JP2004216955A - Vehicle travel control device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of operations performed by a driver with the improvement of convenience and comfort in a vehicle travel control device. Along with this, there are many factors that cause drowsiness to the driver.
When a drowsiness state of a driver is detected by a drowsiness detection device, the vehicle is swung back and forth or vibrated using an acceleration / deceleration control function of an engine control unit and a brake control unit. To prevent According to the level of the driver's drowsiness state, when the driver's drowsiness state signal is input from the driver's drowsiness state detection device, the driver's drowsiness state level is identified, and the vehicle's drowsiness state is identified according to the drowsiness state level. Change the way you shake or vibrate. To inform the following vehicle that the preceding vehicle is not in a normal state, a brake lamp is turned on when the vehicle is shaken back and forth.
[Effect] The driver can be prevented from falling asleep, and the driver can be alerted to the vehicle behind.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control device that applies predetermined shaking or vibration to a vehicle in accordance with a driving state of a driver in vehicle travel control.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Many of the vehicle travel control devices pursue convenience and comfort, and the driver's operation on the vehicle tends to decrease. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-16674 discloses that the ride comfort is improved, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-142169 does not require a complicated switch operation.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-166747 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-142169
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the factors that cause drowsiness are increased due to a decrease in driver's irritation due to better ride comfort, a decrease in driver's nervousness due to a decrease in driver's operation, and a decrease in blood circulation due to a decrease in the amount of exercise. Let me. That is, there is a problem that the vehicle deviates from the normal driving state unless some warning or instruction is given depending on the driving state of the driver. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to wake up a driver when the driver is drowsy, or to notify the following vehicle that the host vehicle is not in a normal state.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to wake up drowsiness by using a function of a vehicle traveling control device when a driver is drowsy, and to inform a following vehicle that the own vehicle is not in a normal driving state or a traveling state. It is in.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for controlling a vehicle using an acceleration / deceleration control function of an engine control unit and a brake control unit when a drowsiness state of a driver is detected by a driving state detection unit or a drowsiness detection device. It is to prevent a driver from falling asleep by swinging or vibrating back and forth.
[0007]
According to the level of the driver's drowsiness, the driver's drowsiness is changed when the driver's drowsiness state signal is input from the driver's driving state detection unit or the drowsiness state detection device. The drowsiness level is identified, and the method of shaking or vibrating the vehicle and the degree of these are changed according to the drowsiness level.
[0008]
Further, in order to inform the following vehicle that the preceding vehicle is not in a normal state, the brake lamp is turned on or blinks when the vehicle is rocked back and forth.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the vehicle traveling control device of the present invention.
[0010]
Reference numeral 11 denotes a vehicle speed sensor for measuring the own vehicle speed. Reference numeral 12 denotes an inter-vehicle distance sensor for measuring the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, for example, a laser radar device or a millimeter-wave radar device. Reference numeral 13 denotes a vehicle running control unit, which is generally an ACC control unit (ECU), which controls the vehicle running based on the own vehicle speed information from the vehicle speed sensor 11, the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed information from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 12, and the like. Calculation for The ECU instructs the engine control unit 14 and the brake control unit 15 to provide a driving force and a braking force necessary for the vehicle. An engine control unit 14 outputs a control signal in response to a driving force command from the ECU 13. Reference numeral 15 denotes a brake control unit that performs automatic brake control in response to a brake force command from the ECU 13. 16 is a driving control state such as a following driving control for following the preceding vehicle or an inter-vehicle driving control for driving so as to keep the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle at a predetermined value or a driving control by the driver. , Which is, in other words, a driver's operation intention detecting device that detects an intention of the driver to control the vehicle traveling. For example, it comprises a vehicle travel control release switch, an accelerator pedal switch, a release switch, and the like. When any of these detects the driver's operation intention, the vehicle travel control is released. The vehicle travel control release switch is a switch for releasing the vehicle travel control by the driver. By releasing the switch, the vehicle travel control release can detect that the driver wants to stop the vehicle travel control and drive by himself. The accelerator pedal switch can determine whether or not the driver has depressed the accelerator pedal, and can detect that the driver wants to accelerate with his / her own intention using the accelerator pedal switch. The release switch can determine whether or not the driver has depressed the brake pedal, and can detect that the driver wants to decelerate by himself using the release switch. Reference numeral 17 denotes a driving state detection unit or a drowsiness detection device, which detects a driving state of the driver, particularly, a drowsiness state in this case.
[0011]
As a method for the ECU 13 to recognize the drowsiness of the driver, the drowsiness detection device 17 outputs a signal indicating the drowsiness state of the driver, for example, a driving state signal or a drowsiness state signal. A state signal is input, and when the input drowsiness state signal is equal to or greater than a certain value, it is recognized that the driver is drowsy.
[0012]
Note that the driving state signal or the drowsiness state signal is, for example, a result of detection of operation frequency or history of a switch or a volume of an accelerator, a brake, a steering wheel, a switch of an air conditioner or an auxiliary device, navigation, an audio, a radio, and the like. A signal including the degree of the operating state is generated based on Further, the camera mounted in the vehicle can recognize the driver's face, operating state, posture, and the like by image recognition, calculate the driving state and the degree thereof, and generate a driving state signal and a drowsiness state signal.
[0013]
The present invention controls the vehicle based on the driving state of the driver.Hereinafter, the present invention performs a vehicle behavior control for awakening the driver using the driver's drowsiness detection method. This will be described as an example.
[0014]
First, the first method will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step S11, it is determined whether or not the driver is drowsy. If it is recognized that the driver is drowsy, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, a behavior that shakes the vehicle to give the driver drowsiness is given using the engine control unit and the brake control unit.
[0015]
Next, a description will be given of a method of giving a behavior that shakes the vehicle to make the driver sleepy using the engine control unit and the brake control unit.
[0016]
The ECU 13 sends a command to increase the braking force and a command to reduce the braking force to the brake control unit 15 in order. The brake control unit 15 that has received the command controls the braking force as instructed by the ECU 13 to generate an acceleration in the front-rear direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle, thereby giving a behavior that shakes the vehicle. The method of swinging the vehicle described above is to increase the maximum value of the braking force, increase and decrease the braking force only once, shake the vehicle back and forth, and decrease the maximum value of the braking force to increase the braking force There is a method in which the vehicle is finely vibrated by repeatedly performing the above and the reduction.
[0017]
Next, the second method will be described. First, the ECU 13 determines how drowsy the driver is and makes the driver shake more violently or vibrate as the drowsiness increases. An example in which the shaking level is set to three levels will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S11, it is determined whether or not the driver has a large drowsiness. When the drowsiness state signal input from the drowsiness detection device 17 is equal to or more than A, it is recognized that the driver has a large drowsiness. The process proceeds to step S12. If not, the process proceeds to step S13.
[0018]
In step S13, when the drowsiness state signal input from the drowsiness detection device 17 is B or more, the process proceeds to step S14. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S15.
[0019]
In step S15, when the drowsiness state signal input from the drowsiness detection device 17 is equal to or higher than C, the process proceeds to step S16.
[0020]
Here, as the magnitudes of A, B, and C, which are compared with the above-mentioned drowsiness state signal, A indicates a value with the largest drowsiness, and A>B> C.
[0021]
In steps S12, S14, and S16, a behavior that shakes the vehicle to give the driver drowsiness is given by using the engine control unit and the brake control unit.
[0022]
Next, a description will be given of a method of a wake-up operation that gives a behavior that shakes the vehicle to wake up the driver using the engine control unit and the brake control unit.
[0023]
The ECU 13 sends a command to increase the braking force and a command to reduce the braking force to the brake control unit 15 in order. The brake control unit 15 that has received the command controls the braking force as instructed by the ECU 13 to generate an acceleration in the front-rear direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle, thereby giving a behavior that shakes the vehicle.
[0024]
As the above-mentioned swinging method of the vehicle, the magnitude of the braking force applied in steps S12, S14, and S16 is the largest in step S12, the largest is the braking force in step S14, and the next is the braking force in step S16. And
[0025]
In step S12, the maximum value of the braking force is increased, and the vehicle is rocked back and forth by repeatedly increasing and decreasing the braking force. In step S14, the maximum value of the braking force is increased. The brake force is increased and decreased only once, and the vehicle is shaken so as to give a slight impact to the driver. The vehicle is vibrated finely.
[0026]
A method of turning on the brake lamp when the vehicle swings back and forth to notify the following vehicle that the preceding vehicle is not in an ordinary state will be described.
[0027]
Since the brake operation of the brake control unit is used when the vehicle is rocked or shaken back and forth, the brake lamp is turned on with the brake operation.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
Vibration or vibration is given to the vehicle in accordance with the driving state of the driver to make the driving state normal, and it is possible to notify the following vehicle that the driving state is not normal.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration of a traveling control device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a first method of awakening operation by vehicle behavior control.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a second method of awakening operation by vehicle behavior control.
[Explanation of symbols]
11: vehicle speed sensor, 12: inter-vehicle distance sensor, 13: ECU, 14: engine control unit, 15: brake control unit, 16: vehicle travel control detection unit, driver's operation intention detection device, 17: driving state detection unit, Sleepiness detection device.

