JP2008006994A - Vehicle information providing device - Google Patents

Abstract

An information providing apparatus for a vehicle that appropriately detects an inappropriate brake operation is provided.
A vehicle information providing device that is mounted on a vehicle and provides a driver with information on evaluation or improvement proposals for brake operation by a driver, of the deceleration generated by the brake operation out of the deceleration generated in the vehicle. An estimation means for estimating the ratio, and an information presentation means for presenting information prompting the driver to improve the brake operation (for example, use of the engine brake) when the ratio estimated by the estimation means exceeds a predetermined threshold value. . The estimation means 1) estimates the magnitude of deceleration generated by the brake operation from the change in brake pressure over time, 2) estimates the magnitude of deceleration generated in the vehicle from the change in vehicle speed over time, and 3) The ratio is calculated by dividing the integrated value of the magnitude of deceleration estimated from the time change of the brake pressure by the integrated value of the magnitude of deceleration estimated from the time change of the vehicle speed.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a vehicular information providing apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle and provides a driver with information related to evaluation or improvement proposals of braking operation by a driver, and more particularly, a vehicle that appropriately detects inappropriate braking operation. The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus for evaluating a brake operation by a driver in a vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that evaluates whether or not a brake operation is appropriately performed based on the magnitude of deceleration generated in a vehicle and the frequency of occurrence of deceleration.
JP 2003-327008 A

  In the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, the deceleration calculated from the vehicle speed reduction amount while the brake pedal is depressed is treated as the deceleration generated by the brake operation (for example, paragraphs [0014] to [0017] Etc.).

  However, the factor for decelerating the vehicle is not limited to the brake operation (friction brake), and other factors such as rolling resistance, air resistance, engine brake, and exhaust brake may exist.

  If all the generated vehicle decelerations are handled as decelerations generated by the brake operation as in Patent Document 1, it cannot be properly evaluated whether or not the brake operation performed by the driver is appropriate.

  For example, when a relatively large deceleration occurs when the driver decelerates the vehicle using the engine brake, according to the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, a sudden braking operation is performed by the driver. There is a possibility that it will be misjudged.

  On the other hand, for example, when the driver keeps lightly depressing the brake pedal while the vehicle is traveling on a long downhill, such a brake operation is inappropriate from the viewpoint of improving fuel consumption and reducing brake wear. However, according to the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that it is erroneously determined that an improper braking operation is not performed because a relatively large deceleration is not generated in the vehicle. There is.

  As described above, according to the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that an appropriate brake operation is erroneously determined to be inappropriate, or an inappropriate brake operation is erroneously determined to be appropriate. The driver's brake operation cannot be evaluated properly.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a vehicle information providing apparatus that appropriately detects an inappropriate brake operation.

  One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is an information providing device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle and provides the driver with information on evaluation or improvement proposals for brake operation by the driver, which occurs in the vehicle. Estimating means for estimating the proportion of deceleration generated by the brake operation in the deceleration, and when the above ratio estimated by the estimating means exceeds a predetermined threshold, the driver is improved in brake operation (for example, using engine brake). It is the information provision apparatus for vehicles which has the information presentation means which presents the information which prompts.

  In the above aspect, the estimation means, for example, 1) estimates the magnitude of deceleration generated by the brake operation from the time change of the brake pressure, and 2) determines the deceleration generated in the vehicle from the time change of the vehicle speed. 3) by dividing the integrated value of the deceleration estimated from the time change of the brake pressure by the integrated value of the deceleration estimated from the time change of the vehicle speed. calculate.

  According to the above aspect, when deceleration occurs in the vehicle while the vehicle is running, it is estimated what proportion of the vehicle deceleration is the deceleration caused by the brake operation, and the estimated Since it is evaluated whether or not the driver's braking operation is appropriate depending on whether or not the ratio exceeds a predetermined threshold value, inappropriate braking operation can be detected appropriately, and against inappropriate braking operation Improvement advice can be appropriately presented to the user.

  Specifically, for example, A) When a relatively large deceleration occurs in the vehicle due to the use of the engine brake, it is erroneously determined that a sudden braking operation has been performed, and unnecessary improvement advice is presented to the user. Is avoided. In addition, B) Inappropriate braking is performed when the brake pedal is unnecessarily lightly depressed under conditions where the vehicle is hardly decelerated, such as when traveling on a long downhill. This can be appropriately determined, and improvement advice can be appropriately presented to the user.

