JP4422077B2 - VEHICLE DRIVE OPERATION ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND VEHICLE HAVING VEHICLE DRIVE OPERATION ASSISTANCE DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving operation assisting device for a vehicle that assists a driver's operation.

  Conventional vehicle driving assistance devices calculate the approach state between the host vehicle and the front obstacle based on the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the obstacle ahead of the host vehicle, and relieve the approach state. Is generated in the host vehicle, and the operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal is changed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By controlling the braking force and accelerator pedal operation reaction force of the host vehicle, this device alerts the driver and relaxes the approaching state between the host vehicle and the front obstacle.

Prior art documents related to the present invention include the following.
JP 2003-267201 A

  The above-described device can make the driver perceive the approaching state to the front obstacle by controlling the braking force and the accelerator pedal operation reaction force. However, when the object in front of the host vehicle is detected by the laser radar and the distance between the detected object and the host vehicle is measured, the control calculation is performed using the relative speed obtained by differentiating the measured distance. There is a possibility that a delay will occur in the arithmetic processing and the control will be delayed, giving the driver a sense of incongruity.

A vehicle driving assistance device according to the present invention includes a vehicle distance detection unit that detects a distance between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle, and a differential calculation of the vehicle distance detected by the vehicle distance detection unit. A risk potential representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the obstacle based on at least the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection means and the calculation result of the filter means Based on the risk potential calculation means for calculating the driving force and the reaction force generated in the driving operation equipment for the driver to drive the own vehicle based on the risk potential calculated by the risk potential calculation means and control means for controlling at least one of the longitudinal force based on the driving intention of the driver to change the filter characteristic of the filter means A filter characteristic changing means, as driving intention of the driver, with the driver on the control by the control means and the driver's intention detecting means for detecting a priority override intended his driving operation, the control means, the risk potential The larger the value is, the lower the driving force generated in the host vehicle is, or the braking force is increased, and the control reaction force is controlled to increase as the risk potential increases, and the filter means is a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic. A high response filter having a high response filter characteristic, wherein the filter characteristic changing means weights each of the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, and the low response weighted by the weighting means. and an arithmetic means for performing an operation from the outputs of the high-response filter of the filter, the driver driving To change the filter characteristic of the filter means by setting a weighting based on the figure, it is determined that there is overridden contemplated by driving intention detection means, to change the filter characteristics in a high response as compared with the case where there is no overriding intent .
The method for assisting driving operation of a vehicle according to the present invention detects an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle, and differentially calculates the detected inter-vehicle distance by using a filter means. The risk potential representing the degree of proximity of the vehicle to the obstacle is calculated based on at least the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed, and the driver drives the vehicle based on the risk potential. Controls at least one of the reaction force generated in the driving operation equipment for operation and the braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle, and changes the filter characteristics of the filter means based on the driver's driving intention, As the driver's driving intention, the driver detects an override intention that prioritizes his / her driving operation with respect to the control of the reaction force and / or braking / driving force, which increases the risk potential. The driving force generated in the host vehicle is reduced or the braking force is increased, and the control reaction force is increased as the risk potential is increased. The filter means is a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic and a high response. It has a high response filter with response filter characteristics, weights the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, respectively, and calculates from the output of the weighted low response filter and the output of the high response filter Change the filter characteristics of the filter means by setting the weighting based on the driver's driving intention, and if it is judged that there is an override intention, the filter characteristic is changed to a higher response than when there is no override intention To do.
The vehicle according to the present invention includes an inter-vehicle distance detection unit that detects an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle, a differential calculation of the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection unit, and a difference between the host vehicle and the obstacle. Risk potential for calculating a risk potential representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the obstacle based on the filter means for calculating the relative speed, at least the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection means, and the calculation result of the filter means Based on the risk potential calculated by the calculation means and the risk potential calculation means, at least an operation reaction force generated in a driving operation device for a driver to drive the host vehicle and a braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle A filter characteristic changing method for changing the filter characteristic of the filter means on the basis of the control means for controlling one of them and the driving intention of the driver. Driving intention detection means for detecting an override intention in which the driver prioritizes his / her driving operation over the control by the control means, and the control means is more sensitive as the risk potential increases. The driving force generated in the vehicle is reduced or the braking force is increased, and the control reaction force is controlled to increase as the risk potential increases, and the filter means includes a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic and a high response filter. A high response filter having characteristics, and a filter characteristic changing unit includes a weighting unit that weights the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, and an output of the low response filter weighted by the weighting unit, Computation means that computes from the output of the high response filter and weights based on the driver's driving intention The vehicle drive operation changes the filter characteristics to a higher response than when there is no override intention when the drive intention detection means determines that there is an override intention. Provide auxiliary equipment.

  According to the present invention, the filter characteristic of the filter means for differentiating the relative speed from the inter-vehicle distance is changed based on at least one of the traveling environment of the host vehicle, the control state in the control means, and the driving intention of the driver. Therefore, the relative speed calculated without delay was used when the risk potential of the host vehicle was transmitted to the driver through the operation reaction force generated in the driving operation device and / or the braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle. Effective control can be realized by selectively switching between control with good responsiveness and smooth control using a relative speed calculated as a smooth value with less noise.

<< First Embodiment >>
A vehicle operation assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the configuration of the vehicle driving assistance device 1 will be described. The vehicle driving assistance device 1 includes a laser radar 10, a vehicle speed sensor 20, a rudder angle sensor 30, an obstacle detection device 40, a controller 50, a driving force control device 60, an accelerator pedal reaction force generation device 70, and a braking force control device. 90 grade.

  The laser radar 10 is attached to, for example, a front grill part or a bumper part of a vehicle, and irradiates an infrared laser beam in a horizontal direction to scan a front area of the vehicle to detect an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the principle of obstacle detection by the laser radar 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the laser radar 10 includes a light emitting unit 10 a that outputs laser light, and a light receiving unit 10 b that detects reflected light reflected by a reflector in front of the host vehicle (usually the rear end of the front vehicle). And. The light emitting unit 10a is combined with a scanning mechanism, and is configured to swing in the left-right direction as indicated by arrows in FIG. The light emitting unit 10a sequentially emits light within a predetermined angle range while changing the angle. The laser radar 10 measures the distance from the host vehicle to the obstacle based on the time difference from the emission of the laser beam by the light emitting unit 10a to the reception of the reflected wave by the light receiving unit 10b.

  The laser radar 10 calculates the distance to the obstacle when the reflected light is received for each scanning position or scanning angle while scanning the front area of the host vehicle by the scanning mechanism. Furthermore, the laser radar 10 also calculates the position of the obstacle in the left-right direction with respect to the host vehicle based on the scanning angle when the obstacle is detected and the distance to the obstacle. That is, the laser radar 10 detects the relative position of the obstacle with respect to the host vehicle along with the presence or absence of the obstacle.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an obstacle detection result by the laser radar 10. By specifying the relative position of the obstacle with respect to the host vehicle at each scanning angle, a planar presence state diagram of a plurality of objects that can be detected within the scanning range can be obtained as shown in FIG. .
The vehicle speed sensor 20 detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle by measuring the number of rotations of the wheels and the number of rotations on the output side of the transmission.

  The obstacle detection device 40 acquires information related to the front obstacle based on the detection results of the laser radar 10 and the vehicle speed sensor 20. Specifically, the obstacle detection device 40 discriminates the movement of the detected object based on the detection result output from the laser radar 10 for each scanning period or every scanning angle, as well as the proximity state and movement between the objects. Based on the similarity or the like, it is determined whether the detected object is the same object or a different object. The obstacle detection device 40 outputs the acquired information on the own vehicle speed and the front obstacle to the controller 50.

  Then, the obstacle detection device 40 is based on the signals from the radar device 10 and the vehicle speed sensor 20, and the obstacle information around the own vehicle, that is, the distance between the own vehicle and the front obstacle, and the front obstacle with respect to the own vehicle. Recognize the left-right distance. The obstacle detection device 40 acquires information about each obstacle when a plurality of front obstacles are detected. The obstacle detection device 40 outputs the acquired obstacle information to the controller 50.

  The steering angle sensor 30 is an angle sensor or the like attached in the vicinity of a steering column or a steering wheel (not shown), detects rotation of the steering shaft as a steering angle, and outputs it to the controller 50.

  The accelerator pedal 61 is provided with an accelerator pedal stroke sensor 62 that detects the amount of depression (operation amount) of the accelerator pedal 61. The accelerator pedal operation amount detected by the accelerator pedal stroke sensor 62 is output to the controller 50 and the driving force control device 60. The brake pedal 91 is provided with a brake pedal stroke sensor 92 that detects the amount of depression (operation amount). The brake pedal operation amount detected by the brake pedal stroke sensor is output to the braking force control device 90.

  The controller 50 includes a CPU and CPU peripheral components such as a ROM and a RAM, and controls the vehicle driving operation assisting device 1 as a whole. The controller 50 recognizes the traveling state of the host vehicle from the host vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed sensor 20 and the obstacle information input from the obstacle detection device 40. The controller 50 calculates a risk potential, which is a physical quantity representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the front obstacle based on the traveling situation.

  The controller 50 controls the braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle based on the risk potential with respect to the obstacle, and also controls the operation reaction force generated in the driving operation device operated by the driver for driving operation. . Here, an accelerator pedal 61 is used as a driving operation device, and an operation reaction force generated when the accelerator pedal 61 is operated is controlled.