Claims (5)

A vehicle travel control device that controls the own vehicle speed of the own vehicle based on the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle, and that follows the preceding vehicle, wherein the vehicle speed detection unit detects the own vehicle speed, and calculates the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle. An inter-vehicle distance detecting unit that detects, a relative speed detecting unit that detects a relative speed with respect to the preceding vehicle, and a calculating unit that performs a calculation of a vehicle traveling control for following the preceding vehicle from information from the detecting unit, An engine control unit that controls acceleration or deceleration based on a command from the calculation unit; a brake control unit that controls deceleration or stop based on a command from the calculation unit; And a vehicle traveling control device. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 1,
The driving state detection unit detects the driving state of the driver, controls the engine control unit and the brake control unit based on the driving state, causes the vehicle to shake or vibrate, and A vehicle travel control device characterized by preventing drowsiness. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2,
The driving state signal indicating the driving state of the driver from the driving state detection unit of the driver includes the drowsiness state level of the driver, and how to swing or vibrate the vehicle according to the drowsiness state level or A vehicle travel control device wherein the degree of the shaking or the degree of the vibration is changed. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 2,
A vehicle travel control device that lights or flashes a brake lamp of the host vehicle when the engine control unit and the brake control unit are controlled to swing or vibrate the vehicle back and forth. The vehicle travel control device according to claim 3,
A vehicle travel control device, wherein when the engine control unit and the brake control unit are controlled to shake or vibrate the vehicle, a brake lamp of the host vehicle is turned on or blinks.

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