JP6205947B2 - Automatic operation control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method capable of switching between an automatic driving mode for controlling the host vehicle to automatically travel and a manual driving mode for performing a manual driving by a driver, and more particularly, a general road. The present invention relates to an automatic operation control apparatus and an automatic operation control method for traveling in a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode on an expressway.

  Conventionally, an automatic driving mode in which a plurality of driving operation means including a steering device, an accelerator device, and a brake device are driven by an actuator to perform automatic driving, and a manual driving mode in which the plurality of driving operation means are left to the driver's operation. For example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 as an automatic driving apparatus having the following. This technique is to simultaneously switch a plurality of driving operation means to the automatic driving mode when switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode.

Japanese Patent No. 3225806

By the way, on the rampway route from the general road to the main road merge point, it accelerates while paying attention to surrounding vehicles, or turns the rampway so as not to cause large longitudinal acceleration and merges with the main line. To do.
However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is configured to simultaneously switch a plurality of driving operation units to the automatic driving mode when switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode.

  Therefore, when driving on the main road of the highway in the automatic driving mode, a plurality of driving operation means are simultaneously switched to the automatic driving mode at the main road junction of the highway. However, in this case, since the rampway route before merging with the highway main line is a complete manual operation, the driver must perform the acceleration operation and the steering operation on the rampway route by himself / herself. The burden will increase.

On the other hand, in order to reduce the driving burden on the driver on the rampway route, for example, when a plurality of driving operation means are simultaneously switched to the automatic driving mode at the entrance of the rampway, the driving operation in the automatic driving mode and the driving strategy of the driver are performed. Does not match, and the driver feels uncomfortable with the automatic driving mode.
Therefore, the present invention provides an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control method capable of realizing driving operation support of the driver in the automatic driving mode and elimination of the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode. It is said.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, an operation mode switching unit includes an automatic operation mode in which automatic traveling control for automatically traveling the host vehicle is performed, and manual operation by a driver by canceling the automatic traveling control. Switch to manual operation mode that enables operation.
In addition, the automatic operation mode switching unit is provided with a vehicle behavior generating device having a front / rear behavior generating function for generating a vehicle behavior in the vehicle front-rear direction on the host vehicle on a ramp way route from a general road to a main road junction. Prior to the vehicle behavior generating device having a left / right behavior generating function for generating a vehicle behavior in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle, the manual operation mode is switched to the automatic operation mode.

  According to the present invention, in the rampway route from the general road to the main road junction of the expressway, the vehicle behavior generating device having the front and rear behavior generating function is first switched to the automatic operation mode, and then the left and right behavior is generated. The switch to the automatic driving mode of the vehicle behavior generating device having a function is started. Therefore, the manual operation mode and the automatic operation mode can be properly used according to the traveling condition of the ramp way route. Therefore, the driver's driving operation can be supported by the automatic driving mode while eliminating the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structure of the driving control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the main line merge form of a highway. It is a figure which shows the path | route from a toll gate to a highway main line confluence. It is a flowchart which shows the operation mode switching process procedure. It is a figure which shows the example of an indicator display. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving attitude control apparatus according to the present embodiment.
In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes an external traveling environment detection device, and reference numeral 102 denotes a host vehicle state detection device. The external travel environment detection apparatus 101 includes, for example, a camera, a laser radar, a GPS sensor, and the like, and recognizes an external situation of the traveling vehicle such as an inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and a traveling position of the traveling vehicle. Information on the external situation recognized by the external travel environment detection apparatus 101 is input to the automatic driving travel controller 103.

The own vehicle state detection device 102 includes, for example, a G sensor and a vehicle speed sensor, and detects current traveling state information of the own vehicle. Information detected by the own vehicle state detection device 102 is also input to the automatic driving travel controller 103.
The automatic driving travel controller 103 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer including a CPU and a memory.
The automatic driving travel controller 103 judges the situation inside and outside the vehicle based on information received from the external running environment detection device 101 and the own vehicle state detection device 102, and the own vehicle automatically runs according to the judgment result. The automatic travel control is performed to control the rudder angle and the vehicle speed. This automatic travel control is control that does not require one of the vehicle occupants to always drive.

