JP2009073315A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a vehicle control device, there is no erroneous determination that there is no preceding vehicle in a situation where the preceding vehicle is about to depart from the lane for a moment even though the preceding vehicle exists. The following capability is not impaired, thereby contributing to the improvement of the tracking accuracy.
The lane departure prevention control means outputs angle information between the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the travel lane, and when the angle information is greater than or equal to a set value, the result output from the radar is the previous result. Even if there is a preceding vehicle and there is no preceding vehicle, the preceding vehicle detection means outputs that there is a preceding vehicle.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, and in particular, a follow-up travel control device (ACC system) that detects the distance and relative speed with a preceding vehicle using a radar and follows the preceding vehicle with a constant inter-vehicle distance; Detects the road white line and determines if the vehicle is likely to depart from the driving lane. If it is likely to deviate, it cooperates with a lane departure prevention device (lane keeping system) that controls the steering to return to the center of the driving lane. The present invention relates to a vehicle control device to be controlled.

  For vehicles, follow-up driving control that detects the preceding vehicle and maintains the distance between the preceding vehicle and lane departure that controls the vehicle so that it does not deviate from the lane when the host vehicle is likely to deviate from the driving lane Some of them are equipped with a vehicle control device that is used in combination with prevention control.

Conventionally, in the preceding vehicle detection device, when control is performed so that the own vehicle does not deviate from the own lane, the characteristics of the filter processing are changed so that the change in the yaw rate becomes more gradual. Some reduce the error between the lane estimated after the departure prevention control is activated and the actual lane.
The vehicle travel control device determines whether to allow or suppress acceleration operation to the set vehicle speed based on the lane information of the own lane when the following traveling vehicle is no longer detected, and follows the determination result. There are some which control the vehicle speed after the traveling preceding vehicle is no longer detected and prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable by executing the acceleration operation to the set vehicle speed in a place where the acceleration operation is inappropriate.
JP 2006-335223 A JP 2006-182258 A

However, in the conventional vehicle control apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, in the example of the result of detection of the preceding vehicle, the radar generally travels by estimating the travel locus based on the yaw rate generated in the vehicle body and the vehicle speed. Calculate the range of your vehicle lane. The target in the own vehicle lane range is transmitted to the preceding vehicle detection means (ACC controller). The preceding vehicle detection means finally determines whether or not the preceding vehicle is detected from the target information sent from the radar. Here, the target information output by the radar may include a result of erroneous detection of a fixed object on the road in addition to the preceding vehicle. A method is adopted in which the detected vehicle is not detected as a single detection, but is detected continuously a plurality of times, and the preceding vehicle is determined as “detection” for the first time. Further, when the preceding vehicle detection determination is in the “detected” state, if the target information from the radar is not detected, the preceding vehicle detection result is set to “not detected”.
Scene 1 is an example in which the vehicle is following the preceding vehicle in the following traveling control and the host vehicle is traveling parallel to the lane. In this case, since there is a preceding vehicle in the range of the vehicle lane estimated by the radar (dotted line portion in FIG. 6), the target is output from the radar. As described above, since the target is continuously detected in the state parallel to the lane, the preceding vehicle detection determination of the preceding vehicle detection means is also “detection”.
Scene 2 is a situation where the host vehicle is about to depart from the lane. In this case, the estimated traveling locus of the vehicle has an angle with the traveling lane, and the preceding vehicle does not enter the range of the own vehicle lane estimated by the radar. Therefore, the target information output by the radar is output as “none”. The preceding vehicle detection means sets the preceding vehicle detection result to “non-detection” because the target information is “none”. In this scene, although the preceding vehicle is in the travel lane, the host vehicle is not traveling in parallel with the lane, and thus the case is “not detected”.
Scene 3 is a continuation of scene 2, and when the host vehicle is about to depart from the lane, the lane departure prevention device operates and the host vehicle is returned to the center of the lane. The returned result is this scene 3. As in the case of the scene 1, since the preceding vehicle enters the range of the own vehicle lane estimated by the radar, the target information from the radar is output again as “present”. Since the preceding vehicle detection means is “not detected” as the preceding vehicle detection result in the scene 2, it becomes a new detection, and does not become “detected” until the target becomes “present” continuously several times from the radar. Therefore, during the non-detection period, although there is a preceding vehicle, it is controlled as non-detection, and the followability to the preceding vehicle is reduced. When the lane departure prevention device is operating, it is controlled to prevent lane departure and to run parallel to the lane, so if your vehicle has run in a state that is not parallel to the lane, Even if the radar becomes “not present”, the target becomes “present” again. However, at present, even if it is known that the detection result of the preceding vehicle becomes “detection” again, it has once been “non-detection”.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that does not impair followability to a preceding vehicle and contributes to improvement in followability accuracy.

