JP2007099196A - Vehicle cotroller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle controller for properly supporting an accelerating operation according to road traffic circumstances. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle controller for supporting the accelerating operation of the driver of a vehicle is provided with: a location detecting means for detecting the current location of own vehicle; a determination means for determining whether or not the own vehicle is located on a slave road merging with a main road in the own vehicle traveling direction by collating the own vehicle current location detected by the location detecting means with map information; an acquisition means for, when it is decided that the own vehicle is located on the slave road by the decision means, acquiring information relating to traffic circumstances on the main road; and an acceleration support means for, when it is judged that any congestion dose not occur on the main road from the information acquired by the acquisition means, supporting the accelerating operation by the own vehicle driver. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a vehicle control device that supports an acceleration operation by a driver in a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle control device that appropriately supports an acceleration operation according to a road traffic situation.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle control device that assists an acceleration operation by a driver in a vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a device that controls a gear ratio based on road information obtained by a navigation device so that an optimum driving force can be obtained.

Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a system that assists acceleration by changing the gear ratio of the speed change mechanism so that it is easy to accelerate when the host vehicle is in the junction to the highway overtaking lane or the main highway. ing.
JP 2002-139138 A Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., “IT-NAVI SHIFT”, [online], [searched on September 26, 2005], Internet URL <http: // www. nissan. co. jp / PRIMERA / P12 / 0307 / EQUIIP / main3. html>

  However, in the conventional apparatus / system disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1, the gear ratio is changed only by the position information of the host vehicle on the road, so that it is appropriate in light of actual road traffic conditions. There is a possibility that shift control will not be performed.

  For example, when the vehicle is about to join an interchange rampway (branch line) to the main line of an expressway or toll road (hereinafter collectively referred to as “highway etc.”), according to the conventional apparatus / system, It will be changed to a gear ratio that is easy to accelerate, but in a traffic situation where it is difficult to join the main line in an accelerated state such as when the main line is congested, such a change in the gear ratio is rather ) Controllability and drivability (ease of driving) may be impaired.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that appropriately supports acceleration operation according to road traffic conditions.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device for assisting an acceleration operation by a driver in a vehicle, the position detection means for detecting the current position of the host vehicle, and the position A determination unit that determines whether or not the own vehicle is located on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the traveling direction of the host vehicle in light of the map information on the current position of the host vehicle detected by the detection unit; When it is determined that the vehicle is located on the secondary road, an acquisition unit that acquires information on the traffic situation on the main road, and traffic congestion occurs on the main road from the information acquired by the acquisition unit When it is determined that the vehicle has not been operated, the vehicle control device includes acceleration support means for supporting the acceleration operation by the driver of the host vehicle.

  In the first aspect, the “main road” is, for example, a main line such as an expressway, and the “subordinate road” is, for example, a branch / rampway such as an expressway.

  In the first aspect, the position detecting means detects the current position of the host vehicle using, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System). The detection accuracy (resolution) is preferably as high (fine) as possible. For example, a high-accuracy GPS such as RTK (Real Time Kinetic) -GPS is preferably used.

  In the first aspect, the map information is stored in advance and stored in an arbitrary storage medium, for example. This map information is preferably updated to the latest information as appropriate using vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and / or satellite communication.

  In the first aspect, the acquisition unit acquires information on the traffic situation on the main road using, for example, inter-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and / or satellite communication. Typically, the acquisition means acquires the main road congestion information using, for example, VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System).

  Furthermore, in this first aspect, the acceleration support means performs, for example, shift control or throttle valve opening control so that acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported. In the former case, for example, in the case of an automatic stepped transmission, the acceleration support means facilitates acceleration by lowering the gear stage or increasing the shift-up point (shift point). In some cases, acceleration is facilitated by increasing the gear ratio. In the latter case, the acceleration support means facilitates acceleration, for example, by increasing the ratio of the throttle valve opening to the accelerator pedal depression amount.

  According to the first aspect, when the main road to which the own vehicle is to join is not congested, the acceleration operation is supported and facilitates acceleration, and when the vehicle is congested, the acceleration operation is not supported and acceleration is facilitated. Therefore, accelerator controllability and drivability at the time of merging can be improved.