  Specifically, the automatic driving travel controller 103 sends a route from the external traveling environment detection device 101 and the own vehicle state detection device 102 to the destination, road conditions such as traffic conditions, traffic regulations, other vehicles and obstacles. Along with travel environment information such as presence / absence, the status of the travel lane and the position and speed of the host vehicle are acquired. And the automatic driving | running | working driving controller 103 calculates a driving | running locus | trajectory based on such information, and sets the target steering angle and target vehicle speed for driving | running along the driving | running | working locus | trajectory. At this time, if there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle, the distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle is kept constant according to the speed within a range that does not exceed the speed preset by the driver using the traveling speed setting device 110. Set a target vehicle speed. On the other hand, when there is no preceding vehicle, the target vehicle speed is set so as to keep the speed set by the traveling speed setting device 110.

The automatic driving travel controller 103 outputs a brake control command to the brake fluid pressure control actuator 104 and realizes an accelerator control command to the throttle opening control actuator 105 in order to realize a target steering angle and a target vehicle speed for automatic travel control. Output. Further, the automatic driving travel controller 103 outputs a steering control command to the steering angle control actuator 106.
Thereby, the brake fluid pressure control actuator 104 controls the brake device 107, and the throttle opening control actuator 105 controls the accelerator device 108. The steering angle control actuator 106 controls the steering device 109. In this way, the accelerator, the brake, or the steering is automatically actuated so that the vehicle travels autonomously without the driver performing a driving operation. In the following description, the control for automatically operating the accelerator device 108 is automatic accelerator control, the control for automatically operating the brake device 107 is automatic brake control, and the turning device 109 (steering) is automatically operated. The control is called automatic steering control.

The automatic / manual travel changeover switch 111 is a switch that can be operated by the driver, and includes an automatic operation mode in which automatic travel control is performed, and manual operation in which the automatic travel control is canceled and the driver can perform manual operation. The mode can be switched appropriately.
The automatic travel control is in a state where the driver operates the automatic / manual travel changeover switch 111 to indicate the automatic operation mode, and the automatic operation travel controller 103 can perform automatic travel control from various information. Only when it is determined. Here, the situation in which the automatic travel control is impossible includes a change in destination or route due to the driver's convenience, a sudden interruption of another vehicle, a sudden change in weather, and the like.
In the manual operation mode, a corresponding vehicle among a plurality of vehicle behavior generating devices (brake device 107, accelerator device 108, steering device 109) according to the operation of the operator (brake pedal, accelerator pedal, steering wheel) by the driver. Manual operation to activate the behavior generator.

In this embodiment, automatic travel control is performed on a highway, and manual driving by a driver is performed on a general road.
Furthermore, the automatic driving travel controller 103 notifies the driver and passengers of this in the event of an emergency or when notification is required by a notification device 112 such as a buzzer or an alarm device.
In addition, the automatic driving travel controller 103 performs stepwise switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode on the ramp way route from the general road (the toll gate at the highway entrance) to the highway main line confluence. . The automation level at this time is displayed by the notification indicator 113, and the driver is notified (voice guidance) of the shift to the automatic operation mode using the speaker 114.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main line merging form on a highway.
In Japan, when driving on a highway, after passing through the toll gate at the entrance of the highway, drive on the rampway and join the main highway. As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (i), the road shape from passing through the toll gate to the main line has various forms, and the road shape varies depending on the surrounding terrain and the positional relationship between the main line and the toll gate.
However, in many cases, (1) after passing the toll booth, paying attention to surrounding vehicles and accelerating, (2) turning the rampway so as not to generate large longitudinal acceleration (front / back G), (3) A process of traveling so as to decrease the relative speed with the traveling vehicle on the main line and joining the main line is performed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a route from the toll gate to the main line through the ramp way.
In the present embodiment, a route from the point A passing through the toll gate to the ramp way turning point B is defined as an acceleration zone. Further, a route that travels on the ramp way from point B and approaches the main line merge point C is defined as a turning zone. Furthermore, a point from point C to point D that completes the merge from the main line is defined as a merge zone.
In the present embodiment, “highway” refers to a high-speed cruising road including freeways such as the United States, and “rampway” refers to a road that connects the general highway and the highway main line.

