JP2008222055A - Driving assistance control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The lane keeping performance is improved when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction.
The driving assistance control device 20 suppresses the vehicle from deviating from the lane based on lane information ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle, or notifies the driver that the vehicle may deviate from the lane. The lane keeping control is executed. The driving assistance control device 20 includes a line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 that calculates a line-of-sight deflection level that represents the degree to which the line of sight of the driver of the vehicle is deflected in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the line-of-sight calculated by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit. The control change part 23 which changes the control content of lane keeping control based on a deflection level is comprised.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to lane keeping control for maintaining a state in which a vehicle travels in a lane.

  Various driving assistance techniques for assisting the driver have been proposed and put into practical use in order to reduce the burden on the driver who drives a vehicle such as a passenger car, a truck, and a bus and to improve safety. As one of such driving assistance technologies, based on the lane information ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle, for example, the steering assistance control suppresses the vehicle from deviating from the lane or notifies the driver of the possibility of deviating from the lane. A lane maintenance control technology is being proposed and put into practical use. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for executing driving assistance when a driver performs a side-view driving.

JP 2002-331849 A, paragraph number 0049

  By the way, when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction, the driver himself may not recognize the state of the lane in the forward direction of the vehicle. For this reason, when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the lane keeping performance is improved compared to the case where the driver's line of sight is not deflected from the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Is preferred. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the driver performs a side-view driving, only the driving assist is executed. When the driver's line of sight is deflected forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the lane keeping performance is achieved. There is room for improvement in improving

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a driving assistance control device capable of improving the lane keeping performance when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the driving assistance control device according to the present invention is configured such that the line of sight of the driver of the vehicle is deflected with respect to an axis connecting the front and rear of the vehicle at the center in the width direction of the vehicle. Control contents relating to a line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit for obtaining a line-of-sight deflection level representing the degree to which the vehicle is operated, and control for allowing the vehicle to maintain traveling in the lane based on the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit And a control change unit for changing.

  In the present invention, the control related to the lane keeping control is changed according to the degree of the driver's line-of-sight deflection with respect to the axis connecting the front and rear of the vehicle at the center in the width direction of the vehicle. As a result, the ability to trace the vehicle's target travel trajectory can be improved and the possibility of deviation can be announced earlier than usual, so the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction. Lane maintenance performance can be improved when

  As a preferred aspect of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit calculates the line-of-sight deflection level based on the driver's face direction and the driver's line-of-sight direction with respect to the face direction. It is preferable to obtain.

  As a desirable aspect of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, it is preferable that the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit changes the line-of-sight deflection level in accordance with a position of a steering device included in the vehicle.

  As a desirable aspect of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, the control change unit obtains a threshold value for determining the end of control for applying an auxiliary steering force to the steering wheel of the vehicle. It is preferable to change the line-of-sight deflection level.

  As a desirable aspect of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, the control change unit is configured so that the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit notifies the driver that the vehicle may deviate from the lane. It is preferable to change according to the obtained gaze deflection level.

  As a desirable mode of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, the control change unit changes an auxiliary steering force for steering the vehicle according to the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit. Is preferred.

  As a desirable mode of the present invention, in the driving assistance control device, the control change unit includes a direction in which the driver's line of sight is deflected with respect to a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the vehicle deviates from the lane. It is determined whether or not the direction of the control for suppression matches, and if not, the control content related to control for allowing the vehicle to maintain traveling in the lane based on the line-of-sight deflection level Is preferably changed.

  The driving assistance control device according to the present invention can improve the lane keeping performance when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the best mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment). In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those in a so-called equivalent range.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment is characterized in that the control related to the lane keeping control is changed according to the driver's face direction and the degree of the driver's line of sight deflection obtained based on the deviation of the line of sight with respect to the face direction. For example, the threshold value for stopping the lane keeping control is changed according to the degree of the driver's line of sight deflection, or the timing for notifying the possibility of lane departure in the lane keeping control is changed.

  Here, the lane keeping control is a control that suppresses the vehicle from deviating from the lane based on the lane information ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle or notifies the driver that the vehicle may deviate from the lane. is there. Lane maintenance control is a lane maintenance support that sets a target trajectory of a vehicle based on lane information ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction and gives auxiliary steering force to the steered wheels of the vehicle so that the target trajectory can be traveled. This is a concept including control and lane departure warning control for notifying the driver when the vehicle may deviate from the lane. In the lane departure warning control, auxiliary steering force is not applied to the steering wheel of the vehicle.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle including the driving assistance control device according to the first embodiment. Here, the vehicle 1 moves forward in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. The direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward is the direction from the driver's seat where the driver of the vehicle 1 sits toward the steering wheel. The distinction between right and left is based on the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward (the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1). That is, “left” refers to the left side in the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward, and “right” refers to the right side in the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward. Further, before and after the vehicle 1, the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward is the front, and the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves backward, that is, the direction opposite to the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward is the rear. Further, “lower” refers to the direction of gravity action, and “upper” refers to the side opposite to the direction of gravity action.

  First, the overall configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described. The vehicle 1 includes four wheels: a left front wheel 5FL, a right front wheel 5FR, a left rear wheel 5RL, and a right rear wheel 5RR. The vehicle 1 uses the internal combustion engine 2 as power generation means. The internal combustion engine 2 is mounted in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (the arrow Y direction in FIG. 1). The power generated by the internal combustion engine 2 is first input to the transmission 3 and decelerated to a rotational speed suitable for running the vehicle 1, and then the left front wheel 5 FL that is a drive wheel and the right side via the drive shaft 4. It is transmitted to the front wheel 5FR. As a result, the vehicle 1 travels. In this embodiment, the internal combustion engine 2 is a reciprocating spark ignition internal combustion engine using gasoline as fuel, but the internal combustion engine 2 is not limited to this.

  Further, the power generation means of the vehicle 1 is not limited to the internal combustion engine. For example, a so-called hybrid type power generation unit combining an internal combustion engine and an electric motor may be provided, or as a power generation unit, a so-called in-wheel motor type in which an electric motor is provided for each wheel may be used. Furthermore, the transmission 3 may have a function capable of changing the driving force of the left front wheel 5FL and the driving force of the right front wheel 5FR.

