JP2019031189A - Travel control device, vehicle, and travel control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a travel control device, a vehicle and a travel control method capable of suppressing wasteful energy consumption. SOLUTION: A traveling control device has a traveling condition determination unit for determining whether or not the radius of curvature of a curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the traveling condition determination by driving the vehicle so as to maintain a target speed in driving driving. When it is determined by the unit that the radius of curvature of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a traveling control unit is provided which reduces the target speed in driving traveling on the curved road entrance side to decelerate the vehicle. For example, the travel control unit lowers the target speed according to the weight of the vehicle. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a travel control device, a vehicle, and a travel control method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for controlling auto-cruise traveling (driving traveling) that maintains a vehicle speed at a preset target speed has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-168509 A

  By the way, in driving traveling, the vehicle automatically travels while collating GPS position information and map data. Thereby, low fuel consumption driving | running | working is realizable.

  However, the radius of curvature of curved roads is small on ordinary roads, especially on mountain roads. When a vehicle travels on such a curved road, the speed of the vehicle is often lower than the target speed in driving travel.

  When the vehicle is decelerated to a speed lower than the target speed in the driving travel, the driving travel is released. When accelerating the vehicle on the exit side of the curved road, since the driving travel is released, the vehicle cannot be accelerated by the driving travel, and the vehicle is accelerated by the driver's accelerator operation. When the vehicle is accelerated, unnecessary acceleration may be consumed due to excessive acceleration.

  An object of the present disclosure is to provide a travel control device, a vehicle, and a travel control method that can suppress useless energy consumption.

The travel control device of the present disclosure is
A traveling state determination unit that determines whether the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
When the vehicle travels so as to maintain the target speed in driving traveling, and the curvature determination section determines that the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the target speed is lowered on the curved road entrance side. A travel control unit that decelerates the vehicle;
Is provided.

  A vehicle according to the present disclosure includes the travel control device.

The travel control method according to the present disclosure includes:
Determine whether the radius of curvature of the curved road is below a predetermined value,
When the vehicle is driven so as to maintain the target speed during driving, and it is determined that the radius of curvature of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the target speed is decreased on the curved road entrance side to decelerate the vehicle. .

  According to the present disclosure, wasteful energy consumption can be suppressed.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the vehicle containing the traveling control apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the traveling control apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a curve road and a vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of each operation in a curve road entrance side and a curve road exit side compared with the past. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement of the traveling control in a traveling control part.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a vehicle including travel control device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle 1 including a travel control device 100 according to the present embodiment. It should be noted that here, the illustration and description will be made with a focus on the parts related to the travel control device 100.

  A vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, a large vehicle such as a truck equipped with an inline 6-cylinder diesel engine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes a drive system for driving the vehicle, and includes an engine 3, a clutch 4, a transmission (transmission) 5, a propulsion shaft (propeller shaft) 6, and a differential device (differential gear) 7. , A drive shaft 8 and wheels 9.

  The power of the engine 3 is transmitted to the transmission 5 via the clutch 4, and the power transmitted to the transmission 5 is further transmitted to the wheels 9 via the propulsion shaft 6, the differential device 7, and the drive shaft 8. Communicated. Thereby, the motive power of the engine 3 is transmitted to the wheels 9 and the vehicle 1 travels.

  Moreover, the vehicle 1 has the braking device 40 as a structure of the braking system which stops a vehicle. The braking device 40 includes an auxiliary brake 43 such as a foot brake 41 that provides resistance to the wheels 9, a retarder 42 that provides resistance to the propulsion shaft 6, and an exhaust brake that applies load to the engine 3.

  Further, the vehicle 1 includes an automatic traveling device 2 as a configuration of a control system that controls traveling of the vehicle 1. The automatic travel device 2 is a device that automatically controls the output of the engine 3, the connection / disconnection of the clutch 4, and the speed change of the transmission 5 to automatically travel the vehicle 1, and includes a plurality of control devices.