The automatic driving travel controller 103 executes an automatic driving mode transition process for starting a transition from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode before joining the main road on the highway (from the general road to the main road joining). In this automatic operation mode transition processing, vehicle longitudinal control (automatic accelerator control, automatic brake control) and vehicle left-right control (automatic steering control) are shifted from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode at different timings. Specifically, the vehicle front-rear control (automatic accelerator control, automatic brake control) is shifted from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode prior to the vehicle left-right control (automatic steering control).
Here, the vehicle front-rear control is a control for driving a vehicle behavior generating device (brake device 107, accelerator device 108) having a front-rear behavior generating function for generating a vehicle behavior in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle. Further, the vehicle left / right control is control for driving a left / right vehicle behavior device (steering device 109) that generates a vehicle behavior in the vehicle width direction in the host vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an automatic driving mode transition processing procedure executed by the automatic driving travel controller 103. This automatic operation mode transition process is repeatedly executed at every preset sampling time.
First, in step S1, the automatic driving travel controller 103 detects the current position information of the host vehicle using a GPS sensor, and proceeds to step S2.
In step S2, the automatic driving controller 103 determines whether or not the host vehicle has passed the toll gate at the highway entrance based on the current position information of the host vehicle detected in step S1. And when it determines with having not passed the toll gate, it transfers to said step S1, and when it determines with the own vehicle having passed the toll gate, it transfers to step S3.

In step S3, the automatic driving controller 103 determines whether or not the host vehicle has passed the front and rear G peak position where the front and rear G is the first peak based on the front and rear G of the host vehicle detected by the G sensor or the like. judge. If it has not passed the front-rear G peak position, it waits until it passes the front-rear G peak position. If it has passed the front-rear G peak position, the process proceeds to step S4.
In step S4, the automatic driving travel controller 103 gradually increases the ratio of the automatic driving mode of the automatic accelerator control and the automatic brake control (hereinafter simply referred to as “automatic accelerator”), that is, the automation ratio of the vehicle longitudinal control. Here, the automatic operation mode ratio is gradually increased from 0 and the manual operation mode ratio is gradually decreased from 1 so that the sum of the automatic operation mode ratio and the manual operation mode ratio is always 1. It shall be. And when the own vehicle reaches | attains D point where main line merge is completed, it is made for the ratio of automatic driving mode to be set to one.

For example, the ratio of the automatic driving mode of the automatic accelerator = 0 (the ratio of the manual driving mode = 1) refers to a state in which the host vehicle can be accelerated / decelerated only by the driver's brake operation and accelerator operation. On the other hand, the ratio of the automatic operation mode of the automatic accelerator = 1 (the ratio of the manual operation mode = 0) means a state in which the host vehicle can be accelerated / decelerated only by driving the brake device 107 and the accelerator device 108 by the automatic travel control. .
When the ratio of the automatic operation mode is gradually increased from 0 to 1, the ratio may be changed linearly or may be changed nonlinearly.
Moreover, in this step S4, the automatic driving travel controller 103 notifies the driver that the shift to the automatic driving mode of the automatic accelerator is started when the host vehicle has just passed the front and rear G peak position. . Here, the automatic driving controller 103 uses the speaker 114 to provide voice guidance, for example, “Starting the transition to the automatic mode of the automatic accelerator”.