  The driving force control device 60 controls the engine (not shown) so as to generate a driving force according to the operation state of the accelerator pedal 61, and changes the driving force to be generated according to an external command. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the driving force control in the driving force control device 60. FIG. 5 shows a characteristic map that defines the relationship between the accelerator pedal operation amount SA and the driver required driving force Fda. The driving force control device 60 calculates a driver required driving force Fda according to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA using a map as shown in FIG. Then, the driving force control device 60 calculates a target driving force by adding a driving force correction amount ΔDa described later to the driver required driving force Fda. The engine controller of the driving force control device 60 calculates a control command to the engine according to the target driving force.

  The braking force control device 90 controls the brake fluid pressure so as to generate a braking force according to the operation state of the brake pedal 91, and changes the brake fluid pressure to be generated according to an external command. FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of the braking force control in the braking force control device 90. FIG. 7 shows a characteristic map that defines the relationship between the brake pedal operation amount SB and the driver-requested braking force Fdb. The braking force control device 90 calculates a driver required braking force Fdb according to the brake pedal operation amount SB using a map as shown in FIG. Then, the braking force control device 90 calculates a target braking force by adding a braking force correction value ΔDb described later to the driver requested braking force Fdb. The brake fluid pressure controller of the braking force control device 90 outputs a brake fluid pressure command according to the target braking force. In response to a command from the brake fluid pressure controller, a brake device 95 provided on each wheel operates.

  The accelerator pedal reaction force generator 70 includes a servo motor (not shown) incorporated in the link mechanism of the accelerator pedal 61. The accelerator pedal reaction force generator 70 controls the torque generated by the servo motor in response to a command from the controller 50, and can arbitrarily control the operation reaction force generated when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 61. it can. Note that the accelerator pedal reaction force when the reaction force control is not performed is set to be proportional to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA, for example.

Below, operation | movement of the driving operation assistance apparatus 1 for vehicles by the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. First, an outline of the operation will be described.
The controller 50 of the vehicle driving assistance device 1 calculates the risk potential of the host vehicle for each obstacle based on the obstacle information detected by the obstacle detection device 40. “Risk Potential” means “potential risk / emergency”. In particular, the risk potential (risk potential) indicates the magnitude of the risk that increases due to the approach of the vehicle and the obstacle in front of the vehicle. To express. Therefore, it can be said that the risk potential is a physical quantity representing how close the host vehicle and the obstacle are, that is, the degree of approach (the degree of approach) between the host vehicle and the obstacle.

  The controller 50 controls the braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle and the operation reaction force generated from the driving operation device operated when the driver drives the host vehicle according to the calculated risk potential. As a result, when the host vehicle approaches a forward obstacle, for example, a preceding vehicle, the operation reaction force from the accelerator pedal 61 increases, and the driving force of the host vehicle decreases or the braking force increases. The size of the risk potential can be transmitted.

  When calculating the risk potential, the controller 50 uses a relative speed obtained by differentiating the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle detected by the laser radar 10 and the host vehicle, as will be described later. When the relative speed is calculated from the inter-vehicle distance using the differential calculation filter, a delay occurs in order to obtain a smooth calculation result with less noise. Therefore, the operation reaction force and the braking / driving performed by the vehicular driving assist device 1 There will be a delay in the overall force control. For example, when the preceding vehicle suddenly decelerates, the control operation for transmitting the information is delayed. In addition, when the preceding vehicle shifts from deceleration to acceleration operation, the host vehicle delays rapid acceleration. As described above, the driver may feel uncomfortable due to the delay in the relative speed calculation.

  Therefore, the vehicular driving operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of differential calculation filters having different filter characteristics, and switches and uses a plurality of filters depending on conditions. Specifically, when the driver performs an intervention operation such as depressing the accelerator pedal 61 while the control by the system is being performed, the driver has a highly responsive filter characteristic in consideration of the driver's driving intention. Use filters.

  Here, the reaction force and braking / driving force are controlled according to the risk potential, and the driver intentionally changes the stable state from the state where the control and the driving operation by the driver are almost stable. A driver's intention to give priority to his own driving operation is called an override intention. For example, it can be said that there is an intention to override when an operation of increasing the accelerator pedal 61 is performed against an operation reaction force generated from the accelerator pedal 61 in order to promote an appropriate driving operation.

  The operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the processing procedure of the driving operation assist control processing in the controller 50 of the first embodiment. This processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 50 msec.

  First, in step S110, data of the host vehicle speed Vh detected by the vehicle speed sensor 20 and the steering angle δ of the host vehicle detected by the steering angle sensor 30 are read. In step S120, the accelerator pedal operation amount SA detected by the accelerator pedal stroke sensor 62 is read. In subsequent step S130, information on a plurality of front obstacles calculated by the obstacle detection device 40 according to the detection results of the laser radar 10 and the vehicle speed sensor 20 is read. The information regarding the front obstacle is, for example, a distance in the front-rear direction (inter-vehicle distance) D to each obstacle, and a left-right position x and a front-rear position y of the obstacle with respect to the host vehicle.

In step S140, the course of the host vehicle is estimated based on the host vehicle speed Vh and the steering angle δ read in step S110. Below, the estimation method of a predicted course is demonstrated using FIG. 9 and FIG. In order to estimate the predicted course, a turning radius R when the host vehicle is traveling in the direction of the arrow is calculated as shown in FIG. First, the turning curvature ρ (1 / m) of the host vehicle is calculated. The turning curvature ρ can be calculated by the following (Expression 1) based on the host vehicle speed Vh and the steering angle δ.
ρ = 1 / {L (1 + A · Vh ² )} × δ / N (Formula 1)
Here, L: wheel base of the host vehicle, A: stability factor (positive constant) determined according to the vehicle, and N: steering gear ratio.

The turning radius R is expressed by the following (Equation 2) using the turning curvature ρ.
R = 1 / ρ (Formula 2)
By using the turning radius R calculated using (Equation 2), the traveling track of the host vehicle can be predicted as an arc of radius R as shown in FIG. And as shown in FIG. 10, the area | region of the width | variety Tw centering on the circular arc of turning radius R is set as a predicted course where the own vehicle will drive | work. The width Tw is set appropriately in advance based on the width of the host vehicle.

  In step S150, an object closest to the host vehicle is selected as a front obstacle from the obstacles detected by the obstacle detection device 40 and determined to be within the predicted course of the host vehicle set in step S140. This front obstacle is an obstacle for which the risk potential RP of the host vehicle is calculated in the subsequent processing.

  In step S160, the driver's intention to override is determined. Specifically, based on the operation state of the driver's accelerator pedal 61, it is determined whether or not there is an intention to override the current stable state. This processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1601, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. Specifically, whether the inter-vehicle time THW calculated as the risk potential RP in the previous cycle is smaller than the threshold value Th1 or the margin time TTC is smaller than the threshold value Th2, and the control repulsive force Fc has been calculated. Determine whether. The calculation method of the risk potential RP and the control repulsive force Fc and the threshold values Th1 and Th2 will be described later. If a negative determination is made in step S1601, the process proceeds to step S1602, and the current accelerator pedal operation amount SA detected in step S120 is stored as a control start initial value SA0. In step S1603, it is determined that the driver does not intend to override.

  If the determination in step S1601 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1604. In step S1604, the magnitude relationship between the current accelerator pedal operation amount SA detected in step S120 and the control start initial value SA0 is compared. If SA ≧ SA0 and the accelerator pedal 61 is depressed and operated since the start of control, the process proceeds to step S1605. In step S1605, it is determined whether or not the difference (SA−SA0) between the current accelerator pedal operation amount SA and the control start initial value SA0 is larger than the threshold value SA_ovr.

  The threshold value SA_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver intends to override the threshold value. The accelerator pedal operation causes a large acceleration in the host vehicle, for example, the host vehicle overtakes a front obstacle. Is appropriately set in advance so as to correspond to the accelerator pedal operation amount necessary to obtain the drive torque. If (SA-SA0)> SA_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1606, where it is determined that the driver has an intention to override. If (SA−SA0) ≦ SA_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1608.

  If it is determined in step S1604 that the current accelerator pedal operation amount SA is smaller than the control start initial value SA0, the process proceeds to step S1607, and the control start initial value SA0 is replaced with the current accelerator pedal operation amount SA. In step S1608, it is determined that there is no overriding intention.

Note that, based on the operation state of the accelerator pedal 61, it is determined that there is an override intention when the driver is stepping on the accelerator pedal 61 and that there is no override intention when the driver releases the accelerator pedal 61. Is also possible. Thereby, since the override intention can be determined by a simple process, the calculation time and the program dose for determining the intention can be reduced.
Thus, after determining the driver's override intention in step S160, the process proceeds to step S170.

  In step S170, differential calculation is performed using the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the front obstacle detected by the laser radar 10 read in step S130, and the relative speed Vr between the host vehicle and the front obstacle is calculated. . The controller 50 includes a differential operation device 51 for calculating a relative speed. As shown in FIG. 12, the differential operation device 51 includes two filters 51a and 51b for differential operation, weighting units 51c and 51d corresponding to the filters 51a and 51b, and an addition unit 51e.

  The first filter 51a has a low response filter characteristic, and is a differential calculation filter that outputs only a relative speed Vr corresponding to a slow change in the inter-vehicle distance D. The first filter 51a is represented by a Laplace function {s / (1 + T1 · s)} using a Laplace operator s and a time constant T1. The weighting unit 51c weights the output value of the first filter 51a using a weighting coefficient (1-K).

  The second filter 51b is a differential operation filter that has a high response filter characteristic and outputs a relative speed Vr corresponding to a rapid change in the inter-vehicle distance D. The second filter 51b is represented by a Laplace function {s / (1 + T2 · s)} using a Laplace operator s and a time constant T2. The weighting unit 51d uses the weighting coefficient K to weight the output value of the second filter 51b. The time constant T1 of the first filter 51a and the time constant T2 of the second filter 51b are set to appropriate values in advance so that T1> T2.