  The left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR of the vehicle 1 are drive wheels of the vehicle 1 and also function as steering wheels. Further, the left rear wheel 5RL and the right rear wheel 5RR are driven wheels of the vehicle 1. Thus, the vehicle 1 employs a so-called FF (Front engine Front drive) type drive format. The drive format of the vehicle 1 is not limited to the FF format, and may be a so-called FR (Front engine Rear drive) format or a 4WD (4 Wheel Drive) format. Further, the vehicle 1 may include a drive system that can control the turning performance of the vehicle 1 or improve the running stability of the vehicle 1 by changing the driving force of each drive wheel.

  In the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, the operation of the handle 9 by the driver is transmitted to the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR via the steering assist device 7, whereby the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR are steered. . The steering assist device 7 includes a steering force assist function and a steering characteristic change function. The steering force assist function reduces the driver's steering force by applying an assist steering force to the steering mechanism by an electric motor or the like. The steering characteristic changing function changes the steering angle of the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR with respect to the operation amount of the handle 9 according to the driving state of the vehicle 1 (for example, the speed of the vehicle 1 and the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1). Here, the steering assist device 7 is controlled by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 or a driving assist control device 20.

  The vehicle 1 includes sensors that detect the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1, information in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, for example, sensors that detect information on a lane marking that divides a lane, and the driving state of the vehicle 1. Sensors for detection are provided. Sensors that detect the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 include a face direction detection sensor 41 that detects the face direction of the driver, a line-of-sight detection sensor 42 that detects the driver's line of sight from the movement of the driver's eyeball, and a handle 9. This is a steering angle sensor 44 that detects the steering angle. These are referred to as driver operation detection means. The operation of the driver of the vehicle 1 is detected by the driver operation detecting means and used for the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment. Here, for example, a camera is used as the face direction detection sensor 41 and the line-of-sight detection sensor 42.

  A sensor (traveling direction information detecting means) that detects information in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is a road shape detection sensor 43 provided in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Thereby, information in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, for example, information on a lane marking line that divides a lane in which the vehicle travels, presence / absence of an intersection, increase / decrease in lanes, and the like can be acquired. For example, a camera is used as the road shape detection sensor 43.

  The motion state of the vehicle 1 is detected by an acceleration sensor 46, a yaw rate sensor 47, a left front wheel rotational speed sensor 48FL, a right front wheel rotational speed sensor 48FR, a left rear wheel rotational speed sensor 48RL, and a right rear wheel rotational speed sensor 48RR. These are referred to as own vehicle state detection means. The motion state of the vehicle 1 includes, for example, the longitudinal speed of the vehicle 1 (speed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1) and longitudinal acceleration, the lateral speed of the vehicle 1 (speed in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) and lateral acceleration, the yaw of the vehicle 1 It is determined by the angle, the yaw angular velocity, the yaw angular acceleration, the slip angle of the vehicle 1, the slip angular velocity, the slip angular acceleration, and the like. The driver operation detection means, the traveling direction information detection means, and the host vehicle state detection means are examples, and are not limited to the sensors.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of the driving assistance control device according to the first embodiment. The driving assistance control device 20 is provided in the ECU 10 shown in FIG. 1 and is configured to realize lane keeping control according to the present embodiment as one function of the ECU 10. The driving assistance control device 20 includes a processing unit 20P configured by a so-called microcomputer, and this embodiment according to the computer program for realizing the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment stored in the storage unit 16. The lane keeping control according to is executed.

  The processing unit 20P and the storage unit 16 are connected by a data bus 11c so that they can communicate with each other. The driving assistance control device 20 includes an input port 12 and an input interface 13 in order for the processing unit 20P to acquire information necessary for lane keeping control according to the present embodiment. Further, the driving assistance control device 20 includes an output port 14 and an output interface 15 in order to operate the control target. The processing unit 20P and the input port 12 are connected by a data bus 11a, and the processing unit 20P and the output port 14 are connected by a data bus 11b.

  An input interface 13 is connected to the input port 12. The input interface 13 includes a driver operation detection unit S1 that detects the operation of the driver who drives the vehicle 1, a traveling direction information detection unit S2 that detects a lane state in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and the movement of the vehicle 1. The own vehicle state detection means S3 to detect and other detection means for acquiring information necessary for lane keeping control are connected. Signals output from these detection means are converted into signals that can be used by the processing unit 20P by the A / D converter 13a and the digital input buffer 13b in the input interface 13, and sent to the input port 12. Thereby, the processing unit 20P of the driving assistance control device 20 can acquire information necessary for the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment.

  An output interface 15 is connected to the output port 14. A steering assist device 7 and a display panel 8 are connected to the output interface 15 as control targets in the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment. The output interface 15 is provided with control circuits 15a, 15b and the like, and operates the steering assist device 7 and the display unit 8I of the display panel 8 based on the control signal calculated by the processing unit 20P.

  The steering assist device 7 included in the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called EPS (Electronic Power Steering) and a VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering). That is, the steering assist device 7 assists the operation of the handle 9 with an electric motor, and the vehicle speed and driving force detected by the own vehicle state detection means S3, such as the steering angle and steering speed of the front wheels with respect to the input of the handle 9, or It changes according to the road condition detected by the traveling direction information detecting means S2. As a result, the vehicle 1 can be caused to travel in the lane, or when the driver turns the steering wheel 9 too much, this can be suppressed and the posture of the vehicle 1 can be stabilized.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 20 </ b> P includes a lane marking detection unit 21, a line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22, a control change unit 23, and a lane maintenance control unit 24. These are the parts that execute the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment. The lane line detection unit 21, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22, the control change unit 23, and the lane maintenance control unit 24 are configured to exchange control data with each other and to issue commands to one side.

  Here, for example, when the vehicle 1 includes a traction control system, a VSC (Vehicle Stability Control), or a VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management), the control for the steering assist device 7 is performed. May be realized using these systems.

  The storage unit 16 stores a computer program including a processing procedure of lane keeping control according to the present embodiment, a data map used for lane keeping control, and the like. The storage unit 16 can be configured by a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a combination thereof. In addition, the said computer program may be what can implement | achieve the processing procedure of the lane keeping control which concerns on this embodiment by combining with the computer program with which the driving assistance control apparatus 20 is already equipped. Moreover, even if it implement | achieves the function of the lane marking detection part 21, the gaze deflection level calculation part 22, the control change part 23, and the lane maintenance control part 24 using a dedicated hardware instead of the said computer program. Good.

  FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram of a lane marking detection unit included in the driving assistance control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an image captured by the road shape detection sensor. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining road parameters output by a lane marking detection unit included in the driving assistance control device according to the first embodiment. An example of a method of detecting lane markings and causing the vehicle 1 to travel in the lane using these, that is, an example of lane keeping control will be described.

  The lane marking detection unit 21 provided in the driving assistance control device 20 of the present embodiment detects lane markings on both sides that divide the lane in which the vehicle 1 travels, and calculates road parameters based on the lane markings. Ask. The lane keeping control unit 24 included in the driving assistance control device 20 controls the steering assistance device 7 of the vehicle 1 based on the road parameters calculated by the lane marking detection unit 21 to steer the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR. By doing so, the vehicle 1 is kept running in the currently running lane.

  The road shape detection sensor 43 is fixed with a predetermined depression angle, for example, in the vicinity of the front part of the vehicle 1 and the rear view mirror shown in FIG. 1 so that the lane ahead of the vehicle can be photographed. Output to the line detector 21. The road shape detection sensor 43 can photograph from a position away from the vehicle by a predetermined distance to a distant position, and the image is divided into left and right lane sections that divide the lane 101 as shown in FIG. The lines 201 and 202 have a square shape that intersects at an upper position of the image 200. An image 200 shown in FIG. 4 is obtained by geometrically converting an image taken by the road shape detection sensor 43 into a planar view image when the lane 101 is viewed from above. Various processes are executed using an image 200 (hereinafter referred to as a planar image) converted into a visual image.

  The lane marking detection unit 21 detects the left and right lane markings drawn on the road surface based on the planar image 200 obtained from the image captured by the road shape detection sensor 43, and information on the left and right lane markings. Based on the above, the road parameter is obtained. As shown in FIG. 2, the lane line detection unit 21 includes an edge point extraction unit 21a, an edge line extraction unit 21b, a lane line extraction unit 21c as candidate line detection means, and a lane division as lane boundary position selection means. A line selection unit 21d, a road parameter calculation unit 21e, and a road parameter output unit 21f are provided.

  The lane marking detection unit 21 continuously processes the planar view image 200 obtained by converting the image captured by the road shape detection sensor 43 at a predetermined sampling period (for example, 200 ms). The lane marking detection unit 21 recognizes, as an edge point, a point where the brightness changes abruptly in the horizontal direction (left and right direction of the road shape detection sensor 43) intersecting the direction in which the vehicle 1 travels in the planar image 200. To do.

  The edge point extraction unit 21 a extracts a plurality of edge points from the planar view image 200. The edge line extraction unit 21b, for the plurality of edge points extracted by the edge point extraction unit 21a, generates, for example, a plurality of edge lines that become lane division line candidate lines (lane boundary position candidate lines) using Hough transform. Extract. The lane marking line extraction unit 21c extracts a plurality of sets of lane marking line candidate lines that are a pair of left and right from the plurality of edge lines extracted by the edge line extraction unit 21b. Then, the lane line selection unit 21d selects two or one lane line that seems to be the most lane among a plurality of sets of lane line candidate lines extracted by the lane line extraction unit 21c.

  The road parameter calculation unit 21e calculates the road curvature R, the vehicle pitch angle φ, the yaw angle δ, the lane width W, and the offset amount g as five road parameters based on the selected two lane markings. As shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on the lane 101 divided by the left and right lane markings 201 and 202, the road curvature R is an average value of the curvature of the left and right lane markings 201 and 202. It is. Here, the case where the vehicle 1 is curved to the right in the traveling direction is −, and the case where the vehicle 1 is curved to the left is +.

  The pitch angle φ is an inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 with respect to the road surface of the lane 101. That is, the pitch angle φ is an inclination angle of the optical axis of the road shape detection sensor 43 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 with respect to the road surface of the lane 101. The pitch angle φ is calculated from the inclination angles of the left and right lane markings 201 and 202 in the plan view image 200 shown in FIG. In other words, if the pitch angle φ = 0 when the vehicle 1 is in a horizontal stop state on the road surface, the left and right lane markings 201 and 202 are in a parallel state in the planar view image 200 at this time. On the other hand, when the front portion of the vehicle 1 is inclined downward, the left and right lane markings 201 and 202 in the planar view image 200 change to a square shape. On the other hand, when the front portion of the vehicle 1 is inclined upward, the left and right lane markings 201 and 202 in the planar image 200 change so as to have an inverted C shape. Based on the above, the pitch angle φ can be calculated.

  The yaw angle δ is an average value of the swing angle of the left and right lane markings 201 and 202 with respect to the lane direction of the vehicle 1 at the fixed position of the road shape detection sensor 43, and the yaw angle δ may swing to the right in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. -, + When moving to the left. The lane width W is the distance between the centers of the left and right lane markings 201 and 202. The offset amount g is a deviation amount between the center of the lane 101 and the center of the vehicle 1. The case where the vehicle 1 is shifted to the right side with respect to the lane 101 is −, and the case where it is shifted to the left side is +.

  The road parameter output unit 21f displays the road parameters including the road curvature R calculated by the road parameter calculation unit 21e, the vehicle pitch angle φ, the yaw angle δ, the lane width W, and the offset amount g, as shown in FIG. It outputs to the lane maintenance control part 24 with which 20 process parts 20P are provided. The lane keeping control unit 24 executes lane keeping control based on the road parameters output from the lane marking detection unit 21. That is, the lane keeping control unit 24 sets the steering amount and the steering torque of the vehicle 1 based on the road parameter so that the vehicle 1 travels in the lane 101 divided by the lane dividing lines 201 and 202. The steering assist device 7 shown in FIG. 1 is controlled. For example, when the lane 101 in which the vehicle 1 travels is curved to the right, the lane keeping control unit 24 determines a steering amount necessary to travel the curved lane, and the steering assist device 7 shown in FIG. (Lane maintenance support control). Further, the lane keeping control unit 24 informs the driver that the vehicle 1 may deviate in the lane 101 divided by the lane dividing lines 201 and 202 based on the road parameter. It is also possible to indicate the possibility of departure on the display unit 8I of the display panel 8 connected to the control device 20 (lane departure warning control). In this case, the lane keeping control unit 24 does not control the steering assist device 7 shown in FIG. 1, and the actual steering is performed by the driver.

