JP2024118284A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle control device is provided that can prevent an assistance function for assisting an occupant from performing an operation unintended by the occupant.
[Solution] When driving control is performed in a manual driving mode, the assistance function unit of the vehicle control system operates by applying operation settings set by the occupant to assist the occupant (steps 100 to 108). Also, the assistance function unit operates by applying standard settings of the vehicle to assist the occupant (steps 110 to 116). This makes it possible for the vehicle control system to prevent the assistance function unit for assisting the occupant from operating in an unintended manner by the occupant.
[Selected figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a control device for a vehicle that can be driven both automatically and manually. In this vehicle control device, it is possible to set whether or not to perform parallel running avoidance control, which avoids running alongside other vehicles in adjacent lanes, during automatic driving, and parallel running avoidance control is executed by setting it to perform parallel running avoidance control, but parallel running avoidance control is not executed during manual driving.

JP 2019-93807 A

Meanwhile, vehicles are being equipped with operation support functions to assist the occupant in driving operations in manual driving mode, and safety support functions to ensure occupant safety. These support functions are often also applied in autonomous driving modes, where driving control is performed without the involvement of the occupant's driving operations.

The assistance function operates according to the operation settings in both manual driving mode and automatic driving mode, with operation settings including whether or not the function can be operated being set by the occupant. With the assistance function, if the operation settings in manual driving mode are retained even after switching to automatic driving mode, the operation settings of the previous occupant will be maintained even if the occupant (driver) is replaced during driving in automatic driving mode. For this reason, with the assistance function, if the operation settings of other occupants, such as the previous occupant, are maintained, the new occupant may perform unintended operations, and there is room for improvement.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and aims to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent the assistance function for assisting the occupant from performing an operation unintended by the occupant.

To achieve the above object, the vehicle control device of claim 1 includes a driving control unit that, when controlling the driving of the vehicle, switches between a manual driving mode for driving the vehicle according to the driving operation of the occupant and an automatic driving mode for driving the vehicle without the intervention of the driving operation of the occupant, a support unit that operates based on an support setting to support the occupant while riding in the vehicle, and an operation control unit that applies, as the support setting, a first setting set by the occupant in the manual driving mode, and, when switched to the automatic driving mode, operates the support unit by applying a second setting set in the automatic driving mode.

In the vehicle control device of claim 1, the driving control unit controls the driving of the vehicle by switching between a manual driving mode for driving the vehicle according to the driving operation of the occupant and an automatic driving mode for driving the vehicle without the involvement of the driving operation of the occupant. The support unit operates based on the support setting to support the occupant while riding in the vehicle.

Here, the assistance settings include a first setting set by the occupant in manual driving mode, and a second setting in automatic driving mode. When controlling the operation of the assistance unit, the operation control unit applies the first setting in manual driving mode, and applies the second setting when switching to automatic driving mode.

According to the present invention, when driving control is performed in the autonomous driving mode, the common second setting is applied as the assistance setting, so that even if the occupant is changed during the operation, assistance that causes discomfort to the new occupant is not provided.

2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a support function unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 13 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the support function unit.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system 10 as a vehicle control device according to the present embodiment. The vehicle control system 10 according to the present embodiment is responsible for driving control in the vehicle and safety support for the occupants. When controlling the vehicle, the vehicle control system 10 can operate in a manual driving mode in which the vehicle runs according to the driving operation of the occupants, and in an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle runs without the intervention of the driving operation of the occupants.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle control system 10 includes an operation unit 12 operated by the occupant, an operation unit 14, and a control unit 16 as a driving control unit. The vehicle control system 10 also includes an environment detection unit 18 for detecting the environmental conditions around the vehicle.

The operation unit 12 includes a steering wheel for steering operations, an accelerator pedal for acceleration operations, a brake pedal for braking operations, and an operation panel for performing various settings such as switching between manual and automatic driving modes (all not shown). The operating unit 14 includes an actuator for steering the steered wheels, an actuator for braking operations, and an actuator for shifting the transmission (automatic transmission) (all not shown).

