JP2009059192A - Driving support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving support device capable of effectively suppressing the formation of ridges on a road surface and preventing road surface wear when performing driving support of a vehicle when traveling in a lane in a vehicle group. is there.
A travel support apparatus 1 includes an ECU 2, a transmitter / receiver 3 that transmits / receives information to / from other vehicles belonging to a vehicle group, a lane width detection sensor 4 that detects a lane width of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and It has. Based on the vehicle information of the other vehicle transmitted from the transceiver 3, the vehicle information of the host vehicle stored in the ROM or the like, and the lane width information acquired by the lane width detection sensor 4, the ECU 2 The travel position in the lane width direction of the vehicle is set such that the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle is minimized.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel support device that supports travel of a vehicle when traveling in a lane in a vehicle group.

As a conventional travel support device, for example, a vehicle travel position control device described in Patent Document 1 is known. The vehicle travel position control device described in Patent Document 1 is provided as a management station in one vehicle of each vehicle that forms a vehicle group, and the trajectory of tires of each vehicle that forms the vehicle group has a passing locus. The travel position of each vehicle is set so as to be different from each other, and the set travel position is transmitted to each vehicle. Thus, in a traveling system that automatically controls the traveling position or gives the traveling position to the driver, it is possible to prevent the formation of the wrinkles at an early stage due to the complete traveling line of the vehicle.
JP-A-11-283176

  However, the above prior art considers only the passing position of the vehicle. The direct cause of the formation of the ridge is the pressure on the road surface generated by the weight of the vehicle. If the traveling position of the vehicle is controlled without taking such pressure into consideration, there may be a place where the pressure on the road surface is locally high in the road surface width direction. For this reason, there exists a possibility that a road surface may be worn in the place where the pressure with respect to a road surface is high.

  Then, the subject of this invention is providing the driving | running | working assistance apparatus which can suppress the formation of the wrinkle on a road surface effectively, and can prevent the abrasion of a road surface.

  The present invention relates to a travel support device for supporting travel of a vehicle when traveling in a lane in a vehicle group, and vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information including parameters relating to pressure applied to a road surface by a vehicle belonging to the vehicle group; Lane width information acquisition means for acquiring lane width information of the lane that is running in the fleet, and on the basis of the vehicle information and the lane width information, the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the fleet in the lane width direction Vehicle position setting means for setting the travel position of each vehicle in the lane width direction so as to minimize the variation.

  In the driving support device according to the present invention, the lane of the pressure that each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group applies to the road surface based on the vehicle information including the parameter relating to the pressure applied to the road surface by the vehicle belonging to the vehicle group and the lane width information of the lane. Since the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle that minimizes the variation in the width direction is set, each vehicle can travel so that the load on the road surface is distributed in the lane width direction in the entire vehicle group. . Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the formation of wrinkles on the road surface, and it is difficult to generate a portion where the pressure on the road surface is locally high in the lane width direction, thereby preventing the road surface from being worn.

  Preferably, the parameter relating to the pressure applied to the road surface by the vehicle includes a tread, a weight and a tire width of the vehicle, and the vehicle position setting means is based on the vehicle information including the tread, the weight and the tire width of the vehicle and the lane width information. The lateral offset amount from the center of the lane in the lane width direction is set as the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle so that the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group is minimized. It is characterized by. This makes it possible to accurately determine the travel position of each vehicle in the lane width direction so that the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group is minimized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively suppress the formation of wrinkles on the road surface and prevent the road surface from being worn. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently reduce labor and cost for maintaining the road surface.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a driving assistance apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a driving support apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 1 of the present embodiment includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2, a transceiver 3, a lane width detection sensor 4, a steering mechanism 5, and a display / notifier 6. The travel support device 1 is mounted on a vehicle.