  According to the lane keeping control, the vehicle 1 can travel without departing from the lane 101. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD of the vehicle 1 is deflected with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 (the arrow Y direction in FIG. 5), according to the lane keeping control, The vehicle 1 is caused to travel so as not to deviate outside the lane 101, or the driver MD is notified that the vehicle 1 may deviate from the lane 101.

  Even when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is deviated with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, control is performed so as to avoid the departure of the lane 101 of the vehicle 1 or to notify the possibility of departure. The However, when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is deflected with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the driver MD itself often cannot recognize the state of the lane 101 in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Therefore, assuming that there is a high possibility that the driver MD is not aware of the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1, the driver MD is in danger of deviating from the lane 101 earlier than usual. It is preferable to notify or to increase the operating range of the lane keeping control. Here, the normal is a case where there is no deviation between the driver's line-of-sight direction and the front-rear central axis connecting the front-rear direction at the center in the width direction of the vehicle 1 or when the deviation is within an allowable range.

  For this reason, in the present embodiment, the control content of the lane keeping control is changed according to the driver MD's face orientation and the degree of gaze deflection of the driver MD obtained based on the gaze deviation with respect to the face orientation. For example, the stop threshold when stopping the lane keeping control is increased in accordance with the degree of the line of sight deflection of the driver MD to increase the operating range of the lane keeping control, or the lane keeping control is notified of the possibility of lane departure. Or make the timing faster. This makes it possible for the driver MD to notice that the line of sight is not directed forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 or to improve the ability to trace the target travel locus of the vehicle 1 to improve safety. Can do. Next, the procedure of the lane keeping control according to this embodiment will be described. The lane keeping control according to the present embodiment can be realized by the driving assistance control device 20 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of lane keeping control according to the first embodiment. In executing the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment, in step S101, the lane keeping control unit 24 included in the driving assistance control device 20 checks whether or not the lane keeping control can be performed, so that the face direction detection sensor 41 is detected. Then, it is confirmed whether the line-of-sight detection sensor 42, the road shape detection sensor 43, etc. operate normally.

  When it is determined No in step S101, that is, the lane keeping control unit 24 cannot execute the lane keeping control because the face direction detection sensor 41, the line of sight detection sensor 42, the road shape detection sensor 43, etc. do not operate normally. When it determines, the lane keeping control part 24 stops lane keeping control (step S106). Then, the lane keeping control unit 24 displays the fact on the display unit 8I of the display panel 8 shown in FIG. 2 and information indicating that the face direction detection sensor 41, the line-of-sight detection sensor 42, etc. do not operate normally. The data is stored in the storage unit 16 of the device 20.

  When it is determined Yes in step S101, in step S102, the lane keeping control unit 24 determines whether to start lane keeping control. When it is determined No in step S102, that is, in a state where the lane keeping control can be executed, for example, when the lane keeping control is not executed according to the intention of the driver MD, the lane keeping control is not executed. When it is determined Yes in step S102, in step S103, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 of the driving assistance control device 20 obtains the line-of-sight deflection level LVD of the driver MD. Here, the line-of-sight deflection level represents the degree of the driver's line-of-sight deflection, and how much the line-of-sight direction of the driver MD is deflected with respect to the axis connecting the front and rear of the vehicle 1 at the center in the width direction of the vehicle 1. It is a scale that shows whether or not.

  FIGS. 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a deflection state in the driver's line-of-sight direction. In FIGS. 7A to 7C, the face direction of the driver MD is indicated by Df, and the line-of-sight direction is indicated by De. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate that the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is deflected to the right with respect to an axis (vehicle longitudinal center axis) Ay that connects the front and rear of the vehicle 1 at the center in the width direction of the vehicle 1. Indicates the state. FIG. 7C illustrates a state in which the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is deflected to the left with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay. Here, the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay is parallel to the traveling direction of the normal vehicle 1 (the arrow Y direction in FIGS. 7-1 to 7-3).

  An inclination angle (face direction angle) of the face direction Df with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay is α, and an inclination angle (line angle) of the line-of-sight direction De with respect to the face direction Df is β. The face angle α is a scale representing the driver's face direction Df, that is, the face direction of the driver MD with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay, and the line-of-sight angle β is the driver with respect to the driver MD's face direction. This is a scale representing the visual line direction De. In this case, the inclination angle (line-of-sight deflection angle) θ of the line-of-sight direction De with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay can be obtained by α + β. The face angle α is negative (−) on the right side of the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the positive side is positive (+), and the line-of-sight angle β is negative (−) on the right side in the face direction Df and positive on the left side. (+). Further, since the line-of-sight deflection angle θ is the direction of the line of sight of the driver MD with respect to the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay, the right side of the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay is negative (−) and the left side is positive (+).

  For example, if the absolute value of the face angle α is 10 degrees and the absolute value of the line-of-sight angle β is 5 degrees, the line-of-sight deflection angle θ in the example shown in FIG. 7A is α + β = −10 (degrees) −5 (degrees). ) = − 15 (degrees). In this case, since the sign of the line-of-sight deflection angle θ is negative, the line-of-sight direction De is on the right side with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction center axis Ay, and its magnitude is 15 degrees. The line-of-sight deflection angle θ in the example shown in FIG. 7-2 is α + β = −10 (degrees) +5 (degrees) = − 5 (degrees). In this case, since the sign of the line-of-sight deflection angle θ is negative, the line-of-sight direction De is on the right side with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction center axis Ay, and its magnitude is 5 degrees. The line-of-sight deflection angle θ in the example illustrated in FIG. 7C is α + β = + 10 (degrees) −5 (degrees) = + 5 (degrees). In this case, since the sign of the line-of-sight deflection angle θ is positive, the line-of-sight direction De is on the left side with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction center axis Ay, and its magnitude is 5 degrees.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the boarding position of the driver. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the face orientation angle and the face orientation gain. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the line-of-sight angle and the line-of-sight gain. In this embodiment, when obtaining the gaze deflection level of the driver MD, the gaze deflection level obtained based on the information obtained from the face orientation detection sensor 41 and the information obtained from the gaze detection sensor 42 are obtained. Using the line-of-sight angle β, a face-direction gain G1 corresponding to the face-direction angle α and a line-of-sight angle gain G2 corresponding to the line-of-sight angle β are obtained. Then, the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is obtained using the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 obtained using the face direction gain G1 and the line-of-sight angle gain G2.

