by performing the processing from step S45 to step S55, it is possible to adjust the switching start timing of the seat position state so that there is a margin to continue cruising to some extent even after the seat position state is switched to neutral. it can.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 25 (a), when the switching target point closest to the vehicle position is a branch of type B (diversion to IC exit or junction), the seat is at a point just before L2 + CL from the branch. Starts switching the position state. As shown in FIG. 25 (b), when the switching target point closest to the vehicle position is a branch of type A (with signal), the switching of the seat position is started at a point L2 + CL in front of it. Here, there may be a type C branch before the type A branch that is the switching target point.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
As described above in detail, according to the vehicular driving posture adjusting apparatus according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, it is determined whether or not cruising is possible using the road shape on which the host vehicle travels, and the seat By switching the position state and switching the driving posture, it is possible to obtain an appropriate driving posture during cruising, even if it cannot be determined only by the road type such as a general road.

  Further, according to the vehicle driving posture adjustment device, it is possible to determine whether or not the cruise is possible using the branch interval and the curvature radius of the curve as the road shape information. This makes it possible to switch from a normal driving posture to an easy driving posture at an appropriate timing. Conversely, in the vehicle driving posture adjustment device, it is possible to determine that cruising is impossible using the branch interval and the curvature radius of the curve as road shape information. This makes it possible to switch from a comfortable driving posture to a normal driving posture at an appropriate timing.

  Furthermore, according to the vehicle driving posture adjustment device, the branch interval is calculated at a certain branch of the traffic light. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the cruise is possible by considering only the branch that affects the continuation of the cruise. The timing of the posture can be adjusted.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle driving posture adjusting device, when switching from the normal driving posture to the comfortable driving posture, the branch to the IC exit and junction is included as the closest branch, so that the closest IC exit or junction is taken. When advanced, a comfortable driving posture can be continued at least for a certain distance.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle driving posture adjusting device, the driving load increases depending on the surrounding traffic conditions by using the road congestion information and setting the normal driving posture when the congestion degree is a predetermined value or more. The driving posture can be switched corresponding to the case.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle driving posture adjusting device, by considering the switching required time Tc that can complete the switching of the seat position state before the switching target point, the point for starting the switching of the seat position state is set. It becomes possible to end the switching of the driving posture in a section where the change in the road shape is small.

  Furthermore, according to the vehicle driving posture adjusting device, the vehicle is set in a position that supports the body of the driver so that the body of the driver is not easily moved before entering the curve having a curvature radius of a predetermined value or less. Can pass through a simple curve.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that parts similar to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Since the structure is the same as that in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The vehicle driving posture adjusting device according to the second embodiment, when a guidance route is set in the navigation device 2, a branch that turns right and left by route guidance, a branch that advances in the direction of the IC exit, junction, This is included in the target of the average calculation of the branch interval.

  In step S24 in the branch information acquisition process of FIG. 14, such a vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus performs route guidance in addition to the type A branch as a target for adding the number of branches for the average calculation of the branch interval. This includes branches that turn right and left, IC branches, and branches that proceed in the direction of the junction. As a result, for example, the seat position state can be switched at an appropriate timing according to the guidance route, such as switching the seat position state from neutral to normal before an intersection that makes a right turn.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the right / left turn, the IC exit, and the branch to be traveled in the junction direction are included in the determination of the cruising road shape by the route guidance of the navigation device, for example, before the intersection that makes a right turn. Thus, the driving posture can be switched at an appropriate timing according to the guidance route, such as switching to the normal driving posture.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made depending on the design and the like as long as the technical idea according to the present invention is not deviated from this embodiment. Of course, it is possible to change.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the driving attitude adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the specific structure of the driving | running | working attitude | position adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a figure explaining the data which specify the road condition detected with the driving posture adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the road classification as attribute information of point data. It is a figure which shows the number of lanes as attribute information of point data. It is a figure which shows the link classification as attribute information of point data. It is a figure which shows the road shape as attribute information of point data. It is a figure which shows the point classification as attribute information of point data. It is an example of the road condition which can be crushed irrespective of road classification. It is an example of the road condition which can be crushed irrespective of road classification. It is an example of a road situation where cruising is impossible regardless of the road type. It is a figure for demonstrating the road condition which can cruise regardless of road classification. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the driving attitude adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the branch information acquisition process of the driving posture adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a figure explaining the process which sets a search range with the driving posture adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a figure explaining the type of branch detected by the driving posture adjustment device for vehicles to which the present invention is applied. It is a figure explaining a seat position state, (a) is neutral, (b) is normal, (c) is a side support. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the road condition, the discrimination condition whether a cruise is possible, and a seat position state. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a road classification, the threshold value of a branch space | interval, the threshold value of a curvature radius, and the threshold value of road congestion. It is a flowchart which shows the control processing of the switching timing of the seat position state of the driving posture adjustment apparatus for vehicles to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the switching object point, switching speed, and margin (DELTA) L before and after switching of a seat position state. It is a figure explaining the switching required time and a margin. It is a figure explaining the switching timing at the time of switching a seat position state from neutral to normal and from normal to side support. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the temporary stop of switching of the sheet position state. It is a figure explaining the switching timing at the time of switching a seat position state from normal to neutral.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle information collection part 2 Navigation apparatus 3 Cruise discrimination | determination apparatus 4 Display content control part 5 Display apparatus 6 Seat position control apparatus 7 Seat actuator 11 Headrest 12 Seat back upper part 13 Seat back lower part 14 Seat seat part 15 Pedestal 21 Self-vehicle position measurement Device 22 Infrastructure receiver 22a Antenna 23 Road information acquisition unit 24 Map database storage unit 31 Vehicle information reading unit 32 Navigation information reading unit 33 Cruise enablement determination unit 34 Display content command unit 35 Seat position command unit