  In this first aspect, the acceleration support means determines the degree of acceleration operation support according to the smoothness of the flow of traffic flow on the main road determined from the information acquired by the acquisition means. You may change it.

  Further, in this first aspect, the acceleration support means uses, for example, both the shift control and the throttle valve opening degree control to determine the traffic situation on the main road from the information acquired by the acquisition means. If the flow is classified into three stages, the first situation, the second situation, and the third situation, in the order of smooth flow, the first situation (for example, the traffic volume is very low and the rattle state) Acceleration operation is supported by both shift control and throttle control. In the second situation (for example, there is a certain amount of traffic but is flowing smoothly), acceleration operation is performed by either shift control or throttle control. The acceleration operation may not be supported in the third situation (for example, the traffic volume is very large and / or the traffic is congested).

  A second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a vehicle control device that performs shift control in a vehicle, and the host vehicle travels on a subordinate road that merges with a main road later in the host vehicle traveling direction. When the vehicle is running, the vehicle control device performs shift control according to the traffic situation of the main road.

  In the second aspect, the “main road” is, for example, a main line such as an expressway, and the “subordinate road” is, for example, a branch / rampway such as an expressway.

  In the second aspect, the vehicle control device may cause traffic congestion on the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the direction of travel of the host vehicle. If not, the shift control is performed so that the acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported.

  According to this second aspect, when it is known that the host vehicle is traveling on the road that the vehicle follows and joins the main road after a while, not only the road on which the host vehicle is currently traveling, Since the shift control is performed in consideration of the traffic condition of the main road, accelerator controllability and drivability at the time of merging can be improved.

  In order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls throttle valve opening in a vehicle, and the host vehicle joins a main road later in the host vehicle traveling direction. The vehicle control device performs throttle valve opening degree control according to the traffic situation of the main road when traveling on a road.

  In the third aspect, the “main road” is, for example, a main line such as an expressway, and the “subordinate road” is, for example, a branch / rampway such as an expressway.

  Further, in the third aspect, the vehicle control device may cause traffic congestion on the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. If not, throttle valve opening control is performed so that the acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported.

  According to this third aspect, when it is known that the vehicle is traveling on the road that the vehicle follows and joins the main road after a while, not only the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling, Since the throttle control is performed in consideration of the traffic situation of the main road, accelerator controllability and drivability at the time of merging can be improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the control apparatus for vehicles which performs acceleration operation assistance appropriately according to a road traffic condition can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment (Embodiment 1) of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The vehicle control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment supports an acceleration operation by a driver by performing a shift control when joining a main line from a branch line (rampway) such as an expressway. That is, the vehicle control device 100 according to the present embodiment can also be referred to as a shift control device.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control device 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The vehicle control device 100 includes a position detection unit 101 that detects the current position of the host vehicle. A position detection part detects the own vehicle present position using GPS, for example. The detection accuracy (resolution) of the position detection unit 101 is preferably as high (fine) as possible. For example, a high-accuracy GPS such as RTK-GPS is preferably used.

  The vehicle control device 100 further includes a traffic information acquisition unit 102 that acquires traffic information. The traffic information acquisition part 102 shall acquire the traffic information of the road around the own vehicle using communication. Here, the communication used may be vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, satellite communication, or any combination thereof. The traffic information acquisition unit 102 typically acquires traffic jam information using VICS.

  The vehicle control device 100 further includes a storage unit 103 that stores and holds map information. The storage unit 103 may be an arbitrary storage medium. The map information stored in the storage unit 103 is more preferable as it is highly accurate (that is, detailed) map information. Further, the map information stored in the storage unit 103 is preferably updated to the latest information as appropriate using, for example, communication.

  The vehicle control device 100 further includes a shift control unit 104 that controls the shift mechanism of the host vehicle. In the case of an automatic stepped transmission, the shift control unit 104 changes the gear stage and the up / down point, and in the case of an automatic continuously variable transmission, changes the gear ratio.

  The vehicle control device 100 further includes a main control unit 105 that comprehensively controls each component of the vehicle control device 100. In the present embodiment, the main control unit 105 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

  Next, the flow of the acceleration operation support control process by the vehicle control device 100 having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the main control unit 105 determines whether the host vehicle is located on a rampway (branch line) such as an expressway in the light of the current vehicle position detected by the position detection unit 101 and the map information stored in the storage unit 103. It is determined whether or not (S201).