  The ECU 2 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface, and the like. The ECU 2 also includes vehicle information of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group sent from the transmitter / receiver 3, vehicle information of the vehicle equipped with the travel support device 1 stored in advance in a ROM or the like, and a lane width detection sensor 4. Based on the lane width information sent from the vehicle, the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group is set. The setting of the travel position will be described later. Here, the vehicle information includes a parameter for obtaining a pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group. Examples of such parameters include the tread, weight, and tire width of each vehicle. Further, the ECU 2 controls the steering mechanism 5 in order to drive the vehicle along the set travel position in the lane width direction, and displays display information or notification information including information on the set travel position in the lane width direction. It sends out to the alarm device 6.

  The transceiver 3 receives vehicle information related to other vehicles belonging to the vehicle group, and sends the received vehicle information to the ECU 2. The transceiver 3 transmits information related to the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group set by the ECU 2 to each vehicle.

  The lane width detection sensor 4 detects lane width information of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and sends the detected lane width information to the ECU 2. For example, the lane width detection sensor 4 is composed of a magnetic sensor that detects the positional relationship and distance between the magnetic markers embedded at both ends of the lane and a distance sensor that detects the distance to a target laid at both ends of the lane. Can do.

  The steering mechanism 5 automatically controls the steering angle of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the travel position in the lane width direction set by the ECU 2.

  The display / notification device 6 causes the vehicle driver to travel to the travel position in the lane width direction based on display information or notification information including information on the travel position in the lane width direction sent from the ECU 2. Display or notification of information.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in which the travel support device 1 sets the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group. In the present embodiment, the driving support device 1 mounted on one vehicle among a plurality of vehicles belonging to the vehicle group aggregates vehicle information of all the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group, and all the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group It is set as the aspect which sets the driving position of the lane width direction. Here, three vehicles belong to the vehicle group (see FIG. 3), and the driving support device 1 mounted on the first vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “main vehicle”) is the main vehicle and 2, 3 The travel position in the lane width direction of the second vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “secondary vehicle”) is set.

  In step S <b> 25, the slave vehicle ECU 2 transmits vehicle information to the main vehicle transceiver 3 via the transceiver 3.

  In step S21, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle acquires the vehicle information of the slave vehicle received by the transmitter / receiver 3, and the vehicle information of the main vehicle stored in advance in the ROM of the ECU 2 of the main vehicle. The vehicle information acquired here includes the tread, weight, and tire width of the vehicle. Further, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle acquires lane width information of the traveling lane detected by the lane width detection sensor 4 of the main vehicle.

Here, vehicle information and lane width information will be described with reference to FIG. Vehicle information, tread _{T i,} the weight _{M i} of the vehicle, is defined as the tire width _{W i.} Further, the lane width information, the length of the lane width direction center of the lane to the edge of the lane is defined as L _0, it is the full width of the lane and 2L _0.

  In step S22, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle sets the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group. The travel position in the lane width direction of the vehicle is set so that the load applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group is distributed in the lane width direction in order to suppress the formation of soot. The setting of the travel position in the lane width direction of the vehicle will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 3A, three vehicles belong to the vehicle group. When three vehicles are traveling at a travel position having a lateral offset amount y _oi from the center in the lane width direction of the lane as shown in FIG. 3A, the road surface width direction that each vehicle gives to the road surface The pressure ρ _i is expressed by the following equation as shown in FIG.

Then the pressure [rho _total applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group, each vehicle is expressed by the following equation as the integrated value of the pressure applied to the road surface.

If this integrated value is expressed as shown in FIG. 3C, in order to disperse the load applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group in the lane width direction, the dotted line portion in FIG. the integrated value shown, over the entire lane width (-L 0 _{~L 0),} it is necessary to as evenly as possible across the lane width direction. Here, when the integrated value of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle is ideally uniform over the entire lane width, the ideal average pressure ρ _tgt is expressed by the following equation.

Therefore, in order to disperse the load applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group in the lane width direction, the pressure ρ _total applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group varies over the entire lane width (−L _{0 to} L ₀ ). It is desirable that the value is close to the average pressure ρ _tgt . The evaluation function J representing such variation can be expressed as the following equation.

Therefore, by determining the lateral offset amount y _oi of each vehicle so as to minimize the value of the evaluation function J, the pressure applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group can be made to approach evenly over the entire lane width.