In the vehicle control system 10, multiple ECUs 20 are provided in the control unit 16, etc. The ECUs 20 include a microcomputer in which a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile storage, etc. are connected by a bus, and required functional circuits (all not shown). In the ECUs 20, the CPU reads out programs stored in the ROM and storage, expands them into the RAM, and executes them, thereby realizing functions according to the programs.

The vehicle (vehicle control system 10) is of the by-wire type. The operation unit 12 and the operation unit 14 are each provided with the necessary sensors, and the operation unit 12 and the operation unit 14 have each of their sensors and actuators connected to the ECU 20 of the control unit 16. In the vehicle control system 10, each of the multiple ECUs 20 and each of the multiple sensors are electrically connected via an in-vehicle network.

In the control unit 16, multiple ECUs 20, each of which is provided to realize the required functions, work in cooperation with each other to control the operation of actuators according to the information detected by each sensor, thereby realizing vehicle driving control and various functions in the vehicle. The control unit 16 also operates by switching between a manual driving mode in which the vehicle driving control is performed according to the driving operation of the occupant, and an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle driving control is performed without the intervention of the driving operation of the occupant.

When the control unit 16 is set to the manual driving mode, it controls the operation of the actuator of the operating unit 14 according to the detection results of each sensor of the operation unit 12, and performs steering operations and vehicle speed operations (accelerator operations, braking operations, and gear shift operations) according to the steering operations, braking operations, and accelerator operations by the occupant.

In the vehicle control system 10, various operation assistance functions are realized to assist the occupant in driving operations in the manual driving mode. The operation assistance functions include ACC (adaptive cruise control), FCW (forward collision warning), AEBS (automatic emergency braking system), NV/PD (night vision/pedestrian detection), TSR (traffic sign recognition), LDW (lane departure warning), LKAS (lane departure prevention system), BSM (blind spot monitoring), AFS (rear cross traffic alert), AFS (automatic headlamp beam adjustment), and APA (advanced parking assist).

The operation assistance function may be realized using a sensor in the operation unit 12, a sensor in the operation unit 14, and an actuator in the operation unit 14. In addition, necessary sensors, actuators, functional components, etc. may be added to realize the operation assistance function. The environment detection unit 18 is provided with detection means such as various sensors for realizing the operation assistance function and is connected to the control unit 16 via the in-vehicle work, and the detection means detects the environmental conditions around the vehicle, such as the vehicle's driving environment and the occupant's driving environment.

The detection means of the environment detection unit 18 is provided according to the operation assistance function in the vehicle control system 10, and the detection means includes a speed detection means, such as a vehicle speed sensor, for detecting the vehicle speed, and an acceleration detection means, such as an acceleration sensor, for detecting the acceleration. The detection means also includes an imaging means using a camera or the like for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle, and a distance detection means using a laser radar such as LiDAR for detecting objects around the vehicle and detecting the distance to the object, etc. The detection means also includes a position detection means (on-board locator) using a GPS sensor or the like for detecting the position of the vehicle, and an attitude detection means such as an IMU (inertial measurement unit) for detecting the attitude of the vehicle.

The vehicle control system 10 is equipped with multiple operation assistance functions, enabling it to realize an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) with Level 2 autonomous driving in manual driving mode, and a navigation function is realized by using an on-board locator, etc.

In the vehicle control system 10, the control unit 16 switches from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, and the control unit 16 uses information detected by the environment detection unit 18 to control the operation unit 14 to perform steering control, vehicle speed control, braking control, gear shift control, and the like. As a result, the vehicle control system 10 achieves autonomous driving level 3 or higher, which controls the vehicle's driving without the driver's intervention.

Meanwhile, the vehicle control system 10 is formed with an assistance function unit (safety assistance function unit) 30 that mainly executes functions related to occupant safety, etc., and the assistance function unit 30 is realized by the ECU 20 executing the required assistance function program in the control unit 16. As an example, the assistance function unit 30 in this embodiment assists occupants in disembarking safely (safe disembarking). Such an assistance function unit 30 can be realized by the vehicle control system 10 having a configuration similar to that of the BSM. Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of the assistance function unit 30 in a block diagram.