  In the above aspect, the estimating means may correct the magnitude of the deceleration estimated from the time change of the vehicle speed using a measured value of acceleration generated in the vehicle (for example, measured by an acceleration sensor). preferable. In this case, it is more preferable that the estimation means corrects a measured value of acceleration generated in the vehicle by using gradient information of a running road. Here, the gradient information may be acquired from, for example, a) a car navigation system, b) acquired by communication, or c) estimated from a vehicle motion control system.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information provision apparatus for vehicles which detects an inappropriate brake operation appropriately can be provided.

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

  Hereinafter, a vehicle information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle information providing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The vehicle information providing apparatus 100 includes a vehicle speed detection unit 101 that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. The vehicle speed detection unit 101 detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle using, for example, a wheel speed sensor.

  The vehicle information providing apparatus 100 further includes a brake pressure detecting unit 102 that detects brake oil pressure or air pressure. The brake pressure detection unit 102 may be a sensor that directly measures the brake hydraulic pressure or the air pressure, but may acquire brake pressure information from the brake ECU, or may acquire the brake pedal stroke amount and use the value thereof. The brake pressure may be estimated.

  Whether the vehicle information providing apparatus 100 further performs an improper braking operation based on the time change of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 101 and the time change of the brake pressure detected by the brake pressure detection unit 102. It has the calculation control part 103 which judges whether or not. The operation of the arithmetic control unit 103 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  The vehicle information providing apparatus 100 further visually displays character information that prompts improvement of brake operation, such as recommending use of an engine brake, when the arithmetic control unit 103 determines that an inappropriate brake operation has been performed. And a display unit 104 that displays the screen and presents it to the driver. The display unit 104 may be any type of display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). It may also be used as a display device of another in-vehicle system (for example, a car navigation system or a multimedia system).

  Next, the flow of information providing processing in the vehicle information providing apparatus 100 having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the calculation control unit 103 of the vehicle information providing apparatus 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle is traveling by determining whether or not the vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 101 is zero. Is determined (S201).

When it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling (“YES” in S201), the calculation control unit 103 determines that the vehicle is decelerating from the time change of the host vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 101. that during calculates the deceleration G _V generated in the vehicle from the time variation of the vehicle speed, integrates the calculated vehicle deceleration G _V (S202). In other words, to represent the _{G V} integrated value of the vehicle deceleration at _{A V,}
A _V = ∫G _V dt
Will be calculated.

Similarly, during traveling of the host vehicle, the calculation control unit 103 determines the brake pressure time while it is determined that the driver of the host vehicle is performing a brake operation from the time change of the brake pressure detected by the brake pressure detection unit 102. from a change, for example based on a table that represents the relationship between the brake pressure and the deceleration held in advance, and calculates the deceleration G _B caused by the brake operation by the vehicle driver, integrates the calculated braking deceleration G _B (S203). In other words, to represent the accumulated value of the braking deceleration _{G B} in _{A B,}
A _B = ∫G _B dt
Will be calculated.

In this way, while the vehicle running, the arithmetic and control unit 103, as well as integrating the vehicle deceleration G _V generated during vehicle deceleration, by integrating the braking deceleration G _B that occurred during the braking operation, each of the integrated The values A _V and A _B are stored.

Then, the arithmetic control unit 103, as appropriate, these integrated value _A V, with reference to _{A B,} brake load factor obtained by dividing the integrated value _{A V} of the integrated value _{A B} vehicle deceleration _{G V} of braking deceleration _{G B} f _L (= A _B / A _V ) is calculated (S204).

The braking load factor f _L, as is clear from the above equation, of the deceleration G _V generated in the vehicle, a parameter representing whether the account for how much the deceleration G _B caused by the braking operation is there.

When the brake load factor f _L is calculated in this way, the arithmetic control unit 103 then calculates the calculated brake load factor f _L by comparing the calculated brake load factor f _L with a predetermined threshold f _TH stored in advance. It determines whether the brake load factor _{f L} is greater than the threshold _{f TH} (S205).

If the brake load factor f _L calculated in the vehicle traveling more than a predetermined threshold value f _TH ( "NO" in S205), the arithmetic control unit 103, caused by the braking operation of the deceleration G _V occurring in the vehicle deceleration ratio of the G _B is relatively small, the vehicle deceleration G _V mainly factors other than brake operation (e.g., engine brake, exhaust brake, rolling, air resistance, etc.) is determined to be caused by Then, the process returns to S201 without presenting information prompting the driver to improve the brake operation.