Claims (10)

A seat back portion that is divided into an upper seat back and a lower seat back that can be tilted independently, a side support portion that can adjust the amount of support from the left and right sides of the seat back to the inner surface, and a slide in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle In a vehicle driving posture adjusting device including a seat provided with a seat seat capable of adjusting, and a steering device capable of adjusting a tilt angle and a telescopic position,
Cruise that detects the road shape of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, determines whether the host vehicle is cruising based on the road shape, and sets a switching target point that is set to a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result Possible discrimination means,
Based on the determination result of the cruise enable determination means, any one of the inclination angle of the upper seat back and the lower seat back, the slide position of the seat seat portion, the support amount of the side support portion, and the tilt of the steering device Driving for vehicles, characterized by comprising driving posture adjusting means that adjusts an angle and a telescopic position so that the vehicle has a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result before the vehicle reaches the switching target point. Attitude adjustment device.   The cruising possibility determining means is configured such that an average value of intervals between branches existing within a predetermined range of a road on which the host vehicle is traveling is not less than a predetermined value, and a curvature radius of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is not less than a predetermined value. The vehicular driving posture adjusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the road condition is detected, it is determined that the host vehicle is capable of cruising.   The cruising possibility judging means has a curve in which an average value of the intervals of branches existing within a predetermined range of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is less than a predetermined value, and a curvature radius of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is less than a predetermined value The vehicle driving posture adjusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is detected as the road condition, the host vehicle determines that the cruise is impossible.   The said cruising possibility determination means detects the intersection with a traffic signal as the said road shape, and calculates | requires the average value of the space | interval of the said intersection as an average value of the space | interval of the said branch. The driving posture adjusting device for a vehicle according to the above.   When the driving posture adjusting means determines that the cruising is possible by the cruising possibility determining means, the nearest distance among the distances between the intersection with the traffic signal, the interchange exit or the junction and the own vehicle position is a predetermined value or more. The vehicle driving posture adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein a predetermined driving posture suitable for the cruise is set. Second Embodiment The cruising possibility determining means acquires a guidance route of the host vehicle as the road condition, and obtains an average value of the branch intervals including a branch point where the vehicle turns right and left on the guidance route. The vehicle driving posture adjusting device according to claim 4 or 5. The cruising possibility determining means obtains road congestion information of a road on which the host vehicle is traveling as the road condition, and when the road congestion degree is within a predetermined range of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling has a section with a road congestion level equal to or greater than a predetermined value. , Determine that the section is not cruising,
2. The vehicle driving attitude according to claim 1, wherein the driving attitude adjusting unit sets a predetermined driving attitude suitable for the cruise impossible before the road congestion degree reaches a section having a predetermined value or more. Adjustment device.   The driving posture adjusting means causes the arrival time to the nearest branch or curve, which is the switching target point, to be a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result when the determination result by the cruising possibility determining means changes. Before the time required for switching is shorter, the inclination angle of the upper seat back and the lower seat back, the slide position of the seat seat portion, the support amount of the side support portion, the tilt angle of the steering device, and The vehicle driving posture adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment with the telescopic position is started.   The driving posture adjusting means is configured to detect the side support when the cruising possibility determining means determines that a curve having a radius of curvature equal to or smaller than a predetermined value exists within a predetermined range around the own vehicle and the own vehicle is not cruising. The vehicular driving posture adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the support amount of the unit is increased. A seat back portion that is divided into an upper seat back and a lower seat back that can be tilted independently, a side support portion that can adjust the amount of support from the left and right sides of the seat back to the inner surface, and a slide in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle In a vehicle driving posture adjustment method comprising: a seat provided with a seat seat capable of being adjusted; and a steering device capable of adjusting a tilt angle and a telescopic position.
Detect the road shape of the road where the vehicle is traveling,
It is determined whether or not the vehicle can be cruising based on the road shape, and set a switching target point to be a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result,
Before the host vehicle arrives at the switching target point, a timing for setting a predetermined driving posture suitable for the determination result is set,
Based on the determination result of whether or not the cruise is possible, any one of an inclination angle of the upper seat back and the lower seat back, a slide position of the seat seat portion, and a support amount of the side support portion, and the steering device A vehicle driving attitude adjusting method, wherein a tilt angle and a telescopic position are adjusted.