As described above, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle uses the three vehicles belonging to the vehicle group so that the value of the evaluation function J shown in the equation (4) is minimized based on the acquired vehicle information and lane width information. The horizontal offset amount y _oi (i = 1 to 3) is set.

  In step S23, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle sends the lateral offset amount of the slave vehicle set in step S22 to the transceiver 3 of the main vehicle. Then, the transceiver 3 of the main vehicle transmits the lateral offset amount of the slave vehicle sent from the ECU 2 to the slave vehicle.

  In step S26, the transceiver 3 of the slave vehicle receives the lateral offset amount of the slave vehicle transmitted from the master vehicle, and sends the received lateral offset amount to the ECU 2 of the slave vehicle.

  In step S24, the ECU 2 of the main vehicle controls the steering mechanism 5 of the main vehicle based on the set lateral offset amount, or displays display information or notification information including information related to the set lateral offset amount. The alarm 6 is displayed or notified.

  In step S27, the ECU 2 of the slave vehicle controls the steering mechanism 5 of the slave vehicle based on the acquired lateral offset amount, or displays display information or notification information including information related to the set lateral offset amount. The alarm 6 is displayed or notified.

  In the above, steps S21 and S25 of the ECU 2 and the transmitter / receiver 3 constitute vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information including parameters relating to pressure applied to the road surface by vehicles belonging to the vehicle group. Step S21 and the lane width detection sensor 4 of the ECU 2 constitute lane width information acquisition means for acquiring lane width information of the lane that is traveling in the vehicle group. Further, step S22 of the ECU 2 is based on the vehicle information and the lane width information, and each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group travels in the lane width direction so that the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface is minimized. Vehicle position setting means for setting the position is configured.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group based on the vehicle information such as the tread, weight, and tire width of all the vehicles belonging to the vehicle group. Since the lateral offset amount of each vehicle that is minimized is set, each vehicle can be driven so that the load applied to the road surface in the entire vehicle group is distributed in the lane width direction. Thereby, the formation of ridges on the road surface can be effectively suppressed, and wear of the road surface can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently reduce labor and cost for maintaining the road surface.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the driving support device 1 mounted on one vehicle among a plurality of vehicles belonging to the vehicle group is based on the vehicle information of the other vehicles belonging to the vehicle group and the own vehicle. Although the direction travel position is set, the method is not particularly limited. For example, the driving support device 1 mounted on each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group acquires vehicle information of other vehicles belonging to the vehicle group, vehicle information of the own vehicle, and lane width information, and A traveling position may be set. In addition, the base station of the center acquires vehicle information of each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group and lane width information of the lane in which the vehicle group is traveling, and based on the acquired information, the vehicle travels in the lane width direction of each vehicle. The position may be set.

  Next, another embodiment of the driving support device will be described. This embodiment prevents local wear on the road surface and effectively suppresses the formation of ridges by controlling so that the overlapping of the traveling trajectories of a plurality of vehicles traveling in a vehicle group is reduced. Is.

  As a conventional technology of a travel support device that controls a travel track of a vehicle, there is a travel support device that controls a travel track of a vehicle by using a function value that periodically varies with the passage of time, with a lane width as an amplitude. As such a function value, for example, a function that fluctuates sinusoidally can be used. When such a conventional technique is applied to a vehicle group composed of a plurality of vehicles, the traveling trajectories of the vehicles constituting the vehicle group overlap each other due to control by a function of time. , There is a possibility that wrinkles are formed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent the overlapping of the traveling trajectories of the vehicles, the traveling trajectories of the vehicles that make up the vehicle group are controlled by a function value that periodically varies with the distance that represents the distance from a certain point. ing.

The lateral offset amount y _i in the lane width direction given to the i-th vehicle in the vehicle group composed of n vehicles is expressed by the following equation. The lateral offset amount y _i is expressed by a sine function that periodically varies with the road s, with the amplitude a, the wavelength l, the number n of vehicle groups, and the rank i in the vehicle group as constants.