  Next, in step S5, the automatic driving controller 103 determines whether the own vehicle has passed the lateral G peak position where the lateral G is a peak based on the lateral acceleration (lateral G) of the own vehicle detected by the G sensor or the like. Determine whether or not. That is, here, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle has passed a position where the turning state reaches a peak. If the horizontal G peak position is not passed, the process proceeds to step S3. If the horizontal G peak position is passed, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S6, the automatic driving travel controller 103 gradually increases the ratio of the automatic driving mode of the automatic steering control (hereinafter simply referred to as automatic steering), that is, the automation rate of the vehicle left-right control. Here, the automatic operation mode ratio is gradually increased from 0 and the manual operation mode ratio is gradually decreased from 1 so that the sum of the automatic operation mode ratio and the manual operation mode ratio is always 1. It shall be. And when the own vehicle reaches | attains D point where main line merge is completed, it is made for the ratio of automatic driving mode to be set to one.

For example, the ratio of automatic driving mode of automatic steering = 0 (the ratio of manual driving mode = 1) refers to a state in which the host vehicle can be steered only by the driver's steering operation. On the other hand, the ratio of automatic driving mode of automatic steering = 1 (the ratio of manual driving mode = 0) refers to a state in which the host vehicle can be steered only by the control of the steering device 109 by automatic traveling control.
Further, in this step S6, the automatic driving travel controller 103 notifies the driver that the shift to the automatic driving mode of the automatic steer is started when the own vehicle has just passed the lateral G peak position. . Here, the automatic driving controller 103 uses the speaker 114 to provide voice guidance, for example, “Starting the shift to the automatic mode of automatic steering”.

  Next, in step S7, the automatic driving travel controller 103 determines whether or not the host vehicle has reached a point D where the main line merging is completed. That is, it is determined here whether the ratio between the automatic operation mode of the automatic accelerator and the automatic steer is 1 (whether or not the automatic operation mode is completely shifted). And when the own vehicle has not reached the D point where the main line merging is completed, the process proceeds to the step S3, and when the own vehicle has reached the D point where the main line merging is completed, the automatic driving mode transition process is performed. Exit.

  In addition, when the automatic operation traveling controller 103 shifts from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode by the automatic operation mode transition process described above, the automatic operation travel controller 103 notifies the automation level according to the ratio of the automatic operation mode of the automatic accelerator and the automatic steer. To display. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the notification indicator 113 is displayed in three stages. The notification indicator display may be two or more stages.

  That is, in the area where the automatic accelerator and the automatic steering in the acceleration zone are not activated (the ratio of the automatic operation mode is both 0), the automation level is “0”, and the notification indicator is displayed as shown in (a). Is zero. Then, at point B where the front and rear G peak positions are exceeded and only the automatic accelerator is activated, the automation level is “1”, and as shown in FIG. To do.

  Next, at the point C beyond the lateral G peak position, the automatic steering is further activated, and the automation level is “2”. Therefore, as shown in (c), the notification indicator display is active display from the bottom up to two stages. Furthermore, at the point D where the main line merge is completed, both the automatic accelerator and the automatic steer are in a fully activated state, and the automation level is “3 (maximum)”. Therefore, as shown in (d), the notification indicator display is active display in all three stages.

(Operation)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Here, a case where the host vehicle enters the highway from a general road will be described.
When the host vehicle passes through the toll gate at the entrance of the expressway (Yes in step S2 in FIG. 4), the automatic driving travel controller 103 starts monitoring the front and rear G and side G of the host vehicle. At this time, the host vehicle is traveling in the manual driving mode, and the automatic driving mode ratios of the automatic accelerator and the automatic steering are 0 respectively. Therefore, the display of the notification indicator 113 is zero. Therefore, the driver can recognize that the vehicle must travel by his / her accelerator operation, brake operation, and steering operation.

After passing through the toll booth, the host vehicle starts to accelerate while paying attention to surrounding vehicles. That is, the front and rear G of the host vehicle changes so as to have the first peak from the point A to the point B as shown in FIG. At this time, the automatic driving travel controller 103 detects the first peak of the front and rear G at time t1, and determines that the host vehicle has passed the front and rear G peak position (Yes in step S3). Then, as shown in FIG. 6D, the automatic driving controller 103 starts increasing the automatic driving mode ratio of the automatic accelerator and starts decreasing the manual driving mode ratio of the automatic accelerator (step S4).
Then, at this time, the automatic driving controller 103 provides voice guidance “Starts the shift to the automatic mode of the automatic accelerator.” And displays the automation level “1” as an indicator.