  Specifically, the automatic travel device 2 includes an engine ECU (engine control device) 10, a power transmission ECU (power transmission control device) 11, a target vehicle speed setting device 13, an increase / decrease value setting device 14, and a travel condition acquisition. It has the apparatus 20, the vehicle information acquisition apparatus 30, and the traveling control apparatus 100. The engine ECU 10, the power transmission ECU 11, and the travel control device 100 are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network so that necessary data and control signals can be transmitted / received to / from each other.

  The engine ECU 10 controls the output of the engine 3. The power transmission ECU 11 controls the connection and disconnection of the clutch 4 and the shift of the transmission 5.

  The target vehicle speed setting device 13 sets a target speed for driving traveling of the vehicle 1 in the traveling control device 100. The increase / decrease value setting device 14 sets a speed decrease value and a speed increase value during driving of the vehicle 1 in the travel control device 100. The target speed, the speed decrease value, and the speed increase place are parameters used for the automatic traveling of the vehicle 1.

  The target vehicle speed setting device 13 and the increase / decrease value setting device 14 include, for example, an information input interface such as a display with a touch panel arranged on a dashboard (not shown) of the driver's seat, and accept the setting of the parameters from the driver. The target speed, the speed decrease value, and the speed increase value are appropriately referred to as “setting information”.

  The traveling state acquisition device 20 acquires a traveling state indicating a road state and the current position of the vehicle 1, and outputs the traveling state to the traveling control device 100. For example, the driving status acquisition device 20 includes a current position acquisition device 21 that is a receiver of a satellite positioning system (GPS), a weather acquisition device 22 that acquires weather during driving, and surroundings such as a preceding vehicle and a parallel running vehicle. And an ambient sensor 23 for detecting a distance from the vehicle and a vehicle speed difference.

  The vehicle information acquisition device 30 acquires vehicle information indicating the operation content of the driver and the state of the vehicle 1 and outputs the vehicle information to the travel control device 100. For example, the vehicle information acquisition device 30 includes the accelerator sensor 31 that detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, the brake switch 32 that detects whether or not the brake pedal is depressed, the shift lever 33, the turn signal switch 34, and the speed of the vehicle 1. A vehicle speed sensor 35 for detection is included.

  The travel control device 100 generates a travel schedule including drive travel (auto cruise travel) and inertia travel based on the above-described setting information, travel status, and vehicle information. Then, the travel control device 100 controls each part of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 travels according to the generated travel schedule.

  Here, the inertia traveling is an engine brake traveling that travels by applying an engine brake by a driven rotation of the engine 3 while a power transmission path between the engine 3 and the wheel 9 is connected, and an engine 3 and a wheel. 9 includes neutral inertia traveling (hereinafter also referred to as “N coasting”) that travels in a state where the power transmission path to the vehicle 9 is interrupted. Note that fuel injection of the engine 3 is stopped during engine braking and N coasting. Specifically, the opening of a throttle valve (not shown) corresponding to the fuel injection amount is controlled to the minimum. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the travel control device 100.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the travel control device 100 includes a travel state determination unit 110 and a travel control unit 120.

  The traveling state determination unit 110 determines whether or not the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the traveling state, and outputs the determination result to the traveling control unit 120.

  The traveling control unit 120 generates a traveling schedule including driving traveling and inertia traveling, and causes the vehicle 1 to travel according to the generated traveling schedule.

  For example, the traveling control unit 120 realizes traveling at a speed according to the traveling schedule by controlling the fuel injection amount of the engine 3 and the like via the engine ECU 10 during driving traveling. The traveling control unit 120 controls the opening of a throttle valve (not shown) to a minimum during inertia traveling. Moreover, the traveling control unit 120 appropriately controls each part of the braking device 40 to stop the vehicle 1.

  The traveling control unit 120 performs control to switch the vehicle 1 to either driving traveling or inertia traveling in the generated traveling schedule.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the curved road C and the vehicle 1. FIG. 3 shows the curved road entrance side Ca and the curved road exit side Cb. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of each operation on the curve road entrance side Ca and the curve road exit side Cb in comparison with the conventional example. Here, the “curve road entrance side” refers to a region on the entrance side of the curve road C from the middle of the curve road C, and includes, for example, the front side of the curve road C in the vehicle traveling direction and the vicinity of the entrance of the curve road C. Similarly, the “curve road exit side” refers to a region on the exit side of the curved road C from the middle of the curved road C, and includes, for example, the area ahead of the curved road C in the vehicle traveling direction and the vicinity of the exit of the curved road C.