  The adding unit 51e calculates the relative speed Vr between the host vehicle and the front obstacle by adding the outputs of the weighting units 51c and 51d. As shown in FIG. 13, the weighting coefficient K changes between 0 and 1, and if it is determined that the driver has an override intention, K = 1, and if it is determined that there is no override intention, K = 0 is set. Is done. Accordingly, when it is determined that there is an intention to override, the relative speed Vr calculated using the high-response second filter 51b is selected. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no overriding intention, the relative speed Vr calculated using the first filter 51a with low response is selected.

  When the determination result of the override intention changes, the weighting coefficient K is gradually changed from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S1701, it is determined whether or not the override intention determination result in step S160 has changed from the determination result in the previous cycle. If there is a change in the determination result of the override intention, the process proceeds to step S1702. In step S1702, it is determined whether or not the intention determination result is changed from unintentional intention to existence, and it is necessary to change the weighting coefficient K from 0 to 1. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1702, the process proceeds to step S1703, and 1 is set to a transition flag Flg1 indicating that the weighting coefficient K changes from 0 to 1. In step S1704, the transition flag Flg2 is cleared to zero.

  If a negative determination is made in step S1702, the process proceeds to step S1705, where the intention determination result is changed from being overridden to not being present, and it is determined whether or not the weighting coefficient K needs to be changed from 1 to 0. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1705, the process proceeds to step S1706, where 1 is set to a transition flag Flg2 indicating that the weighting coefficient K changes from 1 to 0. In step S1707, the transition flag Flg1 is cleared to zero.

  If a negative determination is made in step S1701, the process proceeds to step S1708, and it is determined whether or not the transition flag Flg1 = 1. When the transition flag Flg1 = 1 and the weighting coefficient K is changed from 0 to 1, the process advances to step S1709 to add a predetermined change amount ΔK to the weighting coefficient K set in the previous cycle. In a succeeding step S1710, it is determined whether or not the weighting coefficient K calculated in the step S1709 is 1 or more. If K ≧ 1, the process proceeds to step S 1711, the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set, and the transition flag Flg 1 is cleared to 0 in step S 1712. If a negative determination is made in step S1710, the weighting coefficient K calculated in step S1709 is used as it is.

  If a negative determination is made in step S1708, the process proceeds to step S1713, and it is determined whether or not the transition flag Flg2 = 1. When the transition flag Flg2 = 1 and the weighting coefficient K is changed from 1 to 0, the process proceeds to step S1714, and a predetermined change amount ΔK is subtracted from the weighting coefficient K set in the previous cycle. In a succeeding step S1715, it is determined whether or not the weighting coefficient K calculated in the step S1714 is 0 or less. If K ≦ 0, the process advances to step S1716 to set the weighting coefficient K = 0, and the transition flag Flg2 is cleared to 0 in step S1717. If a negative determination is made in step S1715, the weighting coefficient K calculated in step S1714 is used as it is.

  The adder 51e adds the output values of the first filter 51a and the second filter 51b weighted with the weighting coefficient K calculated as described above, and calculates the relative speed Vr. Thus, as shown in FIG. 13, the closer the weighting coefficient K is to 1, the higher the relative response Vr is calculated, and the closer the weighting coefficient K is to 0, the lower the response and the smooth relative speed Vr is calculated.

When the determination result of the override intention changes, it is possible to change the weighting coefficient K from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0 at a stroke without performing the processing shown in FIG.
As described above, after the relative speed Vr between the host vehicle and the front obstacle is calculated by the differential operation in step S170, the process proceeds to step S180.

In step S180, the risk potential RP of the host vehicle is calculated for the obstacle selected as the forward obstacle in step S150. Here, as the risk potential RP, an inter-vehicle time THW and a margin time TTC between the host vehicle and a front obstacle, such as a preceding vehicle, are calculated. The inter-vehicle time THW is a physical quantity indicating the time until the host vehicle reaches the current position of the preceding vehicle, and is calculated from the following (Equation 3).
THW = D / Vh (Formula 3)

The margin time TTC for the preceding vehicle is a physical quantity indicating the current degree of approach of the host vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle, and when the current traveling state continues, that is, the host vehicle speed Vh and the relative vehicle speed Vr (own vehicle speed-preceding vehicle speed) are constant. In this case, the value indicates how many seconds later the inter-vehicle distance D becomes zero and the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle come into contact with each other. The margin time TTC for the obstacle is obtained by the following (Equation 4).
TTC = D / Vr (Formula 4)

  The smaller the margin time TTC value, the closer the contact with the preceding vehicle, and the greater the degree of approach to the preceding vehicle. For example, when approaching a preceding vehicle, it is known that most drivers start a deceleration action before the margin time TTC becomes 4 seconds or less. Thus, the smaller the inter-vehicle time THW and the allowance time TTC, the closer the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle are, so the inter-vehicle time THW and the allowance time TTC are the risks representing the degree of approach between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, respectively. It can be said that it is potential RP.

In step S190, a control repulsive force Fc that is a reference for calculating the accelerator pedal operation reaction force and the braking / driving force correction amount is calculated. The control repulsive force Fc is calculated as follows.
In order to calculate the control repulsive force Fc, it is assumed that a virtual elastic body 100 having a length l is provided in front of the host vehicle, as shown in FIG. Consider a model in which the vehicle is compressed to generate a pseudo running resistance against the host vehicle. The control repulsive force Fc is defined as the repulsive force when the virtual elastic body 100 is compressed by hitting the vehicle ahead as shown in FIG.

  Here, assuming a model in which a virtual elastic body associated with the inter-vehicle time THW and a virtual elastic body associated with the margin time TTC are set between the host vehicle and the front obstacle, the repulsive force of each virtual elastic body is assumed. Is calculated as the control repulsive force Fc1 based on the inter-vehicle time THW and the control repulsive force Fc2 based on the margin time TTC. The calculation process of the control repulsive force Fc will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S1901, the inter-vehicle time THW is compared with a threshold value Th1. When the inter-vehicle time THW is smaller than a threshold value Th1 (for example, 1 sec) appropriately set for determining the start of control (THW <Th1), the process proceeds to step S1902. In step S1902, the control repulsive force Fc1 based on the following time THW is calculated from the following (Equation 5) using the own vehicle speed Vh and the following time THW.
Fc1 = k1 * (Th1-THW) * Vh (Formula 5)
In (Expression 5), k1 is the spring constant of the virtual elastic body associated with the inter-vehicle time THW, and Th1 · Vh corresponds to the length of the virtual elastic body.
If it is determined in step S1901 that THW ≧ Th1, the process proceeds to step S1903 to set the control repulsive force Fc1 = 0.

In step S1904, the margin time TTC is compared with the threshold value Th2. When the margin time TTC is smaller than a threshold value Th2 (for example, 10 sec) appropriately set to determine the start of control (TTC <Th2), the process proceeds to step S1905. In step S1905, the control repulsive force Fc2 based on the margin time TTC is calculated from the following (Equation 6) using the relative speed Vr and the margin time TTC.
Fc2 = k2 × (Th2-TTC) × Vr (Formula 6)
In (Expression 6), k2 is the spring constant of the virtual elastic body associated with the margin time TTC, and Th2 · Vr corresponds to the length of the virtual elastic body.
If it is determined in step S1904 that TTC ≧ Th2, the process proceeds to step S1906 to set the control repulsive force Fc2 = 0.

In step S1907, the larger value of the control repulsive force Fc1 based on the inter-vehicle time THW calculated in step S1902 or S1903 and the control repulsive force Fc2 based on the margin time TTC calculated in step S1905 or S1906 is finally determined. The control repulsive force Fc is selected.
After calculating the control repulsive force Fc in step S190 as described above, the process proceeds to step S200.

  In step S200, using the control repulsive force Fc calculated in step S190, a driving force correction amount ΔDa and a braking force correction amount ΔDb for performing braking / driving force control are calculated. The braking / driving force correction amount calculation process here will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S2001, it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal 61 is depressed based on the accelerator pedal operation amount SA read in step S120. If the accelerator pedal 61 is not depressed, the process proceeds to step S2002, and it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal 61 is suddenly released. For example, when the operation speed of the accelerator pedal 61 calculated from the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the accelerator pedal 61 is slowly returned, and the process proceeds to step S2003. In step S2003, 0 is set as the driving force correction amount ΔDa, and in step S2004, the control repulsive force Fc calculated in step S190 is set as the braking force correction amount ΔDb.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2002 that the accelerator pedal 61 is suddenly returned, the process proceeds to step S2005. In step S2005, the driving force correction amount ΔDa is gradually decreased, and in step S2006, the braking force correction amount ΔDb is gradually increased to the control repulsive force Fc. Specifically, when the accelerator pedal 61 is suddenly returned, the driving force correction amount ΔDa (= −Fc) set to decrease the driving force by the control repulsive force Fc during the operation of the accelerator pedal. Is gradually changed to 0. Further, after the accelerator pedal 61 is suddenly returned, the braking force correction amount ΔDb is gradually increased to the control repulsive force Fc. Thus, when the accelerator pedal 61 is suddenly returned, the driving force correction amount ΔDa is finally changed to 0 and the braking force correction amount ΔDb is changed to Fc.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S2001 is affirmative and the accelerator pedal 61 is depressed, the process proceeds to step S2007 to estimate the driver required driving force Fda. In the controller 50, the same driver required driving force calculation map (FIG. 5) stored in the driving force control device 60 is prepared, and the driver required driving force Fda is estimated according to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA. To do.