  When the host vehicle is located on the rampway (“YES” in S201), the main control unit 105 then selects the high speed at which the host vehicle is about to join from the traffic information of the surrounding road acquired by the traffic information acquiring unit 102. It is determined whether or not there is a traffic jam on the main line such as a road (S202).

  When there is no traffic jam on the main line (“NO” in S202), the main control unit 105 determines that there is no problem even if the host vehicle joins the main line while being accelerated, and the host vehicle accelerates smoothly. As described above, the shift control unit 104 is assisted in the driver's acceleration operation, and issues a control instruction to facilitate acceleration (S203). In the case of an automatic stepped transmission, the shift control unit 104 that has received the instruction lowers the gear stage or raises the shift-up point in comparison with the normal case. In some cases, by increasing the gear ratio as compared with the normal case, the driver can assist the driver in accelerating the vehicle so that the vehicle can accelerate smoothly.

  On the other hand, if the host vehicle is not located on the rampway (“NO” in S201), or if there is a traffic jam on the main line that the host vehicle is trying to join (“YES” in S202), the main control unit 105 instructs the shift control unit 104 to perform normal shift control (S204).

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, when the acceleration operation is supported, the acceleration operation support control is performed in advance considering the traffic flow of the main line that the host vehicle is about to join. It is avoided that the acceleration operation support control is executed even when the own vehicle cannot join the main line in an accelerated state due to traffic congestion, and the accelerator controllability and drivability are improved.

  In this embodiment, the traffic situation on the main line is alternatively determined from the viewpoint of whether or not there is a traffic jam, and whether or not the shift control for assisting the acceleration operation is executed according to the determination. However, the present invention is not limited to such processing. For example, the degree of acceleration operation support may be changed according to the traffic volume on the main line and the flow of traffic. Alternatively, linear shift control may be performed.

  Next, a vehicle control apparatus according to another embodiment (embodiment 2) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle control device 300 according to the present embodiment supports the acceleration operation by the driver by performing throttle valve opening control when joining the main line from a branch line (rampway) such as an expressway. That is, the vehicle control device 300 according to the present embodiment can also be referred to as a throttle control device.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vehicle control device 300 according to the present embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component same as the said Example 1, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The vehicle control device 300 includes a position detection unit 101, a traffic information acquisition unit 102, and a storage unit 103.

  The vehicle control device 300 further includes a throttle control unit 301 that controls the opening degree of the throttle valve of the host vehicle.

  The vehicle control device 300 further includes a main control unit 302 that comprehensively controls each component of the vehicle control device 300. In the present embodiment, the main control unit 302 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

  Next, a flow of processing of acceleration operation support control by the vehicle control device 300 having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the main control unit 302 determines whether the host vehicle is located on a rampway (branch line) such as an expressway in light of the current vehicle position detected by the position detection unit 101 and the map information stored in the storage unit 103. It is determined whether or not (S401).

  When the host vehicle is positioned on the rampway (“YES” in S401), the main control unit 302 then makes a high speed that the host vehicle is about to join from the traffic information of the surrounding road acquired by the traffic information acquiring unit 102. It is determined whether or not there is a traffic jam on the main line such as a road (S402).

  When there is no traffic jam on the main line (“NO” in S402), the main control unit 302 determines that there is no problem even if the host vehicle joins the main line in an accelerated state, and the host vehicle accelerates smoothly. In this way, the throttle control unit 301 is assisted in the driver's acceleration operation, and a control instruction is issued so as to facilitate acceleration (S403). Receiving the instruction, the throttle control unit 301 supports the acceleration operation by the driver so that the host vehicle can smoothly accelerate by increasing the ratio of the throttle valve opening to the accelerator pedal depression amount from the normal time.

  On the other hand, if the host vehicle is not located on the rampway (“NO” in S401), or if there is a traffic jam on the main line that the host vehicle is trying to join (“YES” in S402), the main control unit 302 instructs the throttle control unit 301 to perform normal throttle control (S404).