  According to the present invention, a preceding vehicle detection means for detecting at least an inter-vehicle distance from a vehicle preceding the vehicle ahead by a radar and an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle detection means detected by the preceding vehicle detection means. The inter-vehicle distance maintaining control means for controlling the traveling of the host vehicle so that the distance can be maintained, and the degree of deviation of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane is determined. In the vehicle control device comprising the lane departure prevention control means for preventing the lane departure prevention control means, the angle information between the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the travel lane is output from the lane departure prevention control means, and the angle information is a set value. In the case where there is more than one and the result output from the radar is that there is a vehicle preceded by the previous result and there is no vehicle preceded by the current result, the preceding vehicle detection means Characterized in that the preceding vehicle there is to be output.

  The vehicle control device according to the present invention eliminates the erroneous determination that the preceding vehicle does not exist in a situation where the host vehicle is about to depart from the lane for a moment even when the preceding vehicle exists. The follow-up performance is not impaired and can contribute to the improvement of the follow-up accuracy.

The present invention aims to eliminate the loss of followability to the preceding vehicle and contribute to improving the accuracy of followability, in a situation where the host vehicle is likely to depart from the lane for a moment even if the preceding vehicle exists. In this case, an erroneous determination that the preceding vehicle does not exist is prevented.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, 1 is an engine mounted on a vehicle, and 2 is a vehicle control device.
The vehicle control device 2 includes a follow-up travel control device (ACC system) 3 and a lane departure prevention device (lane keeping system) 4.
The follow-up traveling control device 3 detects the distance and relative speed of the preceding vehicle using the radar 5 and travels at a constant inter-vehicle distance with respect to the preceding vehicle. The radar 5 and the radar 5 forward the vehicle. The inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle can be maintained according to the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle detecting means (ACC controller) 6 for detecting at least the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle detecting means 6. Thus, the vehicle distance maintenance control means 7 for controlling the traveling of the host vehicle is provided.
The radar 5 detects a target that appears to be a preceding vehicle, measures the distance to the target and the relative speed, and outputs the measured distance to the preceding vehicle detection means 6. Examples of the radar 5 include a laser radar and a millimeter wave radar.
The preceding vehicle detection means (ACC controller) 6 receives signals from the radar 5 and a vehicle speed sensor 13 which will be described later, and performs a follow-up running control so that a brake controller 8 or an engine controller 9 as an inter-vehicle distance maintenance control means 7 is used. Command is output.
The inter-vehicle distance maintenance control means 7 includes a brake controller 8 that applies a brake according to a brake command from the preceding vehicle detection means 6, and an engine controller 9 that controls the engine 1 based on an acceleration / deceleration command from the preceding vehicle detection means 6. Become.

The lane departure prevention device 4 detects a road white line and determines whether the vehicle is likely to depart from the traveling lane, and if it is likely to deviate, controls the steering device to return to the center of the traveling lane, A lane departure prevention control means (lane keep controller) 10, a camera 11, and an EPS controller 12 are provided.
The lane departure prevention control means 10 determines the degree of departure of the host vehicle from the traveling lane, and performs lane departure prevention control for preventing the host vehicle from departing from the traveling lane when it is determined that the vehicle is about to depart. If the white line of the traveling lane is detected from the front road surface image from the camera 11 by image processing, the estimated traveling locus of the own vehicle and the position of the traveling lane are obtained, and if the situation is likely to deviate from the lane, the EPS controller 12 The steering command is issued to return to the center of the lane.
The camera 11 captures an image of the traveling lane on the front road surface and transmits it to the lane departure prevention control means 10.
The EPS controller 12 controls the steering device according to a steering command from the lane departure prevention control means 10.

  Further, the vehicle control device 2 measures the speed of the host vehicle and outputs it to the preceding vehicle detection means 6 and the lane departure prevention control means 10, and the preceding vehicle detection means 6 and the lane departure prevention control means 10. Is in contact with a meter (buzzer) 14 for driving an alarm display and buzzer.