  The face orientation gain map 50 shown in FIG. 9 describes the relationship between the face orientation angle α and the face orientation gain G1. Further, the line-of-sight gain map 51 shown in FIG. 10 describes the relationship between the line-of-sight angle β and the line-of-sight angle gain G2. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the driver MD gets on the right side of the vehicle 1 in left-hand traffic. In this case, the driver MD often faces the left side in order to check the room mirror RM of the vehicle 1. In this case, since the driver MD immediately moves the line of sight forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 as soon as the room mirror RM is confirmed, it is considered that the time during which the driver MD does not recognize the forward direction in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is extremely short. It is done. Even in such a case, the stop threshold when stopping the lane keeping control is increased to expand the operation range of the lane keeping control, or the timing for notifying the possibility of lane departure in the lane keeping control is earlier. Then, control which driver MD does not intend may intervene and give driver MD a sense of incongruity. For this reason, it is preferable to allow the driver MD's line of sight to be deflected to the left.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the face direction gain G1 and the line-of-sight angle gain G2 when the face direction angle α and the line-of-sight angle β are on the left side are the face direction angle α and the line-of-sight angle. It is set smaller than when β is on the left side. This allows the driver MD's line of sight to be deflected to the left to some extent. Thereby, the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver MD can be reduced. In the right-hand traffic, the driver MD gets on the left side of the vehicle 1, so that the driver's MD's line of sight is deflected to the right to some extent, and the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver MD is reduced.

  Further, in the face direction gain map 50 shown in FIG. 9 and the line-of-sight gain map 51 shown in FIG. 10, as shown by dotted lines, the face direction gain G1 and the face direction gain G1 The line-of-sight angle gain G2 may be set to 1. In this way, a dead zone for control can be provided in a predetermined range in which the face orientation angle α and the line-of-sight angle β are close to 0. Therefore, in the predetermined range, the lane keeping control becomes a normal control content, and the control content Is not changed. As a result, when the face direction or line of sight moves slightly, the control is not switched due to the control dead zone, so that the switching of the control is prevented from becoming complicated. The provision of the control dead zone is the same in the following maps.

The line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 gives the face orientation angle α obtained based on the information obtained from the face orientation detection sensor 41 to the face orientation gain map 50 shown in FIG. 9, and obtains the corresponding face orientation gain G1. The line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 gives the line-of-sight angle β obtained based on the information acquired from the line-of-sight detection sensor 42 to the line-of-sight gain map 51 shown in FIG. 10 to obtain the corresponding line-of-sight angle gain G2. Then, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 calculates the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 by multiplying the calculated face orientation gain G1 and the line-of-sight angle gain G2. That is, the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 is as shown in Expression (1). As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, since the face direction gain G1 and the line-of-sight angle gain G2 are both positive values, the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 is a positive value.
G3 = G1 × G2 (1)

  FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection level and the line-of-sight deflection gain. When the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 is obtained by the above procedure, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 gives the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 to the line-of-sight deflection level map 52 shown in FIG. 11 and obtains the corresponding line-of-sight deflection level LVD. The line-of-sight deflection level LVD is 0 when the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 is 1, and increases as the line-of-sight deflection gain G3 increases.

  The line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a scale indicating how much the line-of-sight direction of the driver MD is deflected with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction central axis Ay (corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1). When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is 0, the line-of-sight direction of the driver MD is parallel to the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay, that is, the line-of-sight direction of the driver MD is directed forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay increases.

  The control content of the lane keeping control is changed using the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained by the above procedure. In the present embodiment, by using the driver's gaze direction De with respect to the driver MD's face direction Df and the driver's face direction Df, the accuracy of obtaining the driver MD's gaze direction De with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay Will improve. Here, the face direction gain map 50, the line-of-sight gain map 51, and the line-of-sight deflection level map 52 described above are determined in advance by experiments, analysis, and the like, and stored in the storage unit 16 included in the driving assistance control device 20 illustrated in FIG. Keep it. The face direction gain map 50, the line-of-sight gain map 51, and the line-of-sight deflection level map 52 described above are merely examples, and are not limited to these.

  When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is obtained, in step S104, the control change unit 23 provided in the driving assistance control device 20 shown in FIG. 2 changes the control content of the lane keeping control using the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained in step S103. To do. Next, the change of the control content of lane keeping control is demonstrated.

(About lane keeping support control)
FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a map for changing the end determination threshold value of the lane keeping assist control. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction increases, so the driver MD himself recognizes the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1. There is a high risk of not. Therefore, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is high, the end determination threshold value of the lane keeping assist control is changed to expand the operation range of the lane keeping assist control than usual.

  In normal lane keeping support control, that is, in the case where there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction, or when the deviation is within an allowable range, The control is ended according to the magnitude of the yaw angle δ of the vehicle set with respect to the target travel locus of the vehicle 1 obtained from the lane markings existing in the forward direction of the vehicle 1. That is, when the magnitude of the yaw angle δ determined with respect to the travel locus exceeds the control end determination threshold value δc, the lane keeping assist control is ended. In the present embodiment, the control end determination threshold is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level LVD, and the operation range of the lane keeping assist control is expanded as compared with the normal lane keeping assist control. The control end determination threshold value δc is the magnitude of the yaw angle δ determined with respect to the travel locus, and is set separately for the right side and the left side of the vehicle 1.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a control end determination threshold gain map 53 describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection level LVD and the control end determination threshold gain G4 is used. The control change unit 23 gives the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained in step S103 to the control end determination threshold gain map 53, and acquires the corresponding control end determination threshold gain G4. Then, the control in the case where a deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction is generated by multiplying the control end determination threshold value δc in the normal lane keeping assist control by the control end determination threshold gain G4. An end determination threshold value (correction control end determination threshold value) δc_c is obtained. That is, the correction control end determination threshold value δc_c is as shown in Expression (2).
δc_c = G4 × δc (2)

  The control end determination threshold gain map 53 shown in FIG. 12 is set so that the control end determination threshold gain G4 = 1 when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0, there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, the correction control end determination threshold value δc_c when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0 is set when the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction is not generated, or the deviation is within an allowable range. The control end determination threshold value δc is the same as the lane keeping assist control in a certain case. The control end determination threshold gain G4 becomes larger than 1 as the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases.