FIG. 4 shows the traveling locus of each vehicle constituting the vehicle group controlled by the lateral offset amount y _i represented by the above equation (5). As shown in FIG. 4, the lateral offset amount y _i of each vehicle fluctuates in a sinusoidal shape with a phase shifted by 1 / n. For this reason, the traveling trajectory of each vehicle is dispersed, and it is difficult to form ridges on the road surface.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment. The difference from the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 is that a wheel speed sensor 7 is provided. The wheel speed sensor 7 detects the rotational speed of the wheel and sends the detected rotational speed of the wheel to the ECU 2.

The ECU 2 uses the wavelength l stored in the ROM or the like of the ECU 2, the number n of vehicle groups and the rank i in the vehicle group, the lane width information sent by the lane width detection sensor 4, and the wheel rotation sent by the wheel speed sensor 7. Based on the speed, the lateral offset amount y _i is set using the above equation (5).

  The value of the road s can be obtained from the rotational speed of the wheel sent from the wheel speed sensor 7 and the travel distance per one wheel rotation.

  The value of the amplitude a can be set by the value of the lane width in which the vehicle group is traveling. For example, a value obtained by dividing the difference between the lane width and the vehicle width by 2 can be set as the amplitude a. Further, the value of the amplitude a calculated by the ECU 2 of the representative vehicle among the vehicles constituting the vehicle group is transmitted to the other vehicles constituting the vehicle group by the transceiver 3 of the representative vehicle, and each vehicle receives from the representative vehicle. The value of the amplitude a may be used.

  The wavelength l can be set to an arbitrary value, but is preferably set to a value that does not make the driver of the vehicle feel uncomfortable with changes in vehicle behavior.

  For the value of the number of vehicles in the vehicle group n and the value of the rank i in the vehicle group, the representative vehicle in the vehicles constituting the vehicle group aggregated, extracted and set information on the other vehicles constituting the vehicle group. By transmitting the value to other vehicles constituting the vehicle group, each vehicle constituting the vehicle group can acquire the value. Alternatively, the center base station may perform the same processing as the representative vehicle.

The ECU 2 of each vehicle controls the steering mechanism 5 based on the set lateral offset amount y _i and sends display information or notification information including information on the set lateral offset amount to the display / notifier 6.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lateral offset amount y _i of each vehicle is changed by a sine function that periodically changes with the road s whose phase is shifted by 1 / n. The travel trajectory is dispersed and it becomes difficult to form ridges on the road surface.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a driving support device according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence which the driving assistance apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs. It is the figure which showed the integrated value of the parameter regarding the pressure which a vehicle gives to the road surface, the pressure which each vehicle gives to the road surface, and the pressure which each vehicle gives to the road surface. It is the figure which showed the fluctuation | variation of the lateral offset amount of each vehicle which comprises a vehicle group in other embodiment of a driving assistance device. It is a block diagram which shows other embodiment of a driving assistance device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Driving assistance apparatus, 2 ... ECU (vehicle information acquisition means, lane width information acquisition means, vehicle position setting means), 3 ... Transmitter / receiver (vehicle information acquisition means), 4 ... Lane width detection sensor (lane width information acquisition means) 5 ... steering mechanism, 6 ... display / notifier, 7 ... wheel speed sensor

Claims (2)

A travel support device that supports travel of a vehicle when traveling in a lane in a vehicle group,
Vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information including a parameter relating to pressure applied to a road surface by a vehicle belonging to the vehicle group;
Lane width information acquisition means for acquiring lane width information of the lane running in the vehicle group;
Based on the vehicle information and the lane width information, the travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle is set such that the variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group is minimized. Vehicle position setting means;
A driving support apparatus comprising: Parameters relating to the pressure applied by the vehicle to the road surface include the tread, weight and tire width of the vehicle,
The vehicle position setting means has a minimum variation in the lane width direction of the pressure applied to the road surface by each vehicle belonging to the vehicle group based on the vehicle information including the tread, weight and tire width of the vehicle and the lane width information. The travel support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lateral offset amount from the center of the lane in the lane width direction is set as a travel position in the lane width direction of each vehicle.

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