  Thereafter, the host vehicle enters the turning zone of the rampway and turns to avoid a large front and rear G. Therefore, the front and rear G are small values as shown in FIG. 6B from the turning entrance B point of the ramp way to the C point where the main line merge starts. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6C, the turning lateral G changes so as to have a first peak from the point B to the point C. At this time, the automatic driving travel controller 103 detects the first peak of the turning lateral G at time t2. When it is determined that the host vehicle has passed the turning lateral G peak position (Yes in step S5), as shown in FIG. 6 (e), the automatic driving mode ratio of automatic steering is started to increase and automatic steering is performed. The reduction of the manual operation mode ratio is started (step S6).

Then, at this time, the automatic driving controller 103 provides voice guidance “Starting the transition to the automatic mode of automatic steering” and displays the automation level “2” as an indicator.
After passing through this turning zone, the host vehicle next enters the joining zone for joining the main line. From the point C where the merging to the main line starts to the point D where the merging to the main line is completed, the host vehicle travels so as to reduce the relative speed with the traveling vehicle on the main line and joins the main line. In the meantime, the automatic operation mode ratio of the automatic accelerator and the automatic operation mode ratio of the automatic steer gradually increase toward 1, respectively.
When the host vehicle reaches the point D at time t3 and the merging to the main line is completed (Yes in step S7), the automatic driving controller 103 displays the automation level “3” as an indicator and performs automatic driving mode transition processing. Exit. In this way, the manual operation mode is completely shifted to the automatic operation mode.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the ratio between the manual operation mode and the automatic operation mode is gradually changed on the rampway route from the toll gate to the main road merge. In other words, after entering the rampway in manual operation mode, automatic accelerator (vehicle longitudinal control) and automatic steer (vehicle left / right control) are switched to automatic operation mode step by step (while gradually increasing the automation level) and join the main line To do.
As a result, the manual operation mode can be smoothly shifted to the automatic operation mode on the rampway route from the toll gate passage before the main road merge on the highway to the main road merge on the highway.

By the way, when driving on an expressway in the automatic operation mode, the timing for switching from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode is important. Steering operation while paying attention to surrounding vehicles, accelerator operation to enter the rampway, further, accelerator operation to match the speed of other vehicles traveling on the main line, and steering operation to join the gaps of other vehicles traveling on the main line This is because the driver is forced to have many mental and physical burdens.
For this reason, it is desirable to complete the switching to the automatic operation mode as early as possible to reduce the travel burden on the rampway route from the toll gate to the main line merge. However, if the driving method of the automatic accelerator and the automatic steering in the automatic driving mode does not coincide with the driving strategy of the driver, this will cause the driver to feel uncomfortable.

  Driver's driving strategy has various factors such as driver attributes such as gender and age, vehicle requirements such as vehicle type, crew, and loading weight, traffic conditions such as congestion, road environment, custom requirements such as driving preference, safety awareness, etc. Because of this, it is difficult to determine it uniquely. Therefore, in the process of passing through the toll gate and joining the main line, the driver feels uncomfortable (such as anxiety or distrust) due to the difference between the driving operation in the automatic driving mode and the driving operation intended by the driver. There is a risk of embrace. Furthermore, a driver who is panicked due to the difference between the driving operation in the automatic driving mode and his daily driving operation may perform a sudden steering operation override or may suddenly brake.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the automatic accelerator is activated when the first peak before and after G is exceeded, and the ratio of the automatic accelerator is gradually increased until the main line merges. In addition, the automatic steer is activated when the horizontal G first peak is exceeded, and the ratio of the automatic steer gradually increases until the main line merges.
Therefore, the driver's own driving operation and the driving operation by automatic driving control can be used properly according to the situation such as acceleration and turning on the rampway route from the toll gate to the highway main line confluence. The driver's uncomfortable feeling can be reduced.