As shown in FIG. 1, the support function unit 30 includes a left rear detection unit 32L for detecting objects on the left rear side of the vehicle, a right rear detection unit 32R for detecting objects on the right rear side of the vehicle, a support processing unit 34, a notification unit 36, a memory unit 38 for storing operation settings, and a setting unit 40 for setting operation settings. In the support function unit 30, the left rear detection unit 32L, the right rear detection unit 32R, and the notification unit 36 function as support units, and the support processing unit 34 functions as an operation control unit.

The left rear detection unit 32L and the right rear detection unit 32R are realized by using an imaging means (camera, etc.) that images the rear of the vehicle (right rear and left rear) in the environment detection unit 18, and a distance detection means (LiDAR, etc.) that detects an object behind the vehicle and detects the distance of the object. The notification unit 36 can be an indicator provided on each of the left and right door mirrors, a display provided on the instrument panel, and a speaker for emitting an alarm (all not shown). The memory unit 38 is realized by the storage of the ECU 20 and stores the support settings. The setting unit 40 is provided as, for example, a touch-type display on the instrument panel of the operation unit 12, and enables the occupant to set the operation (support settings) for the operation of the support processing unit 34 (support function unit 30) by touch operation.

The support processing unit 34 is realized by executing a support processing program (e.g., a safe disembarkation program) as a support function program in the ECU 20. The support processing unit 34 detects other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. behind the vehicle (rear right side and rear left side) as objects, and detects the distance to the detected objects (the distance from a preset position such as the center or rear end of the vehicle to the object).

In the assistance function unit 30, the occupant can set an operation setting as a first setting that operates in manual driving mode as an assistance setting. In the assistance function unit 30, the occupant operates the setting unit 40 (touch display) to set the operation setting, which is then stored in the memory unit 38. The operation setting includes whether or not to operate the assistance function unit 30 (whether to turn the assistance function on or off) and the sensitivity when the assistance function is operated. The sensitivity is set high when the distance between the vehicle and the object is longer than a standard value (a distance corresponding to the standard sensitivity, for example, about 40 m), and is set low when the distance is shorter than the standard value.

The assistance function unit 30 is also capable of operating in the autonomous driving mode. The memory unit 38 stores an operation setting as a second setting to be applied in the autonomous driving mode as a standard setting. In this standard setting, the assistance function is set to be on, and the sensitivity is set to the standard sensitivity.

The support function unit 30 is also set to operate, so that when an occupant gets off the vehicle, if an object is detected within a distance from the vehicle that corresponds to the sensitivity, the notification unit 36 is activated. At this time, if the object is located at the right rear of the vehicle, the notification unit 36 turns on or blinks the indicator on the right door mirror, and if the object is located at the left rear of the vehicle, the notification unit 36 turns on or blinks the indicator on the left door mirror. The notification unit 36 also displays a message on the instrument panel display indicating that an object has been detected, and issues a warning sound.

In the vehicle control system 10 configured in this manner, when the ignition switch is turned on and the vehicle is enabled to travel, for example, the control unit 16 starts driving control in manual driving mode or automatic driving mode. In the vehicle control system 10, when the manual driving mode is set, the control unit 16 controls the operation unit 14 in response to the occupant's driving operation on the operation unit 12 to execute vehicle driving control (steering control, vehicle speed control, braking control, etc.). At this time, an operation assistance function is set in the vehicle control system 10, and the control unit 16 executes the set operation assistance function to assist the occupant in driving operation.

In addition, when the vehicle control system 10 is set to the autonomous driving mode, the control unit 16 controls the operation unit 14 in accordance with information (such as the driving environment) detected by the environment detection unit 18 to perform driving control of the vehicle.

Here, the vehicle control system 10 is provided with an assistance function unit 30 related to passenger safety, etc. Figure 3 shows an outline of the processing (assistance processing) of the assistance function unit 30 in a flow chart.

The flowchart in FIG. 3 is executed repeatedly as the vehicle control system 10 operates, and in the first step 100, the support processing unit 34 checks whether or not the control unit 16 is operating in the manual driving mode. If the control unit 16 is operating in the manual driving mode, the support processing unit 34 makes a positive determination in step 100 and executes support processing in the manual driving mode. Note that if the control unit 16 is set to the autonomous driving mode, the support processing unit 34 makes a negative determination in step 100 and executes support processing in the autonomous driving mode (steps 112 and 114 below).