  In this way, by increasing the control end determination threshold δc as the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the lane keeping support is increased as the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction increases. The operating range of control can be further increased. As a result, when the driver MD itself may not recognize the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1, safety is improved.

(About lane departure warning control)
FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing a map for changing the notification timing of lane departure warning control. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction increases, so the driver MD himself recognizes the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1. There is a high risk of not. Therefore, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is high, the notification timing of the lane departure warning control is changed to make the notification timing of the lane departure warning control earlier than usual.

  In normal lane departure warning control, that is, when there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction, or when the deviation is within an allowable range, The control is terminated according to the magnitude of the offset amount g shown in FIG. 5 set for the target travel locus of the vehicle 1 obtained from the lane markings existing in the forward direction of the vehicle 1. That is, when the magnitude of the offset amount g determined with respect to the travel locus exceeds a predetermined notification start threshold value gs, the possibility of deviating from the lane is notified. In the present embodiment, the notification start threshold value gs is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level LVD, and the notification timing of the lane departure warning control is made earlier than the normal lane departure warning control. The notification start threshold value gs is the magnitude of the offset amount g determined with respect to the travel locus, and is set separately for the right side and the left side of the vehicle 1.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a notification start threshold gain map 54 describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection level LVD and the notification start threshold gain G5 is used. The control change unit 23 gives the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained in step S103 to the notification start threshold gain map 54, and acquires the corresponding notification start threshold gain G5. Then, the notification start threshold value gs in the normal lane departure warning control is divided by the notification start threshold gain G5, and the notification start in the case where a deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction occurs. A threshold (correction notification start threshold) gs_c is obtained. That is, the notification start threshold value gs_c is as shown in Expression (3).
gs_c = gs / G5 (3)

  The notification start threshold gain map 54 shown in FIG. 13 is set so that the notification start threshold gain G5 = 1 when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0, there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, the notification start threshold value gs_c when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0 is set when the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction is not generated or when the deviation is within an allowable range. The same notification start threshold value gs as in the lane departure warning control in FIG. As the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the notification start threshold gain G5 becomes larger than 1.

  Thus, by increasing the notification start threshold value gs as the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, lane departure warning control is performed as the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction increases. The notification timing can be made earlier than usual. As a result, when there is a possibility that the driver MD himself / herself does not recognize the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1, there is a risk that the driver MD may deviate from the lane when the offset amount is small. Improves.

(Auxiliary steering force in lane keeping support control)
FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing a map for changing the auxiliary steering force in the lane keeping assist control. When the lane keeping assist control is executed, an auxiliary steering force is applied using the steering assist device 7 in order to cause the vehicle 1 to travel near the center of the lane 101. This is the auxiliary steering force in the lane keeping assist control. The auxiliary steering force is set so as to obtain a target lateral acceleration Gs by obtaining a target lateral acceleration Gs according to the speed V of the vehicle 1 and the turning radius Rc (corresponding to the road curvature R). Here, the auxiliary steering force is a force for generating a yaw moment in the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. For example, since the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR of the vehicle 1 are steered, the force applied by the steering assist device 7 corresponds to the auxiliary steering force. Further, when the vehicle 1 has a function of generating a yaw moment in the vehicle 1 by providing a difference between the driving force generated by the left front wheel 5FL of the vehicle 1 and the driving force generated by the right front wheel 5FR, the left front wheel 5FL And the right front wheel 5FR corresponds to the auxiliary steering force.

  When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction increases, so the driver MD himself recognizes the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1. There is a high risk of not. Therefore, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is high, the auxiliary steering force in the lane keeping assist control is changed (increased) to improve the performance of tracing the target travel locus of the vehicle 1.

  In normal lane keeping support control, that is, in the case where there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction, or when the deviation is within an allowable range, By the above method, the auxiliary steering force Fa is obtained according to the lateral acceleration Gs determined based on the speed V of the vehicle 1 and the turning radius Rc. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary steering force Fa is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level LVD, and the performance of tracing the travel locus in the lane keeping assist control is improved.

For this purpose, in this embodiment, an auxiliary steering force setting gain map 55 describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection level LVD and the auxiliary steering force setting gain G6 is used. The control change unit 23 gives the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained in step S103 to the auxiliary steering force setting gain map 55, and acquires the corresponding auxiliary steering force setting gain G6. Then, the auxiliary steering force Fa in the normal lane keeping assist control is multiplied by the auxiliary steering force setting gain G6, and the auxiliary steering in the case where a deviation between the driver MD's line-of-sight direction De and the vehicle longitudinal axis Ay occurs. The force (correction assist steering force) Fa_c is obtained. That is, the correction assist steering force Fa_c is as shown in Expression (4). In addition, when it has the function which can change a driving force between the left and right driving wheels of the vehicle 1, instead of giving an auxiliary steering force, the driving force is changed between the left and right driving wheels so that the vehicle 1 You may make it trace the running locus to do. In this case, the driving force difference ΔFD between the left and right driving wheels corresponds to the auxiliary steering force, and the driving force difference ΔFD is multiplied by the auxiliary steering force setting gain G6.
Fa_c = G6 × Fa (4)

  The auxiliary steering force setting gain map 55 shown in FIG. 14 is set so that the auxiliary steering force setting gain G6 = 1 when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0, there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, the correction assist steering force Fa_c when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD = 0 is the case where there is no deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle longitudinal direction, or the deviation is within an allowable range. In this case, the auxiliary steering force Fa is obtained. As the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, the auxiliary steering force setting gain G6 becomes larger than 1.