  In subsequent step S2008, the magnitude relationship between the driver required driving force Fda estimated in step S2007 and the control repulsive force Fc is compared. If the driver requested driving force Fda is greater than or equal to the control repulsive force Fc (Fda ≧ Fc), the process proceeds to step S2009. In step S2009, -Fc is set as the driving force correction amount ΔDa, and 0 is set in the braking force correction amount ΔDb in step S2010. That is, since Fda−Fc ≧ 0, a positive driving force remains even after the driving force Fda is corrected by the control repulsive force Fc. Therefore, the correction amount can be output only by the driving force control device 60. In this case, the vehicle is in a state where the driving force as expected can not be obtained even though the driver steps on the accelerator pedal 61. When the corrected driving force is larger than the running resistance, the driver feels that the acceleration is slow, and when the corrected driving force is smaller than the running resistance, the driver feels that the behavior is decelerating.

  On the other hand, when a negative determination is made in step S2008 and the driver required driving force Fda is smaller than the control repulsive force Fc (Fda <Fc), the driving force control device 60 alone cannot output a target correction amount. Therefore, in step S2011, −Fda is set as the driving force correction amount ΔDa, and in step S2112 the correction amount deficiency (Fc−Fda) is set as the braking force correction amount ΔDb. In this case, the driver perceives the deceleration behavior of the vehicle.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a method for correcting the driving force and the braking force. The horizontal axis of FIG. 18 shows the accelerator pedal operation amount SA and the brake pedal operation amount SB. The accelerator pedal operation amount SA increases as it proceeds from the origin 0 to the right, and the brake pedal operation amount SB increases as it proceeds to the left. Show. The vertical axis in FIG. 18 indicates the driving force and the braking force, and indicates that the driving force increases as it progresses upward from the origin 0, and the braking force increases as it progresses downward.

  In FIG. 18, the required driving force Fda corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA and the required braking force Fdb corresponding to the brake pedal operation amount SB are indicated by alternate long and short dash lines. The driving force and braking force corrected according to the contact risk potential with the front obstacle are shown by solid lines.

  When the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is large and the required driving force Fda corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is greater than or equal to the control repulsion force Fc, the driving force is corrected in a decreasing direction according to the correction amount ΔDa. On the other hand, when the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is small and the required driving force Fda corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is smaller than the control repulsive force Fc, a correction amount ΔDa that does not generate a driving force is set and the driving force is set. to correct. Further, the difference between the control repulsive force Fc and the required driving force Fda is set as the correction amount ΔDb. Thereby, the gentle braking according to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA is performed.

  When the brake pedal 91 is depressed, the braking force is corrected in the increasing direction based on the correction amount ΔDb. Thereby, the characteristic of the braking / driving force is corrected so as to increase the running resistance of the vehicle as a whole corresponding to the correction amount, that is, the control repulsive force Fc of the virtual elastic body.

  Thus, after calculating the braking / driving force correction amount in step S200, the process proceeds to step S210. In step S210, based on the control repulsive force Fc calculated in step S190, a control amount of the operation reaction force generated in the accelerator pedal 61, that is, an accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA is calculated. FIG. 19 shows the relationship between the control repulsive force Fc and the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA. As shown in FIG. 19, the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA increases as the control reaction force Fc increases.

  In the subsequent step S220, the driving force correction amount ΔDa and the braking force correction amount ΔDb calculated in step S200 are output to the driving force control device 60 and the braking force control device 90, respectively. The driving force control device 60 calculates a target driving force from the driving force correction amount ΔDa and the required driving force Fda, and outputs a command to the engine controller so as to generate the calculated target driving force. Further, the braking force control device 90 calculates a target braking force from the braking force correction amount ΔDb and the required braking force Fdb, and outputs a command to the brake hydraulic pressure controller so as to generate the target braking force.

  In step S230, the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA calculated in step S210 is output to the accelerator pedal reaction force generator 70. The accelerator pedal reaction force generator 70 controls the accelerator pedal reaction force so as to add a reaction force corresponding to a command value input from the controller 50 to a normal reaction force characteristic corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA. Thus, the current process is terminated.

In the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) The vehicle driving assist device 1 detects the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle, and differentially calculates the inter-vehicle distance D in the differential operation device 51 that is a filter means. The relative speed Vr with the obstacle is calculated. Then, based on at least the inter-vehicle distance D and the relative speed Vr calculated by the differential operation, a risk potential RP representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the obstacle is calculated. The vehicle driving operation assistance device 1 controls at least one of an operation reaction force generated in a driving operation device for a driver to drive the host vehicle and a braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle based on the risk potential RP. To do. In the first embodiment, the controller 50 as a control means controls both the operation reaction force and the braking / driving force. The vehicle driving operation assistance device 1 changes the filter characteristics of the filter unit based on at least one of the traveling environment of the host vehicle, the control state of the control unit, and the driver's driving intention. In the first embodiment, the filter characteristics are changed based on the driving intention of the driver. Thereby, when calculating the relative speed Vr from the inter-vehicle distance D by differential calculation using the filter means, an appropriate relative speed can be calculated in consideration of the driver's driving intention. As a result, when the risk potential RP for the obstacle is transmitted to the driver through the operation reaction force generated in the accelerator pedal 61 as the driving operation device and the braking / driving force generated in the own vehicle, the driver's intention is transmitted. It is possible to realize control without delay or smooth control as required.
(2) The differential operation device 51 includes a plurality of filters 51a and 51b having different characteristics, and further, weighting units 51c and 51d that respectively weight the outputs of the plurality of filters 51a and 51b, and weighted outputs And an adding unit 51e. Specifically, the first filter 51a has a low response filter characteristic, and the second filter 51b has a high response filter characteristic. By changing the weighting coefficient K of the weighting units 51c and 51d, the characteristic of the relative speed Vr calculated as shown in FIG. 13 is changed, and the filter characteristic of the differential operation device 51 can be changed. As described above, by providing the plurality of filters 51a and 51b having different characteristics, the filter characteristics are changed from low response to high response, and a smooth calculation result with less noise or a delay sensitive to changes in the inter-vehicle distance D is obtained. Can be obtained selectively.
(3) The controller 50 detects, as the driver's driving intention, an override intention in which the driver prioritizes his / her driving operation with respect to the control by the control means. The filter characteristic is changed to a high response compared to the case where there is not. Thereby, when the driver is intentionally actively driving, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay.
(4) The controller 50 detects the override intention based on the operation state of the accelerator pedal 61. Specifically, it is determined that there is an override intention when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal 61 while the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control according to the risk potential RP are performed. . Thus, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay in a situation where the driver intentionally performs an aggressive driving operation and approaches the obstacle.

-Modification 1 of the first embodiment-
Here, based on the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, it is determined whether or not the driver has an override intention. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1611, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. When a negative determination is made in step S1611, the process proceeds to step S1612, and the inter-vehicle distance D between the current host vehicle and the preceding vehicle detected in step S130 is stored as a control start initial value D0. In step S1613, it is determined that the driver does not intend to override.

  If a positive determination is made in step S1611 and the braking / driving force control and the operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1614. In step S1614, a difference between the current inter-vehicle distance D detected in step S130 and the control start initial value D0 is calculated, and the absolute value | D−D0 | of the difference is compared with a threshold value D_ovr. The threshold value D_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not there is an intention to override, and is defined to set a range in which the distance D between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle can be regarded as following the vehicle. To do. For example, the threshold value D_ovr is set so as to determine whether the change in the inter-vehicle distance D, that is, the difference (D−D0) is within about 10% of the inter-vehicle distance D.

  If | D−D0 | <D_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1615, and a timer for determining the intention to override is added. In step S1616, it is determined whether the timer value added in step S1615 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time T_ovr. The predetermined time T_ovr is a threshold value used for determining whether or not the driver intends to override, and is a time sufficient for the driver to determine that the inter-vehicle distance D is kept substantially constant, for example, It is appropriately set in advance as about 20 seconds. If the determination in step S1616 is affirmative and the change in the inter-vehicle distance D is within about 10% and a predetermined time T_ovr or more has elapsed, it can be determined that the inter-vehicle distance D is maintained substantially constant and the vehicle is following the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S1617, and it is determined that there is no intention of overriding.

  If the determination in step S1614 is negative and the absolute value | D−D0 | of the difference in the inter-vehicle distance D is equal to or greater than the threshold value D_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1618. In step S1618, the control start initial value D0 is replaced with the current inter-vehicle distance D. In step S1619, the timer for determining the override intention is reset, and in step S1620, it is determined that there is no override intention.

  As described above, the controller 50 detects the override intention based on the change in the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the obstacle within a predetermined time. Specifically, when the difference | D−D0 | between the inter-vehicle distance D0 at the start of control and the current inter-vehicle distance D is smaller than the threshold value D_ovr, it is determined that there is no overriding intention. When there is an override intention, the filter characteristic is set to a high response, and the fluctuation of the inter-vehicle distance D is transmitted to the driver without delay, and when there is no override intention and the state of following the preceding vehicle is to be maintained, the filter characteristic is low response. Thus, smooth control can be performed.

-Modification 2 of the first embodiment-
Here, based on the steering angle δ, it is determined whether or not the driver intends to override. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1631, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S1631, the process proceeds to step S1632, and it is determined that the driver does not intend to override.

  If the determination in step S1631 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1633. In step S1633, the steering angular velocity δ 'is calculated based on the steering angle δ detected in step S110. The steering angular velocity δ ′ can be calculated, for example, by differentiating the steering angle δ with time. Then, the absolute value | δ '| of the steering angular velocity is compared with a threshold value δ'_ovr. The threshold value δ'_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver intends to override, and is a value indicated when the vehicle normally travels in its own lane including a gentle curve. Set a slightly larger value.