On the other hand, if the vehicle travel brake load factor _{f L} calculated in is greater than a predetermined threshold value _{f TH} (S205 "YES"), the arithmetic control unit 103, a brake in the deceleration _{G V} occurring in the vehicle proportion of deceleration G _B caused by the operation is relatively large, the vehicle deceleration G _V judges that primarily caused by braking operation, the brake driver of contents, eg so as to more intensive engine braking Character information that prompts improvement of the operation is created and displayed on the display unit 104 (S206).

  When providing such improvement advice information to the driver, in addition to specific recommended operations such as "use of engine brake" and "start braking early so as not to suddenly brake" The recommended reason (for example, reduction in fuel consumption is expected, reduction in brake wear is expected, and the brake can be prevented from fading) may be presented to the driver together.

  In addition, instead of or in addition to the screen display of the character information by the display unit 104, information having the same meaning may be output as audio information from a speaker.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, whether or not to provide the driver with the brake operation improvement advice according to the ratio of the deceleration that is considered to have occurred due to the brake operation out of the deceleration that has occurred in the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately detect an improper brake operation and provide a brake operation improvement advice.

For example, when the driver is decelerating the vehicle using the engine brake, even if the vehicle deceleration _GV itself becomes a relatively large value, the brake deceleration G is almost not performed if the brake operation is hardly performed. _{Since B} does not become a large value, the brake load factor f _L remains at a relatively small value, and no improvement advice is presented.

Conversely, if the driver continues depressing lightly brake pedal during running long downhill, although the vehicle deceleration G _V itself is a relatively small value, the brake load factor f _L is relatively large value For this reason, for example, improvement advice such as using an engine brake is presented.

In the above embodiment, as an example, although the deceleration G _V resulting from the time variation of the vehicle speed to the vehicle is assumed to be calculated, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, an acceleration sensor is further added to the vehicle information providing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, and both the time change of the vehicle speed and the acceleration generated in the own vehicle detected by the acceleration sensor are considered (for example, both on average, or to correct the one on the other, etc.), may be calculated deceleration G _V occurring in the vehicle.

  In this case, it is more preferable that the output value of the acceleration sensor is corrected by using the gradient information of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling because accuracy is improved. For example, the gradient information may be configured to be acquired from a) a car navigation system, or b) configured to be acquired from a predetermined communication station outside the vehicle using communication. Alternatively, c) gradient information calculated and estimated in the vehicle motion control system of the host vehicle may be acquired.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a vehicle information providing apparatus that provides information on a brake operation evaluation or improvement proposal by a driver to the driver. The power source type, fuel type, appearance design, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle to be mounted are all unquestioned.

It is a schematic block diagram of the information provision apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the information provision process by the vehicle information provision apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Information provision apparatus for vehicles 101 Vehicle speed detection part 102 Brake pressure detection part 103 Operation control part 104 Display part

Claims (6)

An information providing device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle and provides the driver with information related to evaluation or improvement proposal of brake operation by the driver,
Estimating means for estimating a ratio of deceleration generated by a brake operation out of deceleration generated in the vehicle;
An information providing device for a vehicle, comprising: information presenting means for presenting information prompting the driver to improve braking operation when the ratio estimated by the estimating means exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The vehicle information providing device according to claim 1,
The information providing apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the estimating means estimates a magnitude of deceleration generated by a brake operation from a time change of brake pressure. The vehicle information providing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle information providing apparatus, wherein the estimating means estimates the magnitude of deceleration generated in the vehicle from time variation of the vehicle speed. The vehicle information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The estimating means calculates the ratio by dividing an integrated value of the magnitude of deceleration estimated from a change in brake pressure over time by an integrated value of the magnitude of deceleration estimated from a time change in vehicle speed. An information providing apparatus for a vehicle characterized by the above. The vehicle information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information providing apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the estimating means corrects the magnitude of the deceleration estimated from the time change of the vehicle speed using a measured value of the acceleration generated in the vehicle. The vehicle information providing device according to claim 5,
The vehicular information providing apparatus, wherein the estimating means corrects a measured value of acceleration generated in the vehicle by using gradient information of a running road.

Images