  In this way, by increasing the auxiliary steering force Fa as the line-of-sight deflection level LVD increases, even in the case where the deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction is large, The performance of tracing the running track can be improved. As a result, when the driver MD itself may not recognize the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1, safety is improved. In particular, when the vehicle 1 is likely to deviate from the lane 101 due to the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD being deflected with respect to the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay, the vehicle 1 is disturbed. The course of the vehicle 1 is disturbed. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to overcome the disturbance of the vehicle 1 and maintain the vehicle 1 in the lane 101, but in this embodiment, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is relative to the vehicle longitudinal center axis Ay. When the vehicle is deflected, an auxiliary steering force larger than usual is applied to improve the lane maintaining performance, so that it is easy to overcome the disturbance of the vehicle 1 and maintain the vehicle 1 in the lane 101.

  In addition, when there is a possibility that the driver MD itself does not recognize the state of the lane 101 in the forward direction of the vehicle 1, as a result of the auxiliary steering force stronger than usual being applied, the force larger than usual is applied. The handle 9 shown in FIG. 1 is operated. This makes it easier for the driver MD to notice that the line-of-sight direction De is deflected with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction central axis Ay, so that the driver MD can quickly detect the state of the lane 101 in front of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. Can be recognized.

  If the control change part 23 changes the control content of lane maintenance control in step S104, in step S105, the lane maintenance control part 24 with which the driving assistance control apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2 is provided is changed lane maintenance control. Execute.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the control related to the lane keeping control is changed according to the driver's face direction and the degree of the driver's gaze deviation obtained based on the deviation of the gaze with respect to the face direction. As a result, the ability to trace the target travel locus of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, the driver can be made aware that the line of sight is not facing forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Thereby, the lane keeping performance in the case where the driver's line of sight is deflected with respect to the front-rear direction (traveling direction) of the vehicle can be improved. Further, in this embodiment, when the vehicle is likely to deviate from the lane due to the driver's face orientation being deflected with respect to the vehicle longitudinal center axis (that is, the vehicle traveling direction), The ability to trace the target travel locus can be improved, and the possibility of deviation can be notified at an earlier timing than usual, so that safety can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but the direction of deviation between the driver's line-of-sight direction and the center axis in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the control direction in the lane keeping control (for example, auxiliary steering in the lane keeping assist control). It is determined whether or not the control content of the lane keeping control is changed. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  15A and 15B are schematic diagrams for explaining the lane keeping control according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 15A, since a deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction occurs, the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR are An auxiliary steering force that is steered in a direction opposite to the direction De is applied, and the vehicle 1 is traveling along the lane 101. FIG. 15-2 shows a state where the auxiliary steering force is applied to the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR by the lane keeping assist control, and the vehicle 1 is traveling along the lane 101. Even in the state shown in FIG. 15B, a deviation between the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the center axis Ay in the vehicle front-rear direction occurs, but the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD, the left front wheel 5FL, and the right front wheel 5FR. The steering direction is the same direction.

  In the first embodiment, the auxiliary steering force or the like by the lane keeping assist control is changed (increased) based on the line-of-sight deflection level LVD, but as shown in FIG. 15-2, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the left front wheel Even when the steering direction of the 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR is the same, increasing the auxiliary steering force or the like by the lane keeping assist control may give the driver MD a feeling of strangeness. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control, the control content of the lane keeping control is not changed, or the control amount (auxiliary steering force or The lane keeping support control end determination threshold and the lane departure warning control notification start threshold) are made smaller than usual. Then, when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is different from the control direction in the lane keeping control, the control content of the lane keeping control is changed. That is, the control amount of the lane keeping control is made larger than usual. Thereby, the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver MD can be reduced. Here, the direction of control in the lane keeping control is the direction in which the auxiliary steering force is given in the lane keeping support control, the direction in which the end determination threshold is changed (right or left of the vehicle 1), and the start of notification in the lane departure warning control. The direction in which the threshold value is changed (right or left of the vehicle 1) or the like. Next, the procedure of the lane keeping control according to this embodiment will be described. The lane keeping control according to the present embodiment can be realized by the driving assistance control device 20 shown in FIG. 2 described in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of lane keeping control according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection angle and the line-of-sight deflection gain. FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the control amount and the control direction gain in the lane keeping control. FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram of a map describing the relationship between the line-of-sight deflection level and the control amount setting gain. Steps S201, S202, and S209 in the lane keeping control according to the present embodiment are the same as Steps S101, S102, and S106 in the lane keeping control according to the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  When it is determined Yes in step S202, in step S203, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 of the driving assistance control device 20 obtains the line-of-sight deflection angle θ of the driver MD shown in FIGS. . As described above, the line-of-sight deflection angle θ can be obtained by the sum of the face direction angle α and the line-of-sight angle β. Next, the line-of-sight deflection level calculator 22 obtains the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 in step S204. The line-of-sight deflection gain G7 gives the line-of-sight deflection gain map G7 obtained in step S203 to the line-of-sight deflection gain map 56 shown in FIG.

  Next, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 obtains a control direction gain G8 in step S205. As the control direction gain G8, the current control amount CP in the lane keeping control is given to the control direction gain map 57 shown in FIG. 18, and the corresponding control direction gain G8 is obtained. Here, as described above, the control amount CP in the lane keeping control is the auxiliary steering force Fa applied to the steering assist device 7 in the lane keeping assist control, the end determination threshold value δc of the lane keeping assist control, or the lane departure warning control. This is the notification start threshold value gc. These are positive (+) for the left side of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 or for the left side of the vehicle 1, and negative (-) for the right side of the vehicle 1 or on the right side of the vehicle 1. .

  For example, the auxiliary steering force Fa is positive when the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 are steered to the left, and is negative when the left front wheel 5FL and the right front wheel 5FR are steered to the right. As for the end determination threshold value δc of the lane keeping assist control, the end determination threshold value on the left side of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is positive, and the end determination threshold value on the right side is negative. Further, the notification start threshold value gc of the lane departure warning control is such that the notification start threshold value on the left side of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is positive and the notification start threshold value on the right side is negative.