  If | δ ′ | ≦ δ′_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1634, and a timer for determining the intention to override is reset. If | δ ′ |> δ′_ovr, the process proceeds to step S1635 to add a timer for determining the intention of overriding. In step S1636, it is determined whether or not the timer value added in step S1635 is greater than a predetermined time Tδ_ovr. The predetermined time Tδ_ovr is a threshold value used for determining whether or not the driver intends to override, and is a time corresponding to a steering input time required for the host vehicle to change lanes, for example, 0.5 Appropriately set in advance as about seconds. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1636, the process proceeds to step S1637, where it is determined that there is an override intention, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S1632, where it is determined that there is no override intention.

  Thus, the controller 50 detects the override intention based on the steering angle δ when the driver steers the steering wheel. Specifically, a steering angular velocity δ ′ representing a change in the steering angle δ is calculated, and if the state where the steering angular velocity | δ ′ | is larger than the threshold value δ′_ovr continues for a predetermined time Tδ_ovr or more, it is determined that there is an intention to override. . As a result, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay in a situation where the driver intentionally performs a positive driving operation for changing the lane or the like.

-Modification 3 of the first embodiment-
Here, it is determined whether or not the driver intends to override based on the operating state of the winker (not shown) by the driver. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1641, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S1641, the process proceeds to step S1642, and it is determined that the driver does not intend to override. If the determination in step S1641 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1643.

  In step S1643, the winker operation state is detected, and if the winker is turned off, the process proceeds to step S1644, and a timer for determining the override intention is reset. On the other hand, if the winker is turned on, the process proceeds to step S1645, and a timer for determining the intention to override is added. In step S1646, it is determined whether the timer value added in step S1645 is greater than a predetermined time Tw_ovr. The predetermined time Tw_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver intends to override, and is a necessary time for determining whether the host vehicle changes the lane after the turn signal is turned on. A corresponding value, for example, about 1 second is set appropriately in advance. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1646, the process proceeds to step S1647, where it is determined that there is an override intention, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S1642, where it is determined that there is no override intention.

  Thus, the controller 50 detects the override intention based on the winker operation state when the driver operates the winker. Specifically, when a predetermined time Tb_ovr or more has elapsed since the turn-on operation of the winker, it is determined that there is an override intention. As a result, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay in a situation where the driver intentionally performs a positive driving operation for changing the lane or the like.

<< Second Embodiment >>
Below, the driving operation assistance device for a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 23 shows a system diagram of the vehicle driving assistance device 2 according to the second embodiment. In the vehicular driving operation assisting device 2 shown in FIG. 23, portions having the same functions as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the vehicular driving operation assisting device 2 further includes a camera device 35 that captures an area in front of the host vehicle, and the lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle calculated from the captured image of the camera device 35. Based on the above, it is determined whether the driver has an intention to override.

  The camera device 35 is a small CCD camera, a CMOS camera or the like attached to the upper part of the front window, detects the situation of the road ahead as an image, and outputs it to the controller 50A. The detection area by the camera 35 is about ± 30 deg in the horizontal direction with respect to the center line in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the front road scenery included in this area is captured as an image. The controller 50A performs predetermined image processing on the captured image of the camera device 35, and recognizes the lane boundary line (lane marker) of the road on which the host vehicle travels.

  The operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 2 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 24 is a flowchart of the processing procedure of the driving operation assist control processing in the controller 50A. This processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 50 msec. The processing in steps S110 to S150 is the same as the processing in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S155, the lateral position of the host vehicle in the lane is calculated based on the image of the front area of the host vehicle acquired by the camera device 35. Specifically, the lateral distance Lx from the lane center of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling to the center position of the host vehicle is calculated as the lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle. The lateral position Lx in the lane is represented by a positive value when the host vehicle is in the right region of the own lane and a negative value when the host vehicle is in the left region.

  In step S160, it is determined whether or not the driver intends to override based on the lateral position Lx in the lane of the host vehicle calculated in step S155. This processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1651, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S1651, the process proceeds to step S1652, and it is determined that the driver does not intend to override. If the determination in step S1651 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1653.

  In step S1653, it is determined whether the absolute value | Lx | of the lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle calculated in step S155 is greater than a threshold value Lx_ovr. The threshold value Lx_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver intends to override the vehicle. Whether the own vehicle is deviated from the lane center and the left and right ends of the own vehicle are close to the lane boundary. Is set as a value for detecting. Therefore, the threshold value Lx_ovr is set as a value slightly smaller than the value of the lateral position Lx in the lane when the left and right end portions of the host vehicle are on the lane boundary ((own vehicle width−own vehicle width) / 2), for example. . If | Lx | ≦ Lx_ovr and the vehicle is traveling near the center of the lane, the process proceeds to step S1654, and a timer for determining the intention to override is reset.

  On the other hand, if | Lx |> Lx_ovr and the vehicle is traveling near the lane edge, the process proceeds to step S1655, and a timer for determining the intention to override is added. In step S1656, it is determined whether the timer value added in step S1655 is greater than a predetermined time Tl_ovr. The predetermined time Tl_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver has an intention of overriding, and it is determined that the driver intentionally travels in the vicinity of the lane edge and, for example, tries to change the lane. It is appropriately set in advance as a sufficient time for the operation, for example, about 5 seconds. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1656, the process proceeds to step S1657, where it is determined that there is an override intention, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S1652, where it is determined that there is no override intention.

  As described above, after determining the driver's override intention in step S160, the process proceeds to step S170. The processing after step S170 is the same as the processing in the flowchart of FIG.

  The lateral position of the host vehicle in the lane is not limited to the lateral distance Lx from the lane center to the current center position of the host vehicle. For example, the lateral distance from the lane center of the own lane to the front virtual point provided in front of the vehicle by a predetermined distance can be calculated as the lateral position in the lane. The lateral position in the lane can also be calculated by adding the yaw angle deviation with respect to the lane center to the lateral distance of the host vehicle. Alternatively, the lateral distance from the lane edge of the own lane to the center position of the own vehicle at the current position, and the lateral distance from the lane edge to the center position of the own vehicle at the front virtual point may be calculated as the in-lane lateral position. it can.

Thus, in the second embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be achieved.
Similarly to the first embodiment described above, the controller 50A detects, as a driver's driving intention, an override intention in which the driver prioritizes his / her driving operation with respect to control by the control means, and has an override intention. If it is determined, the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with the case where there is no overriding intention. The controller 50A detects the lateral position Lx in the lane of the host vehicle, and detects the driver's override intention based on the lateral position Lx in the lane of the host vehicle. Specifically, when the lateral distance | Lx | of the host vehicle from the center of the lane is larger than the threshold value Lx_ovr and the state where the host vehicle is shifted from the center of the lane continues for a predetermined time Tl_ovr or more, it is determined that there is an intention to override. To do. As a result, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay in a situation where the driver intentionally performs a positive driving operation for changing the lane or the like.

-Modification of the second embodiment-
Here, it is determined whether or not the driver has an intention to override based on a change in the lateral position of the host vehicle in the lane. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S1661, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S1661, the process proceeds to step S1662, and it is determined that the driver does not intend to override. If the determination in step S1661 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S1663.

  In step S1663, based on the lateral position Lx in the lane of the host vehicle calculated in step S155, a change in the lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle, that is, the lateral speed Lx ′ of the host vehicle with respect to the own lane is calculated. The lateral speed Lx ′ can be calculated, for example, by differentiating the lateral position Lx in the lane with time. Then, the absolute value | Lx '| of the lateral speed is compared with the threshold value Lx'_ovr. The threshold value Lx′_ovr is a threshold value used to determine whether or not the driver intends to override, and is set as a value necessary to determine the movement of the host vehicle that is about to depart from the lane. . Considering that half of the lane width is about 1.6 m, the threshold Lx′_ovr is set to 1 m / s, for example. If | Lx ′ | ≦ Lx′_ovr and the moving speed of the host vehicle in the lateral direction is slow, the process proceeds to step S 1664 to reset the timer for determining the override intention.

  On the other hand, if | Lx ′ |> Lx′_ovr and the lateral movement speed of the host vehicle is fast, the process proceeds to step S1665 and a timer for determining the intention to override is added. In step S1666, it is determined whether or not the timer value added in step S1665 is larger than a predetermined time Tm_ovr. The predetermined time Tm_ovr is a threshold value used for determining whether or not the driver intends to override, and considering that half of the lane width is about 1.6 m, for example, about 1 second in advance. Set it appropriately. If the determination in step S1666 is affirmative and the state in which the lateral speed Lx ′ of the host vehicle is 1 m / s or more continues for one second or more, the process proceeds to step S1667 and it is determined that there is an override intention. If a negative determination is made in step S1666, the process proceeds to step S1662, and it is determined that there is no override intention.

  The lateral speed of the host vehicle is not limited to the differential value of the lateral position Lx in the lane. For example, the lateral speed can be calculated by multiplying the own vehicle speed Vh by the yaw angle of the own vehicle with respect to the own lane.

  Thus, the controller 50A has an intention to override when the lateral position Lx in the lane changes suddenly and the state in which the lateral speed | Lx '| of the host vehicle is greater than the threshold value Lx'_ovr continues for a predetermined time Tm_ovr or more. Also by determining, it is possible to transmit the situation around the host vehicle without delay in a situation where the driver intentionally performs a positive driving operation for lane change or the like.

<< Third Embodiment >>
Below, the driving operation assistance apparatus for vehicles by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The basic configuration of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the characteristics of the differential filter are switched according to whether or not the driver intends to override, but in the third embodiment, the control state of the host vehicle is changed. The filter characteristics are switched accordingly. Here, the control state represents how the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control according to the risk potential RP are performed. In particular, the inter-vehicle time THW and the margin time TTC representing the risk potential RP are used as control states.

  The operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 27 is a flowchart of a processing procedure of driving assistance control processing in the controller 50 of the third embodiment. This processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 50 msec. The processing in steps S310 to S350 is the same as the processing in steps S110 to S150 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S360, the control state of the host vehicle is determined. This process will be described with reference to FIG. In step S3601, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle time THW between the host vehicle and the front obstacle calculated in the previous cycle is equal to or less than a predetermined value Th3. The predetermined value Th3 is a value smaller than the control start threshold value Th1 of the inter-vehicle time THW used for calculating the control repulsive force Fc, and is set so as to determine a relatively high risk potential RP.

  If THW ≦ Th3, that is, if the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control according to the risk potential RP have already been started and the risk potential RP is relatively high, the process proceeds to step S3603. On the other hand, if THW> Th3, the process proceeds to step S3602, and it is determined whether the margin time TTC between the host vehicle and the front obstacle calculated in the previous cycle is equal to or less than a predetermined value Th4. The predetermined value Th4 is a value smaller than the control start threshold value Th2 of the margin time TTC used for calculating the control repulsive force Fc, and is set so as to determine a relatively high risk potential RP.

  When TTC ≦ Th4, that is, when the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control according to the risk potential RP have already been started and the risk potential RP is relatively high, the process proceeds to step S3603. On the other hand, if TTC> Th4, the process proceeds to step S3604. In step S3603, the weighting coefficient K = 1 used in the differential calculation process in step S370 is set. In step S3604, the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set.

  After making the control state determination in step S360 as described above, the process proceeds to step S370. In step S370, the output values of the first filter 51a and the second filter 51b are respectively weighted using the weighting coefficient K set in step S360, and the relative speed Vr is calculated. When the control state changes and the weighting coefficient K changes from 0 to 1, or from 1 to 0, the weighting coefficient K can be gradually changed as in the first embodiment described above.

  The processing after step S380 is the same as the processing after step S180 in the flowchart of FIG.

As described above, the following effects can be achieved in the third embodiment described above.
(1) The vehicular driving operation assisting device according to the third embodiment determines the control amount of the force controlled by the controller 50 as the control means as the control state, and the control amount is large. If it is determined, the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with the case where the control amount is small. As a result, the situation around the host vehicle can be transmitted without delay in a situation where the amount of control is large and the necessity of transmitting information to the driver is high. The control amount means the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA and the braking / driving force correction amounts ΔDa and ΔDb when the controller 50 controls the operation reaction force and the braking / driving force according to the risk potential RP. The control repulsive force Fc used for calculating the pedal reaction force control command value FA and the braking / driving force correction amounts ΔDa and ΔDb is also included in the control amount.
(2) The controller 50 determines the control amount from the risk potential RP. Specifically, when the inter-vehicle time THW calculated as the risk potential RP is less than or equal to a predetermined value Th3, or when the margin time TTC is less than or equal to the predetermined value Th4, the risk potential RP is large and the control is performed. Judge that the amount is large. Thereby, when the risk potential RP is large and it is desired to promptly inform the driver of the situation around the host vehicle, control without delay can be realized.

-Modification 1 of the third embodiment-
Here, the control state of the host vehicle is determined based on changes in the inter-vehicle time THW and the margin time TTC representing the risk potential RP. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S3611, it is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle time THW between the host vehicle and the front obstacle has decreased rapidly. For example, when the differential value of the inter-vehicle time THW is smaller than a negative predetermined value that is appropriately set in advance to determine a change in the inter-vehicle time THW, the inter-vehicle time THW decreases rapidly, and the risk potential RP increases rapidly. And the process proceeds to step S3613.

  If a negative determination is made in step S3611, the process proceeds to step S3612, and it is determined whether or not the margin time TTC between the host vehicle and the front obstacle is rapidly decreasing. For example, when the differential value of the margin time TTC is smaller than a negative predetermined value that is appropriately set in advance to determine a change in the margin time TTC, the margin time TTC rapidly decreases and the risk potential RP increases rapidly. And the process proceeds to step S3613. If a negative determination is made in step S3612, the process proceeds to step S3614.

  In step S3613, the weighting coefficient K = 1 used in the differential calculation process in step S370 is set, and in step S3614, the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set.

  Thus, the controller 50 determines the magnitude of the control amount based on the change in the risk potential RP. Specifically, when the inter-vehicle time THW decreases rapidly, or when the margin time TTC decreases rapidly, it is determined that the risk potential RP increases rapidly and the control amount is large. Thereby, when the risk potential RP increases rapidly and it is desired to promptly inform the driver of the change in the situation around the host vehicle, control without delay can be realized.

-Modification 2 of the third embodiment-
Here, the control state of the host vehicle is determined based on the control repulsive force Fc calculated based on the risk potential RP. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the braking force control for generating the braking force is performed based on the risk potential RP. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S3621, it is determined whether or not the control repulsive force Fc calculated in the previous cycle is greater than zero. In the case of Fc ≦ 0, neither driving force control nor braking force control is performed, so the process proceeds to step S3622 and the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set. If Fc> 0, the process advances to step S3623 to determine whether or not the control repulsive force Fc is greater than the driver requested driving force Fda based on the accelerator pedal operation amount SA. In the case of Fc ≦ Fda, the driving force control for reducing the driving force is performed, but the braking force control for generating the braking force is not performed. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S3624 and the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set. .

  In the case of Fc> Fda, since the driving force control and the braking force control are performed, the process proceeds to step S3625 and the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set.

  Thus, the controller 50 determines the magnitude of the control amount based on whether or not the braking force control for generating the braking force on the host vehicle is being performed. Specifically, when the control repulsive force Fc is larger than the driver required driving force Fda corresponding to the accelerator pedal operation amount SA and the braking force correction amount ΔDb (= Fc−Fda) is generated, the control amount is Judge that it is big. Thereby, not only the driving force is reduced, but also the control without delay can be realized when it is necessary to generate a braking force to decelerate the host vehicle.

-Modification 3 of the third embodiment-
Here, the control state of the host vehicle is determined based on the additional reaction force applied to the accelerator pedal 61 according to the risk potential RP, that is, the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S3631, it is determined whether braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control according to the risk potential RP are currently being performed. If a negative determination is made in step S3631, the process proceeds to step S3632, and the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set. If the determination in step S3631 is affirmative and braking / driving force control and operation reaction force control have already been performed, the process proceeds to step S3633. In step S3633, it is determined whether or not the accelerator pedal reaction force control command value FA calculated in the previous cycle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value FA1. The threshold value FA1 is set in advance as a value sufficiently larger than a reaction force control command value FA that is generated when the host vehicle travels following the preceding vehicle in a state where, for example, the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control are being performed. Set it appropriately.

  If FA <FA1, the process advances to step S3634 to set the weighting coefficient K = 0. When FA ≧ FA1, it is determined that a large operating reaction force is applied to the accelerator pedal 61 and the risk potential RP is high, the process proceeds to step S3635, and the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set.

  Thus, the controller 50 determines the magnitude of the control amount based on the operation reaction force generated by the driving operation device. Specifically, it is determined that the control amount is large when the reaction force control command value FA of the accelerator pedal 61 that is a driving operation device is equal to or greater than a predetermined value FA1. Thereby, when the risk potential RP is large and it is desired to promptly inform the driver of the situation around the host vehicle, control without delay can be realized.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The basic configuration of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the filter characteristics are switched based on the driver's intention to override, and in the third embodiment, the filter characteristics are switched based on the control state of the host vehicle. In the fourth embodiment, the filter characteristics are switched based on the traveling environment of the host vehicle. Here, the traveling environment represents one in which a sudden change in the risk potential RP is predicted when the host vehicle travels in the environment. Here, in particular, the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the front obstacle is used as the traveling environment.

  The operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the fourth embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 32 is a flowchart of a processing procedure of the driving operation assist control processing in the controller 50 of the fourth embodiment. This processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 50 msec. The processing in steps S510 to S550 is the same as the processing in steps S110 to S150 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S560, the traveling environment of the host vehicle is determined. This processing will be described with reference to FIG. In step S5601, it is determined whether the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle read in step S530 and the front obstacle is equal to or less than a predetermined value D1. The predetermined value D1 is set so as to determine a state where the risk potential RP is high in a region where the operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control are operated. For example, the predetermined value D1 is set so as to be switched according to the host vehicle speed Vh. D1 = 15 m when the host vehicle speed Vh ≧ 80 km / h, D1 = 7 m when the host vehicle speed Vh is 40 to 80 km / h, the host vehicle speed. D1 = 5 m when Vh ≦ 40 km / h.

  If it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance D1 ≦ D1 in consideration of the host vehicle speed Vh and the risk potential RP is high, the process proceeds to step S5602, and the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set. On the other hand, if it is determined that D> D1, the process advances to step S5603 to set the weighting coefficient K = 0.

  Thus, after running environment judgment is performed at Step S560, it progresses to Step S570. In step S570, each of the output values of the first filter 51a and the second filter 51b is weighted using the weighting coefficient K set in step S560, and the relative speed Vr is calculated. Note that when the driving environment changes and the weighting coefficient K changes from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0, the weighting coefficient K can be gradually changed as in the first embodiment described above.

  The processing after step S580 is the same as the processing after step S180 in the flowchart of FIG.

Thus, in the fourth embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be achieved.
The controller 50 detects the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle and the obstacle as the traveling environment, and filters the inter-vehicle distance D when the inter-vehicle distance D is smaller than a predetermined value D1 set to determine that the obstacle is close. Change characteristics to high response. When the obstacle is at a short distance, the risk potential RP is high and, for example, the host vehicle is traveling in an urban area or a congested road, and it is predicted that acceleration and deceleration of the preceding vehicle is intense. Therefore, by changing the filter characteristic to a high response, it becomes possible to transmit the fluctuation of the inter-vehicle distance D to the driver without delay. In addition, since the predetermined value D1 is switched according to the host vehicle speed Vh, it is possible to achieve both reduction in control delay when the risk potential RP is high and smooth control when the risk potential RP is not high.