Furthermore, both the automatic accelerator and the automatic steer change so that the automation ratio reaches 1 at the point where the main line merge is completed. As a result, at the point where the main line merging is completed, it is possible to make the state completely shifted to the automatic operation mode, and it is possible to appropriately start the automatic traveling control.
In addition, the driver is notified of the automation rate with a three-stage indicator on the rampway route from the toll gate to the main road merge. Thus, in the process of changing the ratio of the automatic driving mode, the driver can grasp the amount of the accelerator operation and the steering operation that must be executed by the driver himself / herself.

  In the present embodiment, after passing through the toll gate, the automatic accelerator or automatic steer automation rate gradually increases on the route leading to the main line merge. In the process, the driver's accelerator operation and steering operation are executed together with the driving operation in the automatic operation mode. For this reason, in the process of changing the ratio of the automatic driving mode, the driver can grasp the amount of the accelerator operation and the steering operation that must be performed by himself / herself, and thus travel appropriately along the target route. It becomes possible to do.

In FIG. 1, the external traveling environment detection device 101 corresponds to the current position detection unit, and the host vehicle state detection device 102 corresponds to the longitudinal acceleration detection unit, the turning state detection unit, and the vehicle speed detection unit. Further, the automatic driving travel controller 103 corresponds to the operation mode switching unit.
Furthermore, the brake device 107, the accelerator device 108, and the steering device 109 correspond to a vehicle behavior generating device. Further, the notification indicator 113 corresponds to the display unit, and the speaker 114 corresponds to the voice guidance unit.
Further, the process of FIG. 4 corresponds to the automatic operation mode switching unit.

(effect)
In the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The automatic driving traveling controller 103 performs automatic traveling control for automatically traveling the host vehicle. In addition, the automatic driving controller 103 can switch between an automatic driving mode in which automatic driving control is performed and a manual driving mode in which the automatic driving control is canceled and the driver can perform manual driving. Then, the automatic driving controller 103 converts the vehicle behavior generating device (the accelerator device 108 and the brake device 107) having the front / rear behavior generating function into the right / left behavior generating function on the rampway route from the general road to the main road junction. The vehicle behavior generator (steering device 109) having the above is switched in advance from manual operation mode to automatic operation mode.

Accordingly, a plurality of vehicle behavior generating devices can be switched in stages from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode on the ramp way route from passing through the toll gate at the highway entrance to the main road merge. That is, the accelerator device 108 and the brake device 107 can be switched from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode in advance of the steering device 109 in the ramp way route. As described above, since the automation levels of the automatic accelerator and the automatic steer can be independently changed, the manual operation mode and the automatic operation mode can be selectively used according to the traveling condition of the ramp way.
Therefore, it is possible to support the driver's driving operation in the automatic driving mode and to eliminate the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode. As a result, the driver can use the automatic driving mode of the highway with confidence without feeling uncomfortable (such as anxiety or distrust).

(2) When the autonomous driving travel controller 103 determines that the host vehicle has passed the front-rear G peak position while traveling on the rampway route, the vehicle behavior generation device (accelerator device 108 and brake) having a front-rear behavior generation function is determined. The switch to the automatic operation mode of the device 107) is started.
Thus, in a position where the front and rear G are high, that is, a position where the driver feels uncomfortable with respect to the driving operation in the automatic driving mode, the driver executes the accelerator operation and the brake operation by himself and the automatic operation is started from that point. The ratio of the accelerator automatic operation mode can be gradually increased. Therefore, the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode can be more appropriately eliminated.

(3) A vehicle behavior generating device (steering device 109) having a right and left behavior generating function when the autonomous driving traveling controller 103 determines that the host vehicle has passed the lateral G peak position while traveling on the ramp way route. Start switching to automatic operation mode.
In this way, at a position where the lateral G is high, that is, a position where the driver feels uncomfortable with respect to the driving operation in the automatic driving mode, the driver executes the steering operation himself and the automatic steering is automatically performed after the position is exceeded. The operation mode ratio can be gradually increased. Therefore, the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode can be more appropriately eliminated.