  In the vehicle control device 2, angle information between the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the travel lane is output from the lane departure prevention control means 10, and the angle information is equal to or greater than a set value, and the radar 5 The preceding vehicle detection means 6 outputs that there is a preceding vehicle even when the result output from is the vehicle preceding the previous result and the current result is not preceding.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
First, the control of the preceding vehicle detection means 6 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, when the program is started (step A01), the radar 5 receives information such as the distance to the target of the preceding vehicle in the own lane and the relative speed (step A02).
Then, it is determined whether or not there is a target in its own lane (step A03).
If this step A03 is YES, it is determined whether or not the target detection count ≧ the specified value (step A04). This target detection count is a counter for confirming whether the radar 5 has continuously detected targets in its own lane.
If this step A04 is YES, the current preceding vehicle detection result is set to “detection” (step A05), and the process returns to step A02 for the next detection determination.
However, if this step A04 is NO, the target detection count is incremented by “1” (step A06) because there is a target in its own lane although the specified value has not been exceeded. The output result is “non-detection” (step A07), and the process returns to step A02 for the next detection determination.
On the other hand, if step A03 is NO, it is determined whether or not the previous preceding vehicle detection result is “detection” (step A08).
If this step A08 is YES, the angle information of the estimated travel locus and the travel lane is received from the lane departure prevention control means 10 (step A09), and whether or not the angle between the estimated travel locus and the travel lane is equal to or greater than the specified value. Is determined (step A10).
If this step A10 is YES, the current preceding vehicle detection result is set to “detection” (step A11), and the process returns to step A02 for the next detection determination.
That is, that the angle between the travel locus and the travel lane is equal to or greater than the specified value indicates that the host vehicle is not traveling in parallel to the travel lane and is likely to deviate from the lane. For this reason, the vehicle lane recognized by the radar 5 is different from the actual lane, and it is considered that the target information is “None” from the radar 5. However, in such a situation, the lane departure prevention device 4 operates and the steering device is steered so as to be parallel to the travel lane, and thereafter the target information from the radar 5 is “present”. Is likely to be. Therefore, the detection result of the preceding vehicle is “detection”.
When the step A08 is NO and the step A10 is NO, the current preceding vehicle detection result is “non-detection” (step A12), and the current preceding vehicle determination result is “non-detection”. Therefore, the target detection count is cleared (step A13), and the process returns to step A02 for the next detection determination.
Here, the current preceding vehicle detection result is set to “non-detection” because the target information from the radar 5 is “none” and the vehicle is not traveling parallel to the travel lane. This is not the case when the target is “None” due to the above, and therefore it is determined as “Non-detection”.

Next, the control of the lane departure prevention control means 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, when the program starts (step B1), first, the camera 11 captures an image of the road white line ahead (step B2), and the road image is processed to recognize the white line (step B3). ), The position of the travel lane is calculated from the recognized white line, the estimated travel trajectory that the vehicle is expected to travel in the future is calculated, and the angle between the estimated travel trajectory and the travel lane is calculated (step B4). Then, the calculated estimated travel locus and the angle of the travel lane are transmitted to the preceding vehicle detection means 6 (step B5), and the process returns to step B2.

  2 and FIG. 3, when the preceding vehicle is in the traveling lane and the host vehicle is not parallel to the traveling lane, the target information from the radar 5 is once “None”. However, since the preceding vehicle detection result is not “not detected” based on the information from the lane departure prevention control means 10, it is possible to prevent a control delay and to prevent a decrease in followability to the preceding vehicle.

FIG. 4 shows a time chart of the preceding vehicle detection determination.
FIG. 4 shows the target presence / absence information in the own lane from the radar 5, the estimated traveling locus of the own vehicle and the angle of the traveling lane sent from the lane keep controller, the target detection count value, and the preceding vehicle detection result.
As shown in FIG. 4, the time axis indicates radar detection intervals, which are numbered A, B, C.
From A to B, the radar outputs the target information as “none”, the target detection power remains “0”, and “not detected” is output as the preceding vehicle detection result.
At C, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “present”, and the target detection count becomes “1”. Since the detection count is not equal to or greater than the specified value (here, “3”), the preceding vehicle detection result is “non-detection”.
In D, the target information of the radar 5 becomes “present” and the count value becomes “2”, but the preceding vehicle detection result remains “non-detected” because it is below the specified value.
At E, the count value becomes “3”, exceeds the specified value, and the preceding vehicle detection result becomes “detection”.
In F to G, since the target information from the radar 5 continues to be “present”, the preceding vehicle detection result is “detection”.
In H to I, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “none”, the count value is cleared, and the preceding vehicle detection result becomes “non-detection”.
In J to K, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “present”, and the count value is incremented.
In LM, the count value is “3”, and the preceding vehicle detection result is “detection”.
In N, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “None”, but the angle of the estimated travel locus and the travel lane transmitted from the lane departure prevention control means 10 exceeds the specified value, and the preceding (M) preceding Since the vehicle detection result is “detection”, the preceding vehicle detection result is “detection”, and the count value is also left as it is.
In O, as in N, the target information from the radar 5 is “None”, but the angle between the estimated travel locus and the travel lane exceeds the specified value, and the previous preceding vehicle detection result is “detection”. Continue “detection”.
In P, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “present”, and the preceding vehicle detection result continues to be “detection”. This is because the lane departure prevention device 4 is steered so as to be parallel to the traveling lane, the angle between the estimated traveling locus and the traveling lane is reduced, and the radar 5 recognizes that the target is in the own vehicle lane again. is there.
In Q, the target information from the radar 5 becomes “present” and the detection result of the preceding vehicle continues “detection” in parallel to the traveling lane.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the result of the preceding vehicle detection according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the operation of the vehicle is the same as that of FIG. 6 of the related art, but the detection result of the preceding vehicle is continued.
Scene 1 is an example in which the following vehicle is following the preceding vehicle by the following traveling control and the host vehicle is traveling straight in parallel to the lane, and the preceding vehicle detection result is “detection” as in the conventional FIG.
Scene 2 is a situation where the host vehicle is about to depart from the lane, and the estimated travel locus of the vehicle has an angle with the travel lane, and the preceding vehicle does not enter the range of the host vehicle lane estimated by the radar 5. For this reason, the target information output from the radar 5 is “none”, but the preceding vehicle detection means 6 has an angle (α) between the estimated travel locus output from the lane departure prevention control means 10 and the travel lane equal to or greater than a specified value. Therefore, the detection result of the preceding vehicle is “detection”. This is because it is considered that the host vehicle is likely to depart from the lane, but is controlled to be parallel to the traveling lane by the operation of the lane departure prevention device 4.
Scene 3 is a continuation of scene 2, and when the host vehicle is about to depart from the lane, the lane departure prevention device 4 operates and the host vehicle is returned to the center of the lane. The returned result is this scene 3. As in the case of the scene 1, since the preceding vehicle enters the own vehicle lane range estimated by the radar 5, the target information from the radar 5 is output as “present” again. Since the preceding vehicle detection means 6 is “detection” as the preceding vehicle detection result in the scene 2, it is treated as a continuous detection rather than a new detection. Therefore, it is prevented that the non-detection period occurs as in FIG. 6 of the related art, and control is performed as non-detection even though there is a preceding vehicle, and the followability to the preceding vehicle is reduced. Can be prevented.