-Modification of the fourth embodiment-
Here, the traveling environment of the host vehicle is determined based on the host vehicle speed Vh. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S5611, it is determined whether the host vehicle speed Vh read in step S510 is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vh1. The predetermined value Vh1 is defined as a reference for determining whether or not the host vehicle is traveling at a high speed. For example, the predetermined value Vh1 is set to a predetermined value Vh1 = 70 km / h. When the host vehicle speed Vh ≦ Vh1, it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a general road or city area, and the risk potential RP is likely to fluctuate rapidly due to deceleration of a front obstacle, etc., and the process proceeds to step S5612. Set the weighting coefficient K = 1. On the other hand, if it is determined that Vh> Vh1, the process advances to step S5613 to set the weighting coefficient K = 0.

  Thus, the controller 50 detects the host vehicle speed Vh as the travel environment, and when the host vehicle speed Vh is smaller than the predetermined value Vh1 set to determine that the host vehicle speed Vh is high, the host vehicle speed Vh is the predetermined value Vh1. The filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with the case of larger. When the host vehicle speed Vh is not traveling at high speed, for example, the host vehicle is traveling on a road in an urban area, and it is predicted that acceleration and deceleration of the preceding vehicle is intense. Therefore, by changing the filter characteristic to a high response, it is possible to convey the situation around the host vehicle to the driver without delay.

<< Fifth Embodiment >>
Below, the driving assistance device for vehicles by the 5th embodiment of the present invention is explained. FIG. 35 shows a system diagram of the vehicle driving assistance device 3 according to the fifth embodiment. In the vehicular driving operation assisting device 3 shown in FIG. 35, portions having the same functions as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIG. 35, the vehicle driving assistance device 3 further includes a navigation device 37 including a GPS receiver 38, and the controller 50 </ b> B travels the host vehicle based on information obtained from the navigation device 37. Determine the environment. In addition, the navigation apparatus 37 shall preserve | save the road attribute regarding the road where the own vehicle is drive | working, and the shape of the curve which exists ahead of the road where the own vehicle drive | works in the road information database. The road attribute indicates whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is an expressway, a general road other than the expressway (for example, a national road or a prefectural road), or an urban road (for example, a municipal road) that runs in an urban area, that is, indicates the type of the road. Yes. Here, it is determined whether the road on which the vehicle travels as a road attribute representing the travel environment is a city road that travels in an urban area where many houses and shops are lined up.

The travel environment determination process in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is executed in step S560 of the flowchart shown in FIG.
In step S5621, information representing the road attribute of the road on which the host vehicle travels is captured from the navigation device 37. In step S5622, based on the road attribute information captured in step S5621 and the current position information of the host vehicle obtained from the GPS receiver 38, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on a city road. If the host vehicle is traveling on a city street, it is determined that the risk potential RP is likely to change suddenly due to deceleration of the front obstacle, etc., and the process proceeds to step S5623 where the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set. On the other hand, if the host vehicle is not traveling on a city road, the process proceeds to step S5624, where the weighting coefficient K = 0 is set.

Thus, in the fifth embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be achieved.
When the controller 50B detects the type (road attribute) of the road on which the host vehicle travels as the travel environment, and detects that the host vehicle is traveling in the city, the controller 50B travels outside the city Compared with, the filter characteristics are changed to high response. When the host vehicle is traveling in an urban area, there is a high possibility that the preceding vehicle will suddenly decelerate, so by changing the filter characteristics to a high response, the change in the inter-vehicle distance D can be reflected in the control without delay. it can.

-Modification of the fifth embodiment-
Here, the traveling environment of the host vehicle is determined based on the shape of a curve existing ahead of the road on which the host vehicle travels. Specifically, it is determined whether the preceding vehicle is traveling at a speed at which the preceding vehicle can travel without departing from the curve ahead. This process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S5631, the curve curvature ρc of the curve existing ahead of the road where the host vehicle is present is read from the navigation device 37. In step S5632, an appropriate turning vehicle speed Vs for traveling without departing from the curve ahead is calculated based on the curve curvature ρc read in step S5631. The appropriate turning vehicle speed Vs can be calculated from the following (Expression 7) using a preset appropriate turning acceleration YG.
Vs = √ (ρc × YG) (Expression 7)

  In step S5633, for example, the vehicle speed Vf of the preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle is calculated from the host vehicle speed Vh and the relative speed Vr, and the preceding vehicle speed Vf is compared with the appropriate turning vehicle speed Vs calculated in step S5632. In the case of Vf> Vs, it is predicted that the speed reduction operation is performed so that the preceding vehicle does not deviate from the curve. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S5634 and the weighting coefficient K = 1 is set. On the other hand, if Vf ≦ Vs, the process advances to step S5635 to set the weighting coefficient K = 0.

  As described above, the controller 50B detects the shape of the curve existing ahead of the road on which the host vehicle travels as the travel environment, and calculates an appropriate vehicle speed Vs for traveling without departing from the curve. Then, the speed Vf of the obstacle ahead of the host vehicle is calculated, and when the speed Vf of the obstacle traveling on the curve is larger than the appropriate vehicle speed Vs, the filter characteristic is made to be more responsive than when the speed is smaller than the appropriate vehicle speed Vs. change. When the obstacle is entering the curve at high speed, it is predicted that the obstacle will decelerate, so the change of the inter-vehicle distance D is reflected in the control without delay by changing the filter characteristics to high response. Can do.

<< Sixth Embodiment >>
The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 38 shows the configuration of the vehicle driving assistance device 4 according to the sixth embodiment. In FIG. 38, portions having the same functions as those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The vehicle driving operation assisting device 4 according to the sixth embodiment performs only the braking / driving force control based on the risk potential RP of the host vehicle in the controller 50C, and does not perform the operation reaction force control. Therefore, the vehicular driving operation assisting device 4 does not include the accelerator pedal reaction force generating device 70 that causes the accelerator pedal 61 to generate an operation reaction force.

  The operation of the vehicle driving operation assisting device 4 in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 50 msec. The processing in steps S710 to S800 is the same as the processing in steps S110 to S200 in the flowchart of FIG.

In step S810, the driving force correction amount ΔDa and the braking force correction amount ΔDb calculated in step S800 are output to the driving force control device 60 and the braking force control device 90, respectively.
Instead of the override intention determination process in step S760, the override intention determination using the lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle described in the second embodiment can be performed. Further, instead of the override intention determination process, the control state determination process and the traveling environment determination process described in the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment, respectively, can be performed.

  In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the accelerator pedal operation reaction force control and the braking / driving force control according to the risk potential RP around the host vehicle are performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the braking / driving force control can be performed as in the sixth embodiment, and at least one of the accelerator pedal reaction force control and the braking / driving force control is configured. Can do. It is also possible to perform either driving force control or braking force control. Moreover, the brake pedal 91 can be used as a driving operation device, and the reaction force generated in the brake pedal 91 can be controlled according to the risk potential RP.

  In the first to sixth embodiments described above, the inter-vehicle time THW and the margin time TTC between the host vehicle and the obstacle are calculated as the risk potential RP representing the degree of approach to the obstacle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least a margin time TTC using the relative speed Vr between the host vehicle and the obstacle can be calculated as the risk potential RP. It is also possible to calculate the risk potential RP by adding the inter-vehicle time THW and the margin time TTC.

  In the first to sixth embodiments described above, the controllers 50, 50A, 50B, and 50C have been described as including the differential operation device 51. However, the differential operation device 51 is separated from the controllers 50, 50A, 50B, and 50C. It is also possible to provide it independently. In this case, the differential calculation device 51 switches the filter characteristics in accordance with commands from the controllers 50, 50A, 50B, and 50C when performing differential calculation on the inter-vehicle distance D detected by the laser radar 10.

  In the first to sixth embodiments described above, any one of the driving environment of the host vehicle, the control state, and the driving intention of the driver is used to change the filter characteristics of the differential calculation filters 51a and 51b. However, it is also possible to change the filter characteristics by combining them. For example, the weighting coefficient K can be selected by selecting high from the weighting coefficients K corresponding to various conditions.

  In the first to sixth embodiments described above, the vehicle speed sensor 20 functions as the own vehicle speed detection means, the laser radar 10 functions as the inter-vehicle distance detection means, and the differential calculation device 51 changes the filter means and the filter characteristics. The controllers 50, 50A, 50B, 50C function as risk potential calculation means, driving intention detection means, winker operation detection means, control amount determination means, and obstacle speed calculation means, and the controllers 50, 50A, 50B. , 50C, accelerator pedal reaction force generating device 70, driving force control device 60, and braking force control device 90 can function as control means. The accelerator pedal stroke sensor 62 functions as an accelerator pedal operation detection unit, the steering angle sensor 30 functions as a steering angle detection unit, the camera device 35 functions as a lateral position detection unit, and the navigation device 37 functions as a road attribute detection unit. The navigation device 37 and the controller 50B can function as a curve shape detecting unit. Furthermore, the weighting units 51c and 51d of the differential operation device 51 can function as weighting means, and the addition unit 51e can function as addition means. The above description is merely an example, and when interpreting the invention, there is no limitation or restriction on the correspondence between the items described in the above embodiment and the items described in the claims.