(4) The automatic driving travel controller 103 gradually increases the automation rate of the vehicle behavior generating device when the vehicle behavior generating device is switched to the automatic driving mode.
As a result, the transition from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode can be smoothly performed on the rampway route from the toll gate to the main road merge.
(5) The automatic driving travel controller 103 notifies the driver of the start of switching to the automatic driving mode using voice information.
As a result, the driver can appropriately recognize the timing of the driving operation (accelerator operation, brake operation, steering operation) that must be performed by the driver.

(6) The automatic driving travel controller 103 displays the status of switching to the automatic driving mode using two or more stages of indicators.
As a result, the driver can be notified of the automation level that changes from moment to moment, so that the driver can easily grasp the state of the automatic driving system. Therefore, in the process in which the ratio of the automatic driving mode is changing, the driver can appropriately recognize the amount of driving operation (accelerator operation, brake operation, steering operation) that he / she has to execute.

(7) A vehicle behavior generation device (accelerator device 108 and brake device 107) having a front-rear behavior generation function is replaced with a vehicle behavior generation device having a left-right behavior generation function on a rampway route from a general road to a main road junction on an expressway. Prior to (steering device 109), the manual operation mode is switched to the automatic operation mode.
In this way, the plurality of vehicle behavior generating devices are switched in stages from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode on the ramp way route from the general road to the main road merge of the expressway. Therefore, it is possible to support the driver's driving operation in the automatic driving mode and to eliminate the driver's uncomfortable feeling with respect to the automatic driving mode. As a result, the driver can use the automatic driving mode of the highway with confidence without feeling uncomfortable (such as anxiety or distrust).

(Application examples)
(1) In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the instantaneous front-rear G is detected in step S3 of FIG. 4 to detect the front-rear G peak, but in order to reduce the system load, this processing is performed as follows. It can be replaced with processing.
First, when the host vehicle passes through the toll gate, the main line joining position and the ramp way route are detected (route detecting unit). Next, a travel distance from the current position of the host vehicle at that time, the main line merge point, and the ramp way route to the main line merge position is calculated (travel distance calculation unit). Further, an average front / rear G until the main line merge is calculated from the calculated travel distance, the current speed, and the main line travel speed.

  Here, the main line traveling speed is a traveling speed at the main line joining position on the highway, and is a speed limit of the high speed or a traveling speed of another vehicle traveling on the main line. For example, when it is determined that there are few vehicles that travel near the merge position of the main line and it is not necessary to pay attention to other vehicles when the main line merges, the high speed limit speed is used as the main line travel speed. On the other hand, when there is a vehicle traveling on the main line, the traveling speed of another vehicle traveling on the main line is used as the main traveling speed.

  Next, the calculated average longitudinal G is set as the provisional maximum longitudinal G (provisional maximum longitudinal acceleration setting unit). In addition, when the longitudinal G exceeding the provisional maximum longitudinal G is not detected within a predetermined time after the provisional maximum longitudinal G is set, the provisional maximum longitudinal G is updated as the maximum longitudinal G (maximum longitudinal acceleration setting unit). ). When the front-rear G of the host vehicle reaches the maximum front-rear G, it is determined that the host vehicle has passed the front-rear G peak position (front-rear acceleration peak detection unit).

Thereby, it is not necessary to sequentially determine whether or not the front and rear G peak positions have been passed, and the system load can be reduced.
Furthermore, when calculating the average front / rear G, the main line traveling speed can be easily set by using the high speed limit speed as the main line traveling speed. Further, by using the traveling speed of the other vehicle traveling on the main line as the main traveling speed, it is possible to appropriately merge without disturbing the traveling of the vehicle traveling on the main line.

(2) In the above embodiment, the case where the instantaneous turning lateral G is detected in step S5 of FIG. 4 to detect the turning lateral G peak has been described, but this processing is performed in order to reduce the system load. It can be replaced with the following processing.
First, when the host vehicle passes through the toll gate (when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in front of the rampway entrance), the main line merging position and the rampway route are detected (route detection unit). Next, the curvature of the route from the current position of the host vehicle at that time to the main line merge and the predicted value of the traveling speed are set (prediction unit). Further, an average turning lateral G when traveling along the route is calculated from the set curvature and traveling speed.