In the assistance process in the manual driving mode, in step 102, the operation settings stored in the memory unit 38 of the assistance processing unit 34 are read, and in step 104, it is confirmed whether the assistance function is set to ON. At this time, if the assistance function is not set to ON, the assistance processing unit 34 makes a negative judgment in step 104, proceeds to step 106, and stops the assistance function.

If the assistance function is set to on, the assistance processing unit 34 makes a positive judgment in step 104 and proceeds to step 108, where it executes assistance processing according to the operation settings set by the occupant. As a result, when, for example, an occupant in the passenger seat attempts to open the door (left door) to exit the vehicle, the assistance processing unit 34 notifies the alarm unit 36 of the approach of an object if an object is detected within a distance according to the set sensitivity at the left rear of the vehicle.

On the other hand, in step 110, the assistance processing unit 34 checks whether the driving mode has been changed to the automatic driving mode, and if the driving mode has been switched from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, a positive judgment is made in step 110 and assistance processing in the automatic driving mode is performed.

In the assistance process in the automatic driving mode, the assistance processing unit 34 reads the standard settings from the memory unit 38 in step 112, and executes the assistance process with the standard settings (e.g., standard sensitivity) in step 114. After this, the assistance processing unit 34 checks whether the mode has been changed to the manual driving mode in step 116, and if the mode has not been changed to the manual driving mode, a negative determination is made in step 116, and assistance processing using the standard settings is continued.

In contrast, when the driving mode is changed to the manual driving mode, the support processing unit 34 makes a positive determination in step 116 and proceeds to step 118. In step 118, the support processing unit 34 continues the support processing using the standard settings in the manual driving mode. In addition, in step 120, the support processing unit 34 checks whether the occupant has changed the operation settings of the support processing, and if so, ends the support processing in step 120 and starts the support processing according to the newly set operation settings by returning to step 100.

In this way, in the vehicle control system 10, the assistance function unit 30 performs safety assistance for the occupant based on the operation settings set by the occupant in the manual driving mode. Also, in the vehicle control system 10, the assistance function unit 30 performs safety assistance for the occupant based on the standard settings set in the automatic driving mode. As a result, even if an occupant is changed while the vehicle control system 10 is operating in the automatic driving mode, assistance based on the standard settings can be performed for the replaced occupant. Also, the replaced occupant does not feel uncomfortable about the assistance being performed because assistance during automatic driving is not performed using the assistance set by the previous occupant.

Furthermore, when the vehicle control system 10 switches from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode, the standard settings for the autonomous driving mode are used as the operation settings. This allows the occupant to start driving operations without having to reset various settings when switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

The operation settings in the manual driving mode may be set for each occupant. In this case, for example, an authentication means may be provided to identify (authenticate) the occupant seated in the driver's seat, and the assistance function may be operated by applying the operation settings set by the authenticated occupant.

In addition, the occupant may be authenticated in the autonomous driving mode, and the operation settings set by the authenticated occupant may be applied to the autonomous driving mode. This allows the operation settings set for each occupant to be used not only in the manual driving mode but also in the autonomous driving mode, allowing the occupant to receive assistance according to their preferred operation settings.

In the embodiment described above, the disembarkation support function is applied as the safety support function. However, the occupant support function may be applied to other safety support functions, or may be applied to an operation support function for the occupant to perform driving operations.

10 Vehicle control system (vehicle control device)
12 Operation unit 14 Operation unit 16 Control unit (travel control unit)
18 Environment detection unit 30 Support function unit 32L Left rear detection unit (support unit)
32R Right rear detection unit (support unit)
34 Support processing unit (motion control unit)
36 Notification Department (Support Department)
38 Memory section

Claims (1)

A driving control unit that, when controlling the driving of the vehicle, is capable of switching between a manual driving mode for driving the vehicle in accordance with a driving operation of a driver and an automatic driving mode for driving the vehicle without the driver's operation;
a support unit that operates based on a support setting to support the occupant while riding in the vehicle;
an operation control unit that applies a first setting set by the occupant in the manual driving mode as the assistance setting, and when the driving mode is switched to the automatic driving mode, applies a second setting set in the automatic driving mode to operate the assistance unit;
A vehicle control device comprising: