JP5439766B2 - Inter-vehicle maintenance support device and inter-vehicle maintenance support method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for assisting a vehicle distance to be maintained.

  There is known a device that changes an operation reaction force of an accelerator pedal according to a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle. This device alerts the driver by detecting the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and increasing the reaction force of the accelerator pedal as the inter-vehicle distance decreases. And when a vehicle does not exist ahead or exists in the distance, variable control of an operation reaction force is not performed (refer to patent documents 1). There is also a device that detects the presence of a preceding vehicle and increases the reaction force in a pulsed manner to notify the driver of the detection (see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-166890 Japanese Patent No. 3573134

  However, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above, when the inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle ahead decreases gradually, the accelerator pedal reaction force also changes gradually, so that the driver changes the accelerator pedal reaction force. It is difficult to notice. Further, in the device described in Patent Document 2 described above, when the preceding vehicle is detected, the reaction force only increases momentarily, and when the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead decreases gradually, the accelerator pedal Since the reaction force also changes gradually, it is difficult for the driver to notice the change in the accelerator pedal reaction force.

The inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to the present invention is an inter-vehicle maintenance support device that generates an auxiliary operation reaction force and a main operation reaction force with respect to a driving operation device for a driver to drive the own vehicle. An obstacle detection means for detecting the situation of an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle , and a first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 based on the situation of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection means. calculating the inter-vehicle distance threshold computing means, based on the status of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means, the inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 in the larger second than the first headway distance threshold L * 1 of to the second headway distance threshold calculation means, when the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the obstacle has become the second headway distance threshold L * 2 or less, generated in the driving operation equipment auxiliary operation reaction force calculation for calculating the auxiliary operation reaction force to make Stage and, wherein when the headway distance L is further shrinks the first headway distance threshold L * 1 or less from the second headway distance threshold L * 2 is the the main is greater than the auxiliary operation reaction force operations and principal operation reaction force calculating means for calculating a reaction force, based on the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation means and the main operation reaction force said auxiliary operation calculated by the calculating means the reaction force, and the main operation reaction force, the auxiliary Based on the operating reaction force generating means for generating the operating reaction force and the main operating reaction force in the driving operation device, and the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means, the operating reaction force generating means An operation reaction force control means for controlling an operation reaction force generated in the operating device, and the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation means increases the reaction force value from zero to a reaction force value C as the auxiliary operation reaction force. Maintains the reaction force value C, and then the reaction force value When the reaction force value D is lowered to a smaller reaction force value D, the inclination d until the reaction force value C drops to the reaction force value D is changed from the reaction force value zero to the reaction force value C. The operation reaction force control means generates the auxiliary operation reaction force before generating the main operation reaction force in the driving operation device.
Headway distance maintenance supporting method according to the present invention, there is provided a headway distance maintenance supporting method of the driver to generate the auxiliary operation reaction force and principal operation reaction force against the driving operation equipment for operating manipulating vehicle, said vehicle An obstacle detection step for detecting the state of an obstacle existing ahead of the vehicle, and a first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 based on the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection step . A second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 larger than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 is calculated based on the inter-vehicle distance threshold calculating step and the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting step . When the second inter-vehicle distance threshold value calculating step and the inter-vehicle distance L between the obstacle and the host vehicle are equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 2 auxiliary operation reaction force calculation for calculating the auxiliary operation reaction force for causing the Degree and, wherein when the headway distance L is further shrinks the first headway distance threshold L * 1 or less from the second headway distance threshold L * 2 is the the main is greater than the auxiliary operation reaction force A main operation reaction force calculation step for calculating an operation reaction force, and the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force calculated in the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation step and the main operation reaction force calculation step. operation and reaction force and generating the main operation reaction force in the driving operation equipment operation reaction force generation step, based on the status of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting step, the operation in the operation reaction force generating step An operation reaction force control step for controlling an operation reaction force generated in the operating device, and in the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation step , the reaction force value is increased from zero to a reaction force value C as the auxiliary operation reaction force. After that, the reaction force value C is maintained, When the reaction force value C is lowered to a reaction force value D smaller than the reaction force value C, the gradient d from the reaction force value C to the reaction force value D is changed from the reaction force value zero to the reaction force value C. The operation reaction force control step generates the auxiliary operation reaction force before the main operation reaction force is generated in the driving operation device.

  According to the present invention, the change in the operation reaction force of the driving operation device can be effectively recognized by the driver by applying the auxiliary operation reaction force equal to or less than the main operation reaction force before applying the main operation reaction force.

--- First embodiment ---
A first embodiment of an inter-vehicle maintenance support device and an inter-vehicle maintenance support method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a configuration of an inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle on which the inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 is mounted.

  First, the configuration of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 will be described. The laser radar 10 is attached to a front grill part or a bumper part of the vehicle and scans infrared light pulses in the horizontal direction. The laser radar 10 measures the reflected wave of the infrared light pulse reflected by a plurality of reflectors in front (usually the rear end of the front vehicle), and determines the distance between the plurality of front vehicles from the arrival time of the reflected wave. Detect the distance and its direction. The detected inter-vehicle distance and presence direction are output to the controller 50. In the present embodiment, the presence direction of the front object can be expressed as a relative angle with respect to the host vehicle. A forward area scanned by the laser radar 10 is about ± 6 deg with respect to the front of the host vehicle, and a forward object existing in this range is detected.

  The controller 50 can be constituted by a microcomputer, for example, and controls the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 as a whole. The controller 50 detects an obstacle situation around the host vehicle from the host vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed sensor 20 and the distance information input from the laser radar 10. Further, the controller 50 calculates first and second inter-vehicle distance thresholds to be described later based on the obstacle situation. Furthermore, the controller 50 performs the following control according to the first and second inter-vehicle distance thresholds.

  The inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 according to the present embodiment appropriately assists the driving operation of the driver (driver) by controlling the reaction force generated when the accelerator pedal is operated. Therefore, the controller 50 calculates the first and second inter-vehicle distance threshold values from the obstacle situation. The controller 50 calculates a target pedal reaction force with respect to the calculated first and second inter-vehicle distance thresholds. Then, the controller 50 outputs the calculated target pedal reaction force to the accelerator pedal reaction force control device 60.

  The accelerator pedal reaction force control device 60 controls the torque generated by the accelerator pedal actuator 61 according to the reaction force control amount output from the controller 50. The accelerator pedal actuator 61 is incorporated in the accelerator pedal 62 and generates an operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal 62 with an arbitrary strength according to a command value from the accelerator pedal operation reaction force control device 60. Thereby, the pedaling force generated when the driver operates the accelerator pedal 62 which is a driving operation device is arbitrarily controlled.

  The accelerator pedal actuator 61 is provided with an output shaft (not shown) and a sensor 61a for detecting the rotation position of the output shaft. The output shaft is connected to a rotation shaft (not shown) of the accelerator pedal 62, and the rotation position of the output shaft detected by the sensor 61a uniquely corresponds to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 62. Therefore, in the present embodiment, this sensor 61a is used as an accelerator pedal operation amount sensor for detecting the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 62.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing processing performed by the controller 50. The obstacle recognizing means 51 calculates the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed from the preceding vehicle (the preceding vehicle) based on the signal input from the laser radar 10. Then, based on the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle, the relative speed, and the own vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed sensor 20, an obstacle condition ahead of the own vehicle is detected. The inter-vehicle distance threshold calculation unit 52 calculates the first and second inter-vehicle distance thresholds based on the calculation result of the obstacle recognition unit 51. The target pedal reaction force determining means 53 determines a target pedal reaction force to be applied to the accelerator pedal from the first and second inter-vehicle distance threshold values and the inter-vehicle distance.

  Next, the operation of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The outline of the operation will be described below. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the inter-vehicle maintenance support control processing in the controller 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that this processing content is continuously performed at regular intervals, for example, every 10 msec.

  First, in step S100, the traveling state of the host vehicle is read. Here, the traveling state is information on the traveling state of the host vehicle including the obstacle state in front of the host vehicle. Specifically, the inter-vehicle distance to the front obstacle (preceding vehicle) detected by the laser radar 10 and the existing direction, and the traveling vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 20 are read.

  In step S200, the situation of the front obstacle is recognized based on the driving state data read and recognized in step S100. Here, the relative position of the obstacle with respect to the host vehicle detected before the previous processing cycle and stored in a memory (not shown), its moving direction / speed, and the current running state data obtained in step S100 Thus, the relative position of the current obstacle with respect to the host vehicle, the moving direction and the moving speed thereof are recognized. Then, it is recognized how the obstacle is arranged in front of the host vehicle and how it moves relative to the traveling of the host vehicle.

In step S300, a first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ for the obstacle is calculated. The process performed here is demonstrated using the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S301, an inter-vehicle distance threshold (steady term) L * _h1 is calculated. The inter-vehicle distance threshold (steady term) is an equivalent term when the preceding vehicle is at a constant speed, and is set according to the vehicle speed VSP of the host vehicle and the relative speed Vr with the obstacle (leading vehicle) in this embodiment.
L * _h1 = f (VSP, Vr)

In step S302, the preceding vehicle speed Va is calculated from the own vehicle speed VSP recognized in step S100 and step S200 and the relative speed Vr with respect to the preceding vehicle by the equation (1).
Va = VSP + Vr (1)

In step S303, the acceleration / deceleration αa of the preceding vehicle is calculated.
αa = d (Va) / dt (2)

In step S304, it is determined whether an alarm flag Fw calculated in step S400, which will be described later, is set as a condition for calculating and updating the inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term).
1) If the alarm flag is not set (Fw = OFF), the process proceeds to step S305.
2) If the warning flag is set (Fw = ON), the parameter for the inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term) is not updated, and the process proceeds to step S308.

In step S305, the vehicle is decelerated. In this embodiment, the determination is made based on whether or not the deceleration of the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value.
1) When the preceding vehicle acceleration / deceleration is less than the specified value (αa ≦ α0) Set the preceding vehicle deceleration judgment flag Fdec_a = ON
2) Other than above (αa> α0) Set the preceding vehicle deceleration judgment flag Fdec_a = OFF.
Here, α0 is a threshold value for performing deceleration determination. In addition, acceleration is positive and deceleration is negative both for the preceding vehicle acceleration / deceleration αa and the deceleration determination threshold α0.

In step S306, when it is determined in step S305 that the preceding vehicle has decelerated, an inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term) parameter Tr1 is calculated and updated according to the following equation.
Tr1 = (L−L * _h1 ) / Vr (3)
From the above equation, Tr1 is expressed as the relative speed coefficient time corresponding to the margin distance of the actual inter-vehicle distance L with respect to the inter-vehicle distance threshold (steady term) L * _h1 when the preceding vehicle starts decelerating. .

In step S307, if it is determined in step S305 that the preceding vehicle has not decelerated, the inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term) parameter Tr1 is cleared.
Tr1 = 0 (4)

In step S308, an inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term) L * _r1 is calculated according to the following equation.
L * _r1 = Tr1 x Vr (5)

In step S309, a first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ is calculated. In the present embodiment, the distance is calculated as the sum of the inter-vehicle distance threshold (stationary term) L * _h1 and the inter-vehicle distance threshold (transient term) L * _r1 according to the following equation.
L * ₁ = L * _h1 + L * _r1 (6)

In step S400, an alarm flag is set and cleared.
1) When L * ₁ > L, alarm flag Fw = ON.
2) Other than above (L * ₁ ≤ L) Alarm flag Fw = OFF.

In step S500, a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ for the obstacle is calculated. The second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ is a value (L * ₁ <L * ₂ ) larger than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ described above. The second inter-vehicle distance threshold value calculation process performed in step S500 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The processing performed in step S500 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S510, the gradient of the own vehicle travel path is estimated.
First, the torque amplification rate of the engine torque torque converter R _t, the automatic transmission gear ratio R _at, when the differential gear ratio is R _def, the relationship of the drive shaft torque T _w and the engine torque T _e becomes the following equation.
_{T w = R t R at R} def T e (7)

The relationship between the brake fluid pressure command value P _br and the brake torque T _br is _expressed by the following equation when the brake cylinder area is A _b , the rotor effective radius is R _b , and the pad friction coefficient is μ _b .
T _br = 8A _b R _b μ _b P _br (8)

Furthermore, air resistance F _a and rolling resistance F _r acting on the vehicle can be calculated by the following equation.
F _a = μ _a s _v VSP ² (9)
F _r = μ _r M _vg (10)
Here, μ _a is an air resistance coefficient, s _v is a front projection area, μ _r is a rolling resistance coefficient, M _v is a vehicle weight, and g is a gravitational acceleration.

By estimating the host vehicle acceleration from the engine torque and the drive shaft torque generated by the brake hydraulic pressure, air resistance, and rolling resistance, and comparing with the actual acceleration, the slope SLP of the host vehicle travel path is expressed by the following equation (11 ).
_{SLP = {T w -T br -R} w (F a + F r)} / M v R w -s · VSP (11)
Where s: Laplace operator, R _w : coefficient for gradient calculation

In step S520, a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ is calculated. The second inter-vehicle distance threshold value calculation process performed in step S520 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The processing performed in step S520 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S521, the preceding vehicle speed dependent reference distance L * _h2 is calculated from the map shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the preceding vehicle speed-dependent reference distance is calculated so as to control the output amount of the engine torque with respect to the accelerator pedal depression amount from a further distance as the preceding vehicle speed increases.

  In step S522, the gradient dependent correction time T_slp is calculated from the map shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, when the slope is positive, that is, uphill, the slope-dependent correction time is set to a negative value, and conversely, when the slope is negative, that is, downhill, it is set to positive. The larger the value is, the larger the absolute value of the gradient dependent correction time is set. Furthermore, when the absolute value of the gradient becomes a predetermined value or more, the absolute value of the gradient dependent correction time is fixed to the predetermined value. By multiplying the correction time T_slp by the relative speed Vr with the obstacle, the preceding vehicle speed dependent reference distance calculated in step S521 is corrected. The process of correcting the preceding vehicle speed dependent reference distance will be described later.

In step S523, a relative speed dependent correction distance L * _r2 is calculated. A relative speed dependent correction distance L * _r2 is calculated from the predetermined reference time T1 and the gradient dependent correction time T_slp calculated in step S522 according to the following equation.
L * _r2 = (T1 + T_slp) · (−Vr) (12)

In step S524, a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ is calculated. From the preceding vehicle speed dependent reference distance L * _h2 calculated in step S521 and the relative speed dependent correction distance L * _r2 , a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ is calculated according to the following equation.
L * ₂ = L * _h2 + L * _r2 (13)

In step S530, an inter-vehicle distance deviation is calculated from the actual inter-vehicle distance L and the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ .
The processing performed in step S530 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S531, it is determined whether or not the actual inter-vehicle distance L is smaller than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ . If YES, the process proceeds to step S532, and calculates the inter-vehicle distance deviation △ _{L 2} according to the following equation.
ΔL ₂ = L * ₂ −L (14)
If NO in step S531 proceeds to step S533, it clears the inter-vehicle distance deviation △ _{L 2.}

---- About the auxiliary operation reaction force ---
In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 of the present embodiment, when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or smaller than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ (L ≦ L * ₂ ), an auxiliary target accelerator pedal reaction force described later is used. (Auxiliary operation reaction force) τp is generated. The auxiliary operation reaction force is also referred to as pre-reaction force. As a scene for generating the auxiliary operation reaction force, when approaching the preceding vehicle, an approaching degree is assumed so that the inter-vehicle distance can be maintained by the accelerator operation. As shown in FIG. It is generated before the reaction force is generated. In step S600 of FIG. 4, a target accelerator pedal reaction force τp is calculated. The target accelerator pedal reaction force τp is specifically generated as shown in FIG.

  A series of operations of the auxiliary operation reaction force will be described. The auxiliary operation reaction force is first increased to the reaction force C with the inclination c. After the holding time of the predetermined time t2 has elapsed with the reaction force C, the reaction force C is decreased to the reaction force D with an inclination d. Here, the reaction force C and the inclination c are, for example, a reaction force value (reaction force) that allows the driver to recognize the reaction force in a situation in which the driver moves relatively easily to maintain the inter-vehicle distance by the accelerator operation. Value C) and slope, and holding time t2 is, for example, about 1 second. Thus, by generating the auxiliary operation reaction force, it is possible to assist the driver to release the accelerator pedal in accordance with the degree of approach with the preceding vehicle. In addition, the slope d is set to a value that is less than the slope c, and the reaction force value of the reaction force D (reaction force value D) is set to a value that is smaller than the reaction force value C. Reaction force can be reduced. By setting the inclination d to a value smaller than the inclination c, the subsequent main operation reaction force (described later) can be effectively transmitted to the driver.

  If the accelerator pedal operation amount (depression amount) is small, it is difficult to transmit the change in the operation reaction force to the driver. Therefore, the predetermined reaction force values C and D and the inclination c are changed according to the accelerator opening Acc. May be. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, in the region where the accelerator opening is Acc1 or less, the reaction force values C and D are increased as the accelerator opening is smaller. Thereby, even if the accelerator operation amount of the driver is small, a larger reaction force can be applied, and the driver can recognize the accelerator reaction force. In the region where the accelerator opening is greater than Acc1 and less than or equal to Acc2 (Acc1 <Acc2), the reaction force values C and D are set to constant values. The accelerator opening between Acc1 and Acc2 corresponds to the case where the accelerator operation amount is in the normal range. At this time, if the accelerator reaction force is too strong, the driver feels uncomfortable, so the value is set small enough not to cause discomfort. Further, in a region where the accelerator opening is larger than Acc2, the reaction force values C and D are increased as the accelerator opening increases. When the accelerator opening is large, the driver strongly steps on the accelerator. Therefore, if the reaction force value is small, it is difficult for the driver to recognize it. Therefore, the reaction force can be recognized by the driver by increasing the reaction force value. Such a map is not limited to the reaction force values C and D, and the same applies to the inclination c.

  The predetermined reaction force values C and D and the predetermined inclination c may be changed according to the road surface gradient. As shown in FIG. 14, when the slope is a positive value, that is, when the slope is climbing like a slope, the reaction force is reduced, thereby suppressing the occurrence of an excessive accelerator pedal reaction force and reducing the uncomfortable feeling. it can. As described above, the gradient is estimated from the equation (11) in step S510.

Further, the predetermined reaction force values C and D and the predetermined inclination c may be changed according to the arrival time to the inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ for generating the main operation reaction force (arrival time calculation, reaction force (See below for value calculation). As shown in FIG. 23, TTW2 is a correction value corresponding to the arrival time, and is increased when the arrival time is small, and is decreased as the arrival time increases. By reducing TTW2 when the arrival time is large, it is possible to reduce the reaction force, suppress the occurrence of an excessive accelerator pedal reaction force, and reduce a sense of incongruity.
・ Arrival time = (L * ₂ -L * ₁ ) / (Relative speed)
・ Reaction force value (after correction) = Reaction force value (before correction) x (TTW2 / 100)

When the actual inter-vehicle distance L is longer than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ (L> L * ₂ ), the value of the target accelerator pedal reaction force (auxiliary operation reaction force) τp is set to zero.

In addition, when another preceding vehicle interrupts in front of the host vehicle, or when the control of the other inter-vehicle distance control device (ACC) (not shown) is switched to the control of the present embodiment, the detected inter-vehicle distance is When the second inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * ₂ is suddenly interrupted, “the reaction force value C is increased at the inclination c and decreased to the reaction force value D at the inclination d after the holding time t2 has elapsed at the reaction force value C. The target accelerator pedal reaction force τp is calculated so as to perform the above-described series of operations of the auxiliary operation reaction force. However, if it is determined that the time until the condition for calculating the main operation reaction force (first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ ) described later is interrupted is short, for example, the inter-vehicle distance is the first inter-vehicle distance after 1 second. When it is determined that the distance threshold L * ₁ is interrupted, only the main operation reaction force may be calculated. Thereby, the main operation reaction force can be effectively transmitted to the driver.

---- About the main operation reaction force ---
In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ (L ≦ L * ₁ ), the target accelerator pedal reaction force (main operation reaction force) ) Τm is generated. The main operation reaction force is also referred to as the main reaction force. As the scene that generates the main operation reaction force, it is assumed that the driver will need to operate the brake when approaching the preceding vehicle, and assists in switching from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal. The purpose is to do. In step S700 of FIG. 4, a target accelerator pedal reaction force τm is calculated. The target accelerator pedal reaction force τm is specifically generated as shown in FIG.

  The operation of the main operation reaction force will be described. The main operation reaction force is first generated up to a predetermined reaction force value A with a predetermined inclination a. The accelerator pedal reaction force is lowered to a predetermined reaction force value B with a predetermined inclination b after the elapse of the holding time of the predetermined time t3 after the reaction force value A is generated. For example, the reaction force value A here is a value that makes it easy for the driver to recognize the reaction force from the accelerator pedal, and the inclination a is about the speed when switching to the brake pedal, and the holding time t3 is 0.5 seconds. Set with degree.

  If the accelerator pedal operation amount (depression amount) is small, it is difficult to transmit the change in the operation reaction force to the driver. Therefore, as in the case of the reaction forces C and D in the auxiliary operation reaction force described above (FIG. 13), The reaction force value A may be set according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal so that the reaction force value A increases as the pedal operation amount decreases. As a result, the main operation reaction force can be effectively provided and less uncomfortable.

Thereby, the driver can assist the operation of switching from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal. The reaction force value B is set to be smaller than the reaction force value A by multiplying the reaction force value A by a predetermined gain (gain Ka).
Reaction force value B = Reaction force value A x Ka
Here, the gain Ka is set to a value corresponding to the driver's accelerator depression amount. For example, the gain Ka is set to the maximum value of 0.8, and the driver's accelerator pedal depression amount (for example, the accelerator opening increase amount based on the accelerator opening when the main operation reaction force starts to be applied with the inclination a) ) Can be reduced as the value increases. FIG. 16 shows the relationship between the reaction force value B and the accelerator depression amount.

  As a result, after the main operation reaction force is given the reaction force value A for the holding time t3, the main operation reaction force is lowered to the reaction force value B. Therefore, the main operation reaction force can be effectively recognized by the driver, and the influence on the accelerator operation of the driver who intends to accelerate can be suppressed as in the case of overtaking the preceding vehicle. Further, when the accelerator pedal is stepped on by the driver's intention, the operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal is further reduced, so that a sense of incongruity due to an excessive operation reaction force can be reduced.

When the actual inter-vehicle distance L is longer than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ (L> L * ₁ ), the value of the target accelerator pedal reaction force τm is set to zero.

In step S800, the final target accelerator pedal reaction force τ is obtained, and the accelerator pedal reaction force control device 60 controls the reaction force generated by the accelerator pedal 62. The final target accelerator pedal reaction force is the result of the select high of the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force as shown in the following equation.
τ = max (τp, τm) (15)

According to the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved.
(1) As an operation reaction force of the accelerator pedal, an auxiliary operation reaction force equal to or less than the main operation reaction force is applied before the main operation reaction force is applied. Therefore, even if the auxiliary operation reaction force is applied, the main operation reaction force can be effectively recognized by the driver. In addition, after the main operation reaction force is continuously applied at the reaction force value A for a predetermined time, the operation reaction force is supplemented with a reaction force value B lower than the reaction force value A so as to reduce the strength of the operation reaction force. Configured to give). Therefore, the main operation reaction force can be effectively recognized by the driver, and the influence on the accelerator operation and the uncomfortable feeling of the driver who is willing to accelerate can be suppressed as in the case of overtaking the preceding vehicle. Thus, in the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the main operation reaction force can be effectively recognized by the driver.

(2) The target accelerator pedal reaction force (main operation reaction force) τm is generated when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ . As a result, for example, in situations where the driver needs to operate the brakes when approaching the preceding vehicle, the driver can be surely alerted by applying the main operation reaction force. Can support the switch to.

(3) When the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ , that is, before generating the main operation reaction force, the target accelerator pedal reaction force (auxiliary operation reaction force) τp is generated. Configured. As a result, for example, in a situation where the distance between the vehicles can be maintained by the accelerator operation when approaching the preceding vehicle, the driver can be urged to release his foot from the accelerator pedal by applying an auxiliary operation reaction force. The inter-vehicle distance can be maintained without brake operation.

(4) When the auxiliary operation reaction force is generated, the reaction force value C is increased at the inclination c. Thereby, the uncomfortable feeling given to the driver can be suppressed.

(5) The auxiliary operation reaction force is gradually reduced before the main operation reaction force is generated. As a result, the difference in the strength of the operation reaction force from the subsequent main operation reaction force is increased while suppressing the uncomfortable feeling that the driver feels as if the operation reaction force has been lost due to the decrease in the auxiliary operation reaction force. Force can be recognized effectively. In particular, since the operation reaction force decrease speed (inclination d) when decreasing the auxiliary operation reaction force is lower than the increase speed (inclination c) of the operation reaction force when the auxiliary operation reaction force is generated, the auxiliary operation reaction force It is possible to effectively suppress a sense of incongruity felt by the driver as if the reaction force of the operation has been lost due to the decrease in.

(6) By configuring the reaction force value A to increase as the operation amount (depression amount) of the accelerator pedal is smaller, the driver can appropriately recognize the main operation reaction force according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal. .

(7) The above-described inclination a when generating the main operation reaction force is configured to be approximately as fast as when the pedal is switched to the brake pedal. Accordingly, the generation of the main operation reaction force can be accurately transmitted to the driver, and the pedal can be changed.

(8) The gain Ka is decreased as the amount of accelerator depression increases, and the reaction force value B of the main operation reaction force is decreased. Thereby, when the accelerator pedal is stepped on for the driver's intention, the uncomfortable feeling due to the excessive operation reaction force can be reduced.

--- Second Embodiment ---
A second embodiment of the inter-vehicle maintenance support device and inter-vehicle maintenance support method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that control is performed to decelerate the vehicle under a predetermined condition if the driver does not operate the accelerator pedal. . In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and different points will be mainly described. Points that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 17 is a system diagram illustrating a configuration of the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 18 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle on which the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 is mounted. 92 is a brake pedal, 93 is a braking force control device, and 94 is a brake (braking device) provided on each wheel.

The controller 50 calculates the target deceleration based on the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ and the operation state of the accelerator pedal 62. Further, the controller 50 calculates a target braking hydraulic pressure based on the calculated target deceleration and outputs the target braking hydraulic pressure to the braking force control device 93. The braking force control device 93 generates a braking fluid pressure so as to achieve the target braking fluid pressure output from the controller 50, and supplies the braking pressure oil to the braking device 94. As a result, the vehicle is decelerated at the target deceleration.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing processing performed by the controller 50. The target deceleration calculation means 56 is generated in the vehicle based on the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ calculated by the inter-vehicle distance threshold calculation means 52 and the driver's accelerator operation status determined by the driver operation determination means 54. The target deceleration to be calculated is calculated. The braking force control amount calculation means 57 calculates the target braking hydraulic pressure based on the target deceleration calculated by the target deceleration calculation means 56 and the driver's accelerator operation status determined by the driver operation determination means 54.

  FIG. 20 shows a processing procedure of the inter-vehicle maintenance support control processing in the controller 50 of the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a target deceleration calculation process in step S900 and a braking force control amount calculation process in step S1000 are added.

  The process performed in step S900 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S901, it is determined whether or not the accelerator opening Acc is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Acc0. If a positive determination is made in step S901, the process proceeds to step S903, and 1 is set to the accelerator operation flag Facc. If a negative determination is made in step S901, the process proceeds to step S905, and the accelerator operation flag Facc is cleared. Here, the accelerator operation determination threshold Acc0 is set as a small value enough to determine whether or not the accelerator is fully closed.

In step S907, the target deceleration rate α * ₂ is calculated in accordance with the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ and the driver's accelerator operation determined in step S901.
(1) When the accelerator is operated (Facc = 1)
α * ₂ = 0
(2) When the accelerator is not operated (Facc = 0)
α * ₂ = Kv × Kr2 × (L * ₂ − L)
Here, Kr2 is a gain for calculating the target deceleration generated in the vehicle. Note that α * ₂ is a positive value for acceleration and a negative value for deceleration. Further, the target deceleration rate alpha * _{2 2} may be provided with a variation limit of [Delta] [alpha] * _2.

In step S1000, a braking force control amount is calculated according to the target deceleration rate α * ₂ calculated in step S900. First, the deceleration α * eng generated by the engine brake is subtracted from the target deceleration α * ₂ , and the target deceleration α * brk generated by the brake (braking device) is calculated.
(1) When the accelerator is operated (Facc = 1)
α * brk = 0
(2) When the accelerator is not operated (Facc = 0)
α * brk = α * + α * eng
Here, α * brk and α * eng are set to positive values for acceleration and negative values for deceleration.

Next, the target braking hydraulic pressure P * is calculated from the target deceleration rate α * brk generated by the brake.
(1) When the accelerator is operated (Facc = 1)
P * = 0
(2) When accelerator is not operated (Facc = 0)
P * = − (Kb × α * brk)
Here, Kb is a gain for converting the target deceleration to the target brake hydraulic pressure, and is determined by vehicle specifications. Then, the braking force control device 93 generates a braking fluid pressure so as to achieve the target braking fluid pressure P *.

With the above-described control, in the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the inter-vehicle distance (actual inter-vehicle distance) L detected by the laser radar 10 is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ , the driver can use the accelerator pedal. If the operation 62 is performed (Facc = 1), an auxiliary operation reaction force is applied to the accelerator pedal 62. Further, if the driver does not operate the accelerator pedal 62 (Facc = 0), or if the driver who senses the auxiliary operation reaction force returns the accelerator pedal 62 from the predetermined opening (Acc0) (Facc = 0). The deceleration control described above is performed so that the vehicle decelerates at the target deceleration rate α * ₂ .

In the second embodiment described above, the following functions and effects are obtained in addition to the functions and effects of the first embodiment.
(1) If the driver is operating the accelerator pedal when the inter-vehicle distance (actual inter-vehicle distance) L detected by the laser radar is equal to or smaller than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ , When power is applied and the accelerator pedal is not operated, the vehicle is controlled to decelerate. Therefore, if the driver is operating the accelerator pedal when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ , the driver is prompted to release the accelerator pedal, and the driver releases the accelerator pedal. , Deceleration control can be performed. Thereby, the maintenance of the inter-vehicle distance can be effectively supported when approaching the preceding vehicle.

(2) Since the deceleration control is not performed when the driver is operating the accelerator pedal, the acceleration control and the deceleration control can be prevented from being performed simultaneously. As a result, the host vehicle is accelerated so as to match the driver's will without hindering the acceleration of the host vehicle, so that the driver does not feel uncomfortable.

---- Modified example ---
(1) In the above description, when the main operation reaction force is generated, the accelerator pedal reaction force is decreased from the reaction force value A to the reaction force value B with a predetermined inclination b. However, the present invention is limited to this. Not. For example, the inclination b may be changed according to the driver's intention to accelerate. As a result, an operation reaction force according to the driver's intention to accelerate can be generated, so that the uncomfortable feeling during the acceleration operation can be reduced. Here, with regard to the driver's intention to accelerate, for example, it may be determined that there is an intention to accelerate when it is detected that the accelerator pedal has been further depressed (depressed).

Therefore, for example, by calculating the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, and increasing the amount of depression, the slope b is made abrupt (larger), so that the driver's uncomfortable feeling of acceleration can be reduced. For example, the accelerator opening amount at the time when the main operation reaction force starts to be applied with the inclination a is calculated in the same way as the calculation of the accelerator depression amount taken into consideration in determining the gain Ka for calculating the reaction force value B. It may be calculated as an increase amount of the accelerator opening with reference to. Further, it may be obtained by a procedure as shown in the flowchart of FIG. In step S1603, it is determined whether or not the accelerator opening Acc is smaller than the accelerator opening stored value Acch. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1603, the process proceeds to step S1604, where the accelerator opening Acc is set to the accelerator opening stored value Acch, and the accelerator depression amount ΔAcc is cleared. If a negative determination is made in step S1603, the process proceeds to step S1605, and the accelerator depression amount ΔAcc is calculated according to the following equation.
ΔAcc = Acc − Acch

  In step S1605, the accelerator opening saved value Acch is not updated. Therefore, the accelerator depression amount ΔAcc is calculated based on the accelerator opening saved value Acch updated last in step S1604. That is, in step S1605, the accelerator depression amount ΔAcc is calculated based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal when the depression of the accelerator pedal is started.

  It should be noted that instead of the accelerator depression amount ΔAcc, the inclination b may be made steeper (larger) as the accelerator opening Acc is larger, and the same effects as those described above can be achieved.

  Other criteria for determining the driver's intention to accelerate include, for example, accelerator opening speed, presence / absence of a blinker operation, lateral positional relationship with the preceding vehicle (intention to change lanes), and the like. For example, the slope b may be made steeper as the accelerator opening speed increases. Further, when it is detected that the winker operation has been performed, the predetermined value b may be set to a value larger than the value before detecting that the winker operation has been performed. As for the positional relationship in the lateral direction with respect to the preceding vehicle, for example, the departure tendency of the preceding vehicle calculated in the prior art patent No. 3778165 is obtained, and the greater the departure tendency, the greater the inclination b is reduced. can do.

(2) In the above description, the inclination a when generating the main operation reaction force is a predetermined value (inclination). However, if the amount of depression of the accelerator is small, it is difficult to tell the driver that the main operation reaction force has occurred. There is a possibility. Therefore, the inclination a may be increased as the accelerator opening is reduced, similarly to the inclination c when the auxiliary operation reaction force is generated. Thereby, the main operation reaction force can be effectively provided, and a sense of incongruity can be reduced.

(3) In the above description, for each reaction force A, B, C, D, the reaction force may be gradually reduced with a predetermined inclination when it is detected that the accelerator pedal has been stepped on. As a result, the reaction force can be lowered in response to the driver's accelerator pedal increase operation, and the uncomfortable feeling in the accelerator pedal increase operation can be reduced.

(4) In the above description, the point of changing the reaction force values A and B of the main operation reaction force according to the road surface gradient is not particularly mentioned, but the reaction force values C and D of the auxiliary operation reaction force are not described. Similarly to the case, the reaction force values A and B may be changed according to the gradient of the road surface. By reducing the reaction force values A and B when there is a climbing slope such as a slope, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling by suppressing the generation of an excessive accelerator pedal reaction force. Note that the gradient can be estimated from the equation (11) in step S510 as described above.

(5) In the above description, when the final target accelerator pedal reaction force τ is obtained in step S800, the result of the selection high of the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force is set as the final target accelerator pedal reaction force τ. Although configured, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, based on the actual inter-vehicle distance L, it may be determined which reaction force between the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force is used as the final target accelerator pedal reaction force τ. That is, when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is longer than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ and is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * _2, (L * ₁ <L ≦ L * ₂ ), If the force is the final target accelerator pedal reaction force τ and the actual inter-vehicle distance L is less than or equal to the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ (L ≦ L * ₁ ), the main operation reaction force is the final target accelerator pedal reaction force. You may comprise so that it may be set to (tau).

(6) In the second embodiment described above, it has been described that the vehicle is decelerated by supplying the brake fluid pressure to the braking device 94. However, other deceleration control such as engine braking or shift down is used. The vehicle may be decelerated.

(7) In the second embodiment described above, the actual inter-vehicle distance L is less than or equal to the _second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * _{2 at} the timing of starting the auxiliary operation reaction force and the timing of starting the deceleration control. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a third inter-vehicle distance threshold value that is longer than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * ₂ may be set, and the deceleration control start timing may be set when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the third inter-vehicle distance threshold value. .

(8) In the above description, the auxiliary operation reaction force generation start timing is when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₂ , but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a point in time when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is less than or equal to the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ may be predicted, and a time before a predetermined time from the time may be set as the timing for starting the auxiliary operation reaction force. Further, for example, when the actual inter-vehicle distance L is predicted to be equal to or less than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ , the actual inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than (the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * ₁ ) + (predetermined distance). The timing when the auxiliary operation reaction force generation starts may be set.

(9) In the above description, the auxiliary operation reaction force is generated before the main operation reaction force is generated, and the main operation reaction force is continuously applied for a predetermined time, and then the operation reaction force is applied. Although configured to weaken the strength of the force (to reduce the main operation reaction force), the present invention is not limited to this. It is not necessary to perform control to reduce the main operation reaction force by controlling only to generate the auxiliary operation reaction force, and to perform control to reduce the main operation reaction force by controlling so as not to generate the auxiliary operation reaction force. You may do it. That is, it is not always necessary to perform both the auxiliary operation reaction force generation control and the main operation reaction force reduction control, and only one of them may be used.

(10) In the above description, the accelerator pedal 62 is described as an example of the driving operation device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to various driving operation devices that control acceleration of a vehicle or acceleration and deceleration according to an operation amount, such as a so-called joystick and an operation lever.
(11) Each embodiment and modification described above may be combined.

  In the above-described embodiment and its modifications, for example, the obstacle detection means is detected by the laser radar 10, and the operation reaction force generation means is detected by the accelerator pedal reaction force control device 60 and the accelerator pedal actuator 61. Means correspond to the sensor 61a. The operation reaction force calculation means, the operation reaction force control means, the first inter-vehicle distance threshold value calculation means, and the gradient detection means are realized by the controller 50 and a control program executed by the controller 50. 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 illustrating a configuration of an inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle on which an inter-vehicle maintenance support device 1 is mounted. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing processing performed by a controller 50. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of inter-vehicle maintenance support control processing in a controller 50. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of step S300 which calculates _1st inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * ₁ . It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of step S500 which calculates _2nd inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * ₂ . It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of step S520 of FIG. It is a map for calculating the preceding vehicle speed dependent reference distance L * _h2 . It is a map for calculating gradient dependent correction time T_slp. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of step S530 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the time transition of auxiliary operation reaction force control and main operation reaction force control. It is a figure which shows the time transition of auxiliary operation reaction force control. It is a figure which shows the relationship between an accelerator opening degree, reaction force value C, D, and inclination c. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the gradient of a road surface, reaction force value C, D, and inclination c. It is a figure which shows the time transition of main operation reaction force control. It is a figure which shows the relationship between reaction force value B and the amount of stepping-on of an accelerator. It is a system diagram which shows the structure of the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the vehicle carrying the inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 1 of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing processing performed by a controller 50. It is a figure which shows the process sequence of the inter-vehicle maintenance assistance control process in the controller. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of step S900 of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows a modification. It is a figure which shows the relationship between arrival time and correction value TTW2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus 10 Laser radar 20 Vehicle speed sensor 50 Controller 60 Accelerator pedal reaction force control apparatus 61 Accelerator pedal actuator 61a Sensor (accelerator pedal operation amount sensor) 62 Accelerator pedal 92 Brake pedal 93 Braking force control apparatus 94 Brake (braking apparatus)