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, when the acceleration operation is supported, the acceleration operation support control is performed in advance considering the traffic flow of the main line that the host vehicle is about to join. It is avoided that the acceleration operation support control is executed even when the own vehicle cannot join the main line in an accelerated state due to traffic congestion, and the accelerator controllability and drivability are improved.

  In this embodiment, the traffic situation on the main line is alternatively determined from the viewpoint of whether or not there is a traffic jam, and whether or not the throttle control for assisting the acceleration operation is executed according to this is determined. However, the present invention is not limited to such processing. For example, the degree of acceleration operation support may be changed according to the traffic volume on the main line and the flow of traffic. Alternatively, linear throttle control may be performed.

  Next, a vehicle control apparatus according to still another embodiment (Example 3) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle control apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment supports the acceleration operation by the driver by performing shift control and / or throttle valve opening control when joining the main line from a branch line (rampway) such as an expressway. Is.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vehicle control device 500 according to the present embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the said Example 1 and 3, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The vehicle control device 500 includes a position detection unit 101, a traffic information acquisition unit 102, a storage unit 103, a shift control unit 104, and a throttle control unit 301.

  The vehicle control device 500 further includes a main control unit 501 that comprehensively controls each component of the vehicle control device 500. In the present embodiment, the main control unit 501 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

  Next, a flow of processing of acceleration operation support control by the vehicle control device 500 having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

  First, the main control unit 501 determines whether the host vehicle is positioned on a rampway (branch line) such as an expressway in light of the current vehicle position detected by the position detection unit 101 and the map information stored in the storage unit 103. It is determined whether or not (S601).

  When the host vehicle is located on the rampway (“YES” in S601), the main control unit 501 then selects the high speed at which the host vehicle is about to join from the traffic information on the surrounding road acquired by the traffic information acquiring unit 102. The degree of congestion of the traffic flow on the main line such as a road is determined (S602).

  When the traffic volume on the main line is so-called rattled ("traffic volume is minimal" in S602), the main control unit 501 determines that there is no problem even if the host vehicle joins the main line while being accelerated, The speed change control unit 104 and the throttle control unit 301 are assisted to accelerate the host vehicle so that the host vehicle smoothly accelerates, and a control instruction is issued so that the vehicle can be easily accelerated.

  The shift control unit 104 and the throttle control unit 301 that have received the instruction support an acceleration operation by the driver so that the host vehicle can smoothly accelerate as in the case of the first and second embodiments (S603).

  If there is a certain amount of traffic on the main line but it is flowing smoothly ("smooth" in S602), the main control unit 501 determines that the host vehicle should join the main line in a certain acceleration state, The driver's acceleration operation is supported only by the shift control unit 104 so that the host vehicle accelerates somewhat more slowly than in the case of S603, and a control instruction is issued so as to facilitate acceleration.

  The shift control unit 104 that has received the instruction supports the acceleration operation by the driver so that the host vehicle can smoothly accelerate as in the case of the first embodiment (S604).

  Furthermore, when it is determined that the traffic volume on the main line is very large and / or when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred (“Junk” in S602), the main control unit 501 includes the shift control unit 104 and the throttle. Each control unit 301 is instructed to perform normal control (S605). That is, acceleration operation support is not performed.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, when the acceleration operation is supported, the acceleration operation support control is performed in advance considering the traffic flow of the main line that the host vehicle is about to join. It is avoided that the acceleration operation support control is executed even when the own vehicle cannot join the main line in an accelerated state due to traffic congestion, and the accelerator controllability and drivability are improved.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the degree of acceleration operation support can be changed according to the flow of traffic flow on the main line, acceleration operation support corresponding to the degree of congestion on the main line that the host vehicle is about to join. Is realized, and the accelerator controllability and drivability are further improved.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the acceleration operation is supported only by the shift control in S604 has been described. However, this is only an example, and as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the throttle control is performed in S604 of the third embodiment. The acceleration operation may be supported only by.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the traffic volume on the main line and the flow state of the traffic flow are classified into three stages and the contents of the acceleration operation support control are changed. In addition, in this embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, the degree of acceleration operation support is linear in S603 and / or S604 depending on the traffic volume on the main line and the flow of traffic flow. Shift control and / or throttle control may be performed so as to be changed.