  In the conventional example, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 1 is decelerated by the driver's brake operation (depressing the brake pedal) at the curve road entrance side Ca. When the speed of the vehicle 1 becomes lower than the target speed in driving driving (auto cruise driving) due to the deceleration of the vehicle 1, the driving driving is canceled. A steering wheel operation is performed on the curved road C.

  In the conventional example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the vehicle 1 is accelerated on the curved road exit side Cb, the driving travel is released, and it is difficult to set the driving travel during the steering operation on the curved road C. Therefore, the vehicle 1 cannot be accelerated by driving. Therefore, the vehicle 1 is accelerated by the driver's accelerator operation (depressing the accelerator pedal). At this time, the vehicle 1 may be accelerated more than necessary, and wasteful energy may be consumed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, traveling state determination unit 110 determines whether or not the radius of curvature of curved road C is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When the traveling state determination unit 110 determines that the radius of curvature of the curved road C is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the traveling control unit 120 determines the target speed in driving traveling according to the weight of the vehicle 1 at the curved road entrance side Ca. The vehicle 1 is decelerated and decelerated. Here, the predetermined value means that when the vehicle 1 travels on the curved road C, the speed of the vehicle 1 is lower than a target speed in driving driving (for example, a range from a speed decrease value to a speed increase value). When the value is not lowered, the radius of curvature is estimated to be released from driving, and is obtained by an experimental result or simulation. In addition, the weight of the vehicle 1 refers to the total weight of the vehicle weight and the load capacity.

  That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, traveling control unit 120 reduces vehicle 1 by reducing the target speed in driving traveling. Therefore, the driving travel is continued on the curve road C.

  In the present embodiment, it is a precondition that the traveling of the vehicle 1 at the curve road entrance side Ca is a driving traveling. Therefore, for example, the travel control unit 120 may set the drive travel at the curve road entrance Ca when the travel of the vehicle 1 is not drive travel and the radius of curvature of the curve road C is equal to or less than a predetermined value. . Further, for example, the traveling control unit 120 may switch the traveling of the vehicle 1 from the inertia traveling to the driving traveling when the traveling of the vehicle 1 is the inertia traveling and the radius of curvature of the curved road C is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Good.

  Further, the determination of the radius of curvature of the curved road C by the traveling state determination unit 110 and the control of the target speed by the traveling control unit 120 are performed in real time during traveling, but the road to travel is determined in advance. In this case, it may be performed before traveling.

  In the present embodiment, when accelerating the vehicle 1 on the curved road exit side Cb, the traveling control unit 120 returns the changed target speed to the target speed before the change on the curved road exit side Cb, and changes the vehicle 1 before the change. Accelerate to the target speed. That is, when accelerating the vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 4, since the driving travel is continued, there is no need to set the driving travel during the steering operation, and the safety can be improved. Moreover, since the traveling control unit 120 accelerates the vehicle 1 to the target speed before the change, it is possible to suppress wasteful energy consumption. Moreover, the traveling control unit 120 accelerates the vehicle 1 within a predetermined target acceleration. Also from this point, wasteful energy consumption can be suppressed. The target acceleration is obtained by experimental results or simulation in consideration of energy consumption and driving performance.

  Next, an operation example of travel control in the travel control unit 120 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the traveling control in the traveling control unit 120. The process in FIG. 5 is executed when the vehicle 1 is traveling.

  First, the traveling state determination unit 110 determines whether or not the radius of curvature of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S100).

  As a result, when the curvature radius of the curved road is not less than or equal to a predetermined value (step S100: NO), the process returns to before step S100. On the other hand, when the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value (step S100: YES), the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S110, the traveling control unit 120 decelerates the vehicle 1 by reducing the target speed for driving traveling on the curve road entrance side. Thereafter, this control ends.