Claims (8)

An inter-vehicle maintenance support device that generates an auxiliary operation reaction force and a main operation reaction force with respect to a driving operation device for driving an own vehicle by a driver,
An obstacle detecting means for detecting the status of obstacles present in front of the vehicle,
Based on the status of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means, a first inter-vehicle distance threshold computing means for calculating the first headway distance threshold L * 1,
Based on the status of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting means, a second inter-vehicle distance threshold calculation for calculating the inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 in the larger second than the first headway distance threshold L * 1 Means,
When the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the obstacle has become the second headway distance threshold L * 2 or less, computing the auxiliary operation reaction force to be generated in the driving operation equipment An auxiliary operation reaction force calculation means;
Wherein when it becomes the first headway distance threshold L * 1 or less, the main operation reaction force said is larger than the auxiliary operation reaction force further shrinks from the headway distance L is the second headway distance threshold L * 2 a principal operation reaction force calculating means for calculating a,
The auxiliary operation reaction force calculation means and the main operation computed by the reaction force calculation means on the basis of the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force, the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation the driving operation device a reaction force An operation reaction force generating means for generating
An operation reaction force control means for controlling an operation reaction force generated by the operation reaction force generated by the operation device based on the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection means,
The auxiliary operation reaction force calculating means maintains the reaction force value C after increasing the reaction force value from zero to the reaction force value C as the auxiliary operation reaction force, and then smaller than the reaction force value C. When the reaction force value D is lowered to the reaction force value D, the inclination d from the reaction force value C to the reaction force value D is decreased from the inclination c until the reaction force value zero is increased to the reaction force value C. A small value,
The said operation reaction force control means generates the said auxiliary operation reaction force before generating the said main operation reaction force in the said driving operation apparatus, The inter-vehicle maintenance assistance apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to claim 1,
An inter-vehicle maintenance support device that maintains the previous reaction force value C for a predetermined holding time t2. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The auxiliary operation reaction force is an accelerator pedal reaction force,
In the first region where the accelerator opening is small, the reaction force value C and the reaction force value D are increased as the accelerator opening decreases.
In the second region where the accelerator opening is large, the reaction force value C and the reaction force value D are increased as the accelerator opening increases.
An inter-vehicle maintenance support device characterized by that. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The inter-vehicle maintenance support apparatus, wherein the reaction force value C and the reaction force value D are decreased as the gradient of the road surface on which the host vehicle is traveling becomes an upward gradient. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The main operation reaction force, after increased to a predetermined reaction force value A, the reaction force value A is maintained by t3 predetermined holding time, then, the small reaction force value B or in drop than reaction force value A A vehicle-to-vehicle maintenance support device. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to claim 5,
The main operation reaction force is an accelerator pedal reaction force, and the reaction force value B is reduced as the amount of increase in the accelerator opening increases. In the inter-vehicle maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Time obtained by dividing the difference between the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 and the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 by the relative speed between the host vehicle and the obstacle ((L * 2-L * 1) ÷ relative speed), the auxiliary operation reaction force is changed. An inter-vehicle maintenance support method for generating an auxiliary operation reaction force and a main operation reaction force for a driving operation device for a driver to drive the own vehicle,
An obstacle detection step of detecting a situation of an obstacle existing in front of the host vehicle;
A first inter-vehicle distance threshold value calculating step for calculating a first inter-vehicle distance threshold value L * 1 based on the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting step ;
A second inter-vehicle distance threshold calculation that calculates a second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 that is larger than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1 based on the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection step . Process ,
When the inter-vehicle distance L between the obstacle and the host vehicle is equal to or less than the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2, the auxiliary operation reaction force to be generated by the driving operation device is calculated. Auxiliary operation reaction force calculation process ,
When the inter-vehicle distance L further decreases from the second inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 2 and becomes equal to or less than the first inter-vehicle distance threshold L * 1, the main operation reaction force that is greater than the auxiliary operation reaction force A main operation reaction force calculation process for calculating
Based on the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force calculated in the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation step and the main operation reaction force calculation step, the auxiliary operation reaction force and the main operation reaction force are converted into the driving operation device. An operation reaction force generation process to be generated,
An operation reaction force control step for controlling an operation reaction force to be generated by the driving operation device in the operation reaction force generation step based on the state of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection step ;
In the auxiliary operation reaction force calculation step, after increasing the reaction force value from zero to the reaction force value C as the auxiliary operation reaction force, the reaction force value C is maintained, and thereafter, from the reaction force value C When the reaction force value D is lowered to a small reaction force value D, the inclination d until the reaction force value C drops to the reaction force value D is increased from the reaction force value zero to the reaction force value C. A smaller value,
In the inter-vehicle maintenance support method, the operation reaction force control step generates the auxiliary operation reaction force before the main operation reaction force is generated in the driving operation device.

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