  In the first to third embodiments of the vehicle control device according to the present invention described above, when the host vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, the position detection unit 101, the traffic information acquisition unit 102, and the storage unit 103 include the navigation. It may be shared with the system. In other words, when the current position of the host vehicle and the map information (or the determination result itself that the host vehicle is located on the branch line) and the traffic information on the main line to be merged can be acquired from the navigation system, the vehicle according to the present invention. The control device itself does not need to include the unique position detection unit 101, traffic information acquisition unit 102, and storage unit 103.

  In the first to third embodiments, when the driver operates the brake pedal (for example, at a predetermined stroke amount or a predetermined stroke speed) during the shift control and / or the throttle control for assisting the acceleration operation, It is preferable that the shift control and / or the throttle control for assisting the acceleration operation being performed is immediately canceled based on the determination that the driver intends to execute the braking control.

  In the first to third embodiments, the fact that the shift control or the throttle control for assisting the acceleration operation is performed may be notified to the driver by lighting an indicator or the like, or there is no notification to the driver. May be implemented. In the latter case, it is preferable to suppress the degree of acceleration operation support to such an extent that the driver does not feel uncomfortable.

  Further, in the first to third embodiments, the branch line (rampway) of the interchange that is going to join the main line such as an expressway is described as an example of the place where the acceleration operation support control is performed. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be implemented in any road form as long as the vehicle is located on a road followed by the host vehicle and is going to join a main road having an average traffic speed higher than the road followed. For example, it may be carried out on the junction path from the service area such as a highway or the parking area to the main line.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a vehicle control device that supports an acceleration operation by a driver in a vehicle. The appearance, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle to be mounted are not limited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on one Example (Example 1) of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the acceleration operation assistance control by the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on one Example (Example 1) of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on another one Example (Example 2) of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the acceleration operation assistance control by the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on another one Example (Example 2) of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on another one Example (Example 3) of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of acceleration operation assistance control by the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on another one Example (Example 3) of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100, 300, 500 Vehicle control device 101 Position detection unit 102 Traffic information acquisition unit 103 Storage unit 104 Shift control unit 105, 302, 501 Main control unit 301 Throttle control unit

Claims (8)

A vehicle control device that supports an acceleration operation by a driver in a vehicle,
Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the host vehicle;
Determining means for determining whether or not the own vehicle is located on a secondary road joining the main road later in the own vehicle traveling direction in light of the map information on the current position of the own vehicle detected by the position detecting means;
An acquisition means for acquiring information relating to traffic conditions on the main road when the determination means determines that the vehicle is located on the secondary road;
An acceleration support means for supporting an acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver when it is determined from the information acquired by the acquisition means that no traffic jam has occurred on the main road. Control device. The vehicle control device according to claim 1,
The acceleration support means changes the degree of acceleration operation support according to the degree of smoothness of the flow of traffic flow on the main road determined from the information acquired by the acquisition means. Control device. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle control apparatus, wherein the acceleration support means performs shift control or throttle valve opening control so that acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported. The vehicle control device according to claim 3,
The acceleration support means includes
Classifying the traffic situation on the main road from the information obtained by the obtaining means into a first situation, a second situation, and a third situation in order of smooth traffic flow;
In the first situation, the acceleration operation is supported by both the shift control and the throttle control,
In the second situation, the acceleration operation is supported by either the shift control or the throttle control,
The vehicular control device characterized by not supporting an acceleration operation in the third situation. A vehicle control device that performs shift control in a vehicle,
A vehicle control device that performs shift control according to traffic conditions of the main road when the own vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the vehicle traveling direction. The vehicle control device according to claim 5,
When the host vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the direction of travel of the host vehicle, shifting is performed so that acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported if there is no traffic jam on the main road. A vehicle control device that performs control. In a vehicle, a vehicle control device that performs throttle valve opening control,
When the host vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the direction of travel of the host vehicle, the throttle valve opening control is performed according to the traffic situation of the main road. . The vehicle control device according to claim 7,
When the host vehicle is traveling on a secondary road that merges with the main road later in the direction of travel of the host vehicle, the throttle is set so that acceleration operation by the host vehicle driver is supported if there is no traffic jam on the main road. A control device for a vehicle characterized by performing valve opening control.

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