When the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 and the control direction gain G8 are obtained, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 obtains the line-of-sight deflection level LVD using these in step S206. The line-of-sight deflection level LVD can be obtained by the product of the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 and the control direction gain G8. That is, the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is as shown in Expression (5).
LVD = G7 × G8 (5)

  Since the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 and the control direction gain G8 take positive or negative values, the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained by the product of the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 and the control direction gain G8 also takes a positive or negative value. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a positive value, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is left and the control direction in the lane keeping control is left, or the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is right and the lane keeping control The direction of control at is either right. That is, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a positive value, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control. On the other hand, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a negative value, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is left and the direction of control in the lane keeping control is right, or the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is right and the lane The control direction in the maintenance control is either left. That is, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a negative value, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is different from the control direction in the lane keeping control.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD and the control direction in the lane keeping control are the same by using the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained by the line-of-sight deflection gain G7 and the control direction gain G8. It can be determined whether or not. When the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is obtained, the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit 22 provides the line-of-sight deflection level LVD obtained in step S206 to the control amount setting gain map 58 shown in FIG. Find G9. The control amount setting gain G9 is greater than 1 when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is negative, and is 0 when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is positive.

  As a result, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a negative value, if the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control, the control content of the normal lane keeping control is set. When the MD line-of-sight direction De and the direction of control in the lane keeping control are different, the control content of the lane keeping control can be changed. Thereby, in the case where the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver MD. Note that, when the line-of-sight direction De of the driver MD is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control, the control amount of the lane keeping control may be made smaller than usual. That is, when the line-of-sight deflection level LVD is a positive value, the control amount setting gain G9 may be set to be smaller than 1.

  If the control change part 23 changed the control content of lane maintenance control in step S207, in step S208, the lane maintenance control part 24 with which the driving assistance control apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2 is equipped with the control content set by step S207, Carry out lane keeping control.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the direction of deviation between the driver's line-of-sight direction and the vehicle front-rear direction central axis is the same as the control direction in the lane keeping control. Change the control details of lane keeping control. Thereby, when the driver's line-of-sight direction and the direction of control in the lane keeping control are the same, the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver can be reduced.

  As described above, the driving assistance control device according to the present invention suppresses the vehicle from deviating from the lane based on the lane information ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle, or notifies the driver of the possibility of deviating from the lane. This is useful for lane keeping control, and is particularly suitable for improving lane keeping performance when the driver's line of sight is deflected from the front in the vehicle traveling direction.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle including a driving assistance control device according to a first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the driving assistance control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block block diagram of the lane marking detection part with which the driving assistance control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 is provided. It is the schematic of the image which the road shape detection sensor imaged. It is the schematic for demonstrating the road parameter which the lane marking detection part with which the driving assistance control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 is provided. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of lane keeping control according to the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the deflection | deviation state of a driver | operator's gaze direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the deflection | deviation state of a driver | operator's gaze direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows the deflection | deviation state of a driver | operator's gaze direction. It is explanatory drawing which shows a driver's boarding position. It is the conceptual diagram of the map which described the relationship between a face direction angle and a face direction gain. It is a conceptual diagram of the map which described the relationship between a gaze angle and a gaze gain. It is the conceptual diagram of the map which described the relationship between a gaze deflection level and a gaze deflection gain. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the map for changing the completion | finish determination threshold value of lane keeping assistance control. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the map for changing the notification timing of lane departure warning control. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the map for changing the auxiliary | assistant steering force in lane keeping assistance control. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining lane keeping control according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining lane keeping control according to a second embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of lane keeping control according to a second embodiment. It is the conceptual diagram of the map which described the relationship between a gaze deflection angle and a gaze deflection gain. It is a conceptual diagram of the map which described the relationship between the control amount and control direction gain in lane keeping control. It is a conceptual diagram of a map describing a relationship between a line-of-sight deflection level and a control amount setting gain.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Internal combustion engine 3 Transmission 4 Drive shaft 5FL Left front wheel 5FR Right front wheel 5RL Left rear wheel 5RR Right rear wheel 7 Steering assist device 8 Display panel 8I Display unit 9 Handle 20 Driving assist control device 20P Processing unit 21 Lane line detection Unit 21a edge point extraction unit 21b edge line extraction unit 21c lane division line extraction unit 21d lane division line selection unit 21e road parameter calculation unit 21f road parameter output unit 22 line of sight deflection level calculation unit 23 control change unit 24 lane maintenance control unit 41 face Direction detection sensor 42 Line of sight detection sensor 43 Road shape detection sensor 44 Steering angle sensor 46 Acceleration sensor 47 Yaw rate sensor 50 Face direction gain map 51 Line of sight gain map 52 Line of sight deflection level map 53 Control end determination threshold gain map 54 Notification start threshold gain map 5 5 Auxiliary steering force setting gain map 56 Gaze deflection gain map 57 Control direction gain map 58 Control amount setting gain map 101 Lane 200 image (plan view image)
201, 202 Lane marking

Claims (7)

A line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit for obtaining a line-of-sight deflection level representing the degree of deflection of the line of sight of the driver of the vehicle with respect to an axis connecting the front and rear of the vehicle at the center in the width direction of the vehicle
A control change unit that changes control content related to control for allowing the vehicle to maintain traveling in a lane based on the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit;
A driving assistance control device comprising: The line-of-sight deflection level calculator is
The driving assistance control device according to claim 1, wherein the line-of-sight deflection level is obtained based on the driver's face direction and the driver's line-of-sight direction with respect to the face direction. The line-of-sight deflection level calculator is
The driving assistance control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the line-of-sight deflection level is changed in accordance with a position of a steering device provided in the vehicle. The control change unit
The threshold value for determining the end of control for applying auxiliary steering force to the steering wheel of the vehicle is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit. The driving assistance control device according to any one of claims. The control change unit
The timing for notifying the driver that the vehicle may deviate from the lane is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit. The driving assistance control device according to any one of the above. The control change unit
The driving assist control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an auxiliary steering force for steering the vehicle is changed according to the line-of-sight deflection level obtained by the line-of-sight deflection level calculation unit. . The control change unit
When it is determined whether the direction in which the driver's line of sight is deflected with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle and the direction of control for suppressing the vehicle from deviating from the lane coincide with each other. The control content related to the control for enabling the vehicle to maintain traveling in the lane is changed based on the line-of-sight deflection level according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Driving assistance control device.

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