<Effects of the present embodiment>
As described above, the traveling control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment uses the traveling condition determination unit 110 that determines whether or not the radius of curvature of the curved path C is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the traveling condition determination unit 110 to determine whether the curved road When it is determined that the curvature radius of C is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the vehicle is provided with a travel control unit 120 that decelerates the vehicle 1 by reducing the target speed in driving travel at the curve road entrance side Ca. As a result, the driving travel can be continued even on the curved road C.

  Moreover, according to the traveling control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the traveling control unit 120 accelerates the vehicle 1 by returning the changed target speed to the target speed before the change at the curve road exit side Cb. Thereby, the case where the vehicle 1 is accelerated more than necessary can be avoided, and wasteful energy consumption can be suppressed. Further, since the driving travel is continued on the curved road C, it is not necessary to set the driving travel during the steering operation, and the safety can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the travel control unit 120 reduces the target speed according to the weight of the vehicle 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the travel control unit 120 responds to the slope of a curved road. The target speed may be increased. Further, the traveling control unit 120 may decrease the target speed according to the engine absorption horsepower. Here, the engine absorption horsepower refers to the horsepower that mainly enters the auxiliary machine out of the driving force from the output shaft of the engine 3.

  The target speed that is changed according to the slope of the curved road or the engine absorption horsepower is more appropriate as the speed for traveling on the curved road. Thereby, useless consumption of energy can be suppressed. The traveling control unit 120 may reduce the target speed according to at least two of the weight of the vehicle 1, the gradient of the curved road C, and the engine absorption horsepower.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the vehicle 1 was accelerated to the target speed after change by the curve road exit side Cb, this invention is not limited to this, For example, according to the gradient of the curve road exit side Cb, the vehicle 1 The vehicle 1 may be accelerated by switching the travel from the drive travel to the inertia travel. In inertial running, fuel injection is stopped, so that useless energy consumption can be further suppressed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the vehicle 1 was accelerated to the target speed before change on the curve road exit side Cb, this invention is not limited to this, For example, the curve road C is also ahead of the curve road C. When there is C (for example, a curved road C having a radius of curvature equal to or less than a predetermined value), the vehicle 1 may not be accelerated by supplying power (fuel injection or power supply to a motor in a hybrid vehicle).

  The travel control device of the present disclosure is useful as a vehicle that is required to suppress wasteful energy consumption.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Automatic traveling device 3 Engine 4 Clutch 5 Transmission 6 Propulsion shaft 7 Differential device 8 Drive shaft 9 Wheel 10 ECU for engine
11 Power transmission ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Target vehicle speed setting apparatus 14 Increase / decrease value setting apparatus 20 Travel condition acquisition apparatus 21 Current position acquisition apparatus 22 Weather acquisition apparatus 23 Ambient sensor 30 Vehicle information acquisition apparatus 31 Accelerator sensor 32 Brake switch 33 Shift lever 34 Turn signal switch 35 Vehicle speed sensor 40 Braking Device 41 Foot brake 42 Retarder 43 Auxiliary brake 100 Travel control device 110 Travel condition determination unit 120 Travel control unit

Claims (8)

A traveling state determination unit that determines whether the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
When the vehicle travels so as to maintain the target speed in driving traveling, and the curvature determination section determines that the curvature radius of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the target speed is lowered on the curved road entrance side. A travel control unit that decelerates the vehicle;
A travel control device comprising:   The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the travel control unit decreases the target speed according to a weight of the vehicle.   The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein the travel control unit decreases the target speed according to a slope of the curved road.   The travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the travel control unit accelerates the vehicle by returning the changed target speed to the target speed before the change on the curve road exit side.   The travel control device according to claim 4, wherein the travel control unit accelerates the vehicle within a predetermined target acceleration.   The travel control device according to claim 4, wherein the travel control unit switches the travel of the vehicle from the drive travel to the inertia travel according to the gradient on the curved road exit side, and accelerates the vehicle.   A vehicle comprising the travel control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Determine whether the radius of curvature of the curved road is below a predetermined value,
Driving to drive the vehicle so as to maintain the target speed in driving driving, and when it is determined that the radius of curvature of the curved road is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the vehicle is decelerated by reducing the target speed on the curved road entrance side. Control method.

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