  That is, in this embodiment, when the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the angle information of the travel lane are obtained from the lane departure prevention device 4 and this angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the previous preceding vehicle detection result is “detection”. Even if the output from the radar this time is “no target”, the detection result of the preceding vehicle is continued as “detection”. As a result, when the preceding vehicle is continuously in the driving lane and the vehicle is no longer traveling parallel to the lane, the lane departure prevention device 4 is operated so as to be parallel to the lane. In this case, even if the radar 5 once outputs “no target”, the detection result of the preceding vehicle is continuously set to “detection”, so that it is possible to prevent a delay in control and prevent a decrease in the followability to the preceding vehicle. Can do.

As a result, in the vehicle control device 2 according to this embodiment, the angle information between the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the travel lane is output from the lane departure prevention control means 10, and the angle information is greater than or equal to a set value. In addition, even if the result output from the radar 5 is that there is a vehicle preceding the previous result and there is no vehicle preceding the current result, the preceding vehicle detection means 6 outputs that there is a preceding vehicle.
As a result, there is no erroneous determination that the preceding vehicle does not exist in a situation where the host vehicle is likely to depart from the lane for a moment even when the preceding vehicle exists. There is no damage, and this can contribute to the improvement of the tracking accuracy.

  Even if the angle information is greater than or equal to the set value and the result output from the radar is that there is a vehicle preceding the previous result and there is no vehicle preceding this result, the preceding vehicle detection means indicates that there is a preceding vehicle. The output control can be used in combination with other controls.

It is a system block diagram of the control apparatus for vehicles. It is a flowchart of the control in a preceding vehicle detection means. It is a flowchart of the control in a lane departure prevention control means. It is a detection determination time chart. It is a figure which shows the result of a preceding vehicle detection in this Example. It is a figure which shows the result of a preceding vehicle detection in the past.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine 2 Vehicle control apparatus 3 Follow-up travel control apparatus 4 Lane departure prevention apparatus 5 Radar 6 Leading vehicle detection means 7 Inter-vehicle distance maintenance control means 8 Brake controller 9 Engine controller 10 Lane departure prevention control means 11 Camera 12 EPS controller 13 Vehicle speed sensor 14 meters

Claims (1)

  It is possible to maintain the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle according to the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle detecting means for detecting at least the inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle preceding the vehicle ahead by the radar and the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle detecting means. The vehicle distance maintenance control means for controlling the traveling of the own vehicle and the degree of deviation of the own vehicle with respect to the traveling lane are determined, and when it is determined that the vehicle is about to depart, the own vehicle is prevented from deviating from the traveling lane. In the vehicle control device comprising the lane departure prevention control means, the angle information between the estimated travel locus of the host vehicle and the travel lane is output from the lane departure prevention control means, and the angle information is greater than or equal to a set value. Even if the result output from the radar is that there is a vehicle preceded by the previous result and there is no vehicle preceded by the current result, there is a preceding vehicle by the preceding vehicle detection means. Vehicle control apparatus characterized by being output.

Images