1 is a system diagram of a vehicle driving assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The figure explaining the ranging principle of a radar apparatus. The figure which shows an example of the detection result by a radar apparatus. The figure explaining a driving force control apparatus. The figure which shows the relationship between an accelerator pedal operation amount and a request | requirement driving force. The figure explaining a braking force control device. The figure which shows the relationship between the amount of brake pedal operations, and a request | requirement braking force. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving operation assistance control program in 1st Embodiment. The figure explaining the calculation method of the predicted course of the own vehicle. The figure explaining the calculation method of the predicted course of the own vehicle. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of an override intention judgment process. The figure which shows the structure of a differential arithmetic unit. The figure which shows the relationship between the characteristic of the calculated relative speed, and a weighting coefficient. The flowchart explaining the weighting coefficient setting method. (A) (b) The figure explaining the calculation method of control repulsive force. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of a control repulsive force calculation process. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of a braking / driving force correction amount calculation process. The figure explaining the characteristic of driving force correction and braking force correction. The figure which shows the relationship between control repulsive force and an accelerator pedal reaction force control command value. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the override intention judgment process based on the inter-vehicle distance. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the override intention judgment process based on a steering angle. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the override intention judgment process based on a winker operation. The system diagram of the driving assistance device for vehicles by a 2nd embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving operation assistance control program in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the override intention judgment process based on the horizontal position in a lane. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the override intention judgment process based on the change of the horizontal position in a lane. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving operation assistance control program in 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control state judgment process based on a risk potential. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control state judgment process based on the change of a risk potential. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control state judgment process based on a control repulsive force. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control state judgment process based on an accelerator pedal additional reaction force. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving operation assistance control program in 4th Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving | running | working environment judgment process based on the distance between vehicles. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving | running | working environment judgment process based on the own vehicle speed. The system diagram of the driving assistance device for vehicles by a 5th embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the travel environment judgment process based on a road attribute. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving | running | working environment judgment process based on a curve shape. The system diagram of the driving assistance device for vehicles by a 6th embodiment. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the driving operation assistance control program in 6th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10: Laser radar 20: Vehicle speed sensor 30: Steering angle sensor 35 Camera apparatus 37: Navigation apparatus 40: Obstacle detection apparatus 50, 50A, 50B, 50C: Controller 51: Differential calculation apparatus 60: Driving force control apparatus 61: Accelerator pedal 70: Accelerator pedal reaction force generator 90: Braking force control device 91: Brake pedal

Claims (18)

An inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle;
Filter means for differentiating the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection means and calculating a relative speed between the host vehicle and the obstacle;
Risk potential calculation means for calculating a risk potential representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the obstacle based on at least the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection means and the calculation result of the filter means;
Based on the risk potential calculated by the risk potential calculating means, at least an operation reaction force generated in a driving operation device for a driver to drive the host vehicle, and a braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle. Control means for controlling one of them;
Filter characteristic changing means for changing the filter characteristic of the filter means based on the driving intention of the driver ;
As the driver's driving intention, it comprises driving intention detection means for detecting an override intention in which the driver prioritizes his / her driving operation over control by the control means ,
The control means controls to decrease the driving force generated in the host vehicle or increase the braking force as the risk potential increases, and to increase the operation reaction force as the risk potential increases.
The filter means includes a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic and a high response filter having a high response filter characteristic,
The filter characteristic changing means includes weighting means for respectively weighting the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, the output of the low response filter weighted by the weighting means, and the output of the high response filter. And calculating means for calculating from the output, setting the weighting based on the driver's driving intention to change the filter characteristic of the filter means, and the driving intention detecting means having the override intention If it is determined , the vehicle driving operation assisting device is characterized in that the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with the case where there is no overriding intention . The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1,
The filter characteristic changing means gradually changes the weighting for the output of the low response filter and the weighting for the output of the high response filter when changing the weighting based on the driving intention of the driver. A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle. In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2,
Accelerator pedal operation detection means for detecting the operation state of the accelerator pedal is further provided,
The vehicle driving operation assisting device, wherein the driving intention detection means detects the override intention based on an operation state of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator pedal operation detection means . In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The driving intention assisting device for a vehicle, wherein the driving intention detecting unit detects the override intention based on a change within a predetermined period of the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detecting unit . In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A steering angle detection means for detecting the steering angle;
The driving intention assisting device for a vehicle, wherein the driving intention detecting unit detects the override intention based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting unit . In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2 ,
It further comprises a winker operation detecting means for detecting a winker operation state,
The vehicle driving operation assisting device, wherein the driving intention detection means detects the override intention based on the winker operation state detected by the winker operation detection means . In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A lateral position detecting means for detecting a lateral position in the lane of the host vehicle,
The driving intention assisting device for a vehicle, wherein the driving intention detecting means detects the override intention based on the lateral position in the lane detected by the lateral position detecting means . In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The control state further includes a control amount determining means for determining the magnitude of the control amount of the force controlled by the control means,
In addition to the change of the filter characteristic based on the driver's driving intention, the filter characteristic changing unit further reduces the control amount when the control amount determining unit determines that the control amount is large. Compared with the case where it has become, the said filter characteristic is changed into a high response, The driving operation assistance apparatus for vehicles characterized by the above-mentioned . The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to claim 8 ,
The vehicular driving operation assisting apparatus, wherein the control amount determination means determines the magnitude of the control amount from the magnitude of the risk potential calculated by the risk potential calculation means . The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to claim 8 ,
The control amount determining means determines the magnitude of the control amount based on a change in the risk potential calculated by the risk potential calculating means . The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to claim 8 ,
The control amount determination means determines the magnitude of the control amount based on whether or not the control means is performing a braking force control that generates a braking force on the host vehicle. Auxiliary device. The vehicle driving operation assistance device according to claim 8 ,
The vehicle operation assisting device for a vehicle, wherein the control amount determination means determines the magnitude of the control amount based on the operation reaction force generated by the driving operation device in the control means . The vehicular driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
The traveling environment is the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the obstacle,
In addition to the change of the filter characteristic based on the driver's driving intention, the filter characteristic changing means further has the inter-vehicle distance smaller than a predetermined value set to determine that the obstacle is at a short distance. In this case, the vehicle driving operation assisting device is characterized in that the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with a case where the inter-vehicle distance is larger than the predetermined value . The vehicular driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
It further comprises own vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the own vehicle speed,
The traveling environment is the own vehicle speed detected by the own vehicle speed detecting means,
In addition to the change of the filter characteristic based on the driver's driving intention, the filter characteristic changing means further, when the host vehicle speed is smaller than a predetermined value set to determine that it is high speed, The vehicle driving operation assistance device, wherein the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with a case where the host vehicle speed is larger than the predetermined value . The vehicular driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
The travel environment further includes road attribute detection means for detecting the type of road on which the host vehicle travels,
In addition to the change of the filter characteristic based on the driver's driving intention, the filter characteristic changing means further detects that the host vehicle is traveling in an urban area by the road attribute detecting means. A vehicle driving operation assisting device, wherein the filter characteristic is changed to a high response as compared with a case where the host vehicle is traveling outside a city area . The vehicular driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
As the traveling environment, a curve shape detecting means for detecting a shape of a curve existing ahead of a road on which the host vehicle travels and calculating an appropriate speed for traveling without departing from the curve;
An obstacle speed calculating means for calculating the speed of the obstacle;
In addition to the change of the filter characteristic based on the driver's driving intention, the filter characteristic changing means is further configured such that the speed of the obstacle traveling on the curve calculated by the obstacle speed calculating means is higher than the appropriate speed. Is larger, the filter characteristic is changed to a higher response than when the speed is smaller than the appropriate speed . Detect the distance between your vehicle and the obstacle in front of your vehicle,
  Using the filter means, the relative distance between the host vehicle and the obstacle is calculated by differentiating the detected inter-vehicle distance,
  Based on at least the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed, a risk potential representing the degree of approach of the host vehicle to the obstacle is calculated,
  Based on the risk potential, the driver controls at least one of an operation reaction force generated in a driving operation device for driving the host vehicle and a braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle,
  Based on the driver's driving intention, change the filter characteristics of the filter means,
  As the driver's driving intention, the driver detects an override intention that gives priority to his / her driving operation over the control of the operation reaction force and / or the braking / driving force,
  As the risk potential increases, the driving force generated in the host vehicle is reduced or the braking force is increased, and the control reaction force is increased as the risk potential increases.
  The filter means includes a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic and a high response filter having a high response filter characteristic,
  Weighting each of the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, calculating from the weighted output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, and driving intention of the driver The filter characteristic of the filter means is changed by setting the weighting based on the above, and when it is determined that the override intention is present, the filter characteristic is changed to a higher response than when there is no override intention. A method for assisting driving operation of a vehicle. An inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and an obstacle ahead of the host vehicle;
  Filter means for differentiating the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detecting means and calculating a relative speed between the host vehicle and the obstacle;
  Risk potential calculation means for calculating a risk potential representing the degree of approach of the vehicle to the obstacle based on at least the inter-vehicle distance detected by the inter-vehicle distance detection means and the calculation result of the filter means;
  Based on the risk potential calculated by the risk potential calculating means, at least an operation reaction force generated in a driving operation device for a driver to drive the host vehicle, and a braking / driving force generated in the host vehicle. Control means for controlling one of them;
  Filter characteristic changing means for changing the filter characteristic of the filter means based on the driving intention of the driver;
  As the driver's driving intention, it comprises driving intention detection means for detecting an override intention in which the driver prioritizes his / her driving operation over control by the control means,
  The control means controls to decrease the driving force generated in the host vehicle or increase the braking force as the risk potential increases, and to increase the operation reaction force as the risk potential increases.
  The filter means includes a low response filter having a low response filter characteristic and a high response filter having a high response filter characteristic,
  The filter characteristic changing means includes weighting means for respectively weighting the output of the low response filter and the output of the high response filter, the output of the low response filter weighted by the weighting means, and the output of the high response filter. Calculating means for calculating from the output, changing the filter characteristics of the filter means by setting the weighting based on the driving intention of the driver, and the override intention by the driving intention detection means And a vehicle driving operation assisting device that changes the filter characteristics to a higher response than when there is no intention to override.

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