Next, the calculated average turning lateral G is set as the provisional maximum lateral G (provisional maximum lateral acceleration setting unit). If the turning lateral G exceeding the provisional maximum lateral G is not detected within a predetermined time after the provisional maximum lateral G is set, the provisional maximum lateral G is updated as the maximum lateral G (maximum lateral acceleration setting). Part). Then, when the turning lateral G of the host vehicle becomes the maximum lateral G, it is determined that the host vehicle has passed the lateral G peak position (turning state peak detecting unit).
As a result, it is not necessary to successively determine whether or not the vehicle has passed the turning lateral G peak position, and the system load can be reduced.

(Modification)
(1) In the above embodiment, the case of performing the indicator display in three stages has been described, but it is sufficient that it is at least two stages or more. In addition, other notification means can be adopted as long as it does not deviate from the function of notifying the driver of the automation level that changes every moment on the rampway route from passing through the toll gate to the main line merge.
(2) In the above embodiment, the lateral acceleration (lateral G) of the host vehicle is detected as the turning state of the host vehicle, and the automatic steer is switched to the automatic driving mode when the host vehicle passes the lateral G peak position. Although the case where it starts is demonstrated, it is not limited to this. For example, the turning radius or the yaw rate of the host vehicle may be detected as the turning state, and the peak of the turning state may be detected based on these.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Driver's seat, 101 ... External driving | running environment detection apparatus, 102 ... Own-vehicle state detection apparatus, 103 ... Automatic driving | running | working controller, 104 ... Brake hydraulic pressure control actuator, 105 ... Throttle opening control actuator, 106 ... Steering angle control actuator DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 107 ... Brake device 108 ... Accelerator device 109 ... Steering device 110 ... Travel speed setting device 111 ... Automatic / manual travel changeover switch 112 ... Notification device 113 ... Notification indicator 114 ... Speaker

Claims (7)

A plurality of vehicle behavior generating devices each having a front / rear behavior generating function for generating a vehicle behavior in the vehicle longitudinal direction on the own vehicle and a left / right behavior generating function for generating a vehicle behavior in the vehicle width direction on the own vehicle;
An automatic operation mode for performing automatic traveling control for automatically traveling the host vehicle, and an operation mode switching unit that switches between the automatic driving control and the manual driving mode that enables manual driving by the driver by releasing the automatic traveling control,
The driving mode switching unit replaces the vehicle behavior generating device having the front / rear behavior generating function with the vehicle behavior generating device having the left / right behavior generating function in a rampway route from a general road to a main road junction. An automatic driving control device comprising an automatic driving mode switching unit that switches from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode in advance. A longitudinal acceleration detector that detects the longitudinal acceleration of the host vehicle,
The automatic operation mode switching unit is
When the host vehicle determines that the vehicle has passed a position where the longitudinal acceleration reaches a peak, based on the longitudinal acceleration of the host vehicle detected by the longitudinal acceleration detection unit while traveling on the rampway route, the longitudinal behavior occurs. 2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein switching of the vehicle behavior generating device having a function to an automatic driving mode is started. A turning state detection unit for detecting the turning state of the host vehicle;
The automatic operation mode switching unit is
When the host vehicle determines that the vehicle has passed a position where the turning state peaks, based on the turning state of the host vehicle detected by the turning state detection unit while traveling on the rampway route, the left-right behavior occurs. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein switching of the vehicle behavior generating device having a function to an automatic driving mode is started. The automatic operation mode switching unit is
The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the vehicle behavior generating device is switched to the automatic driving mode, the automation rate of the vehicle behavior generating device is gradually increased.   The automatic operation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a voice guidance unit that notifies the driver of the start of switching to the automatic driving mode by the automatic driving mode switching unit using voice information. Operation control device.   The automatic operation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display unit that displays the switching state to the automatic operation mode by the automatic operation mode switching unit using two or more stages of indicators. Control device. A current position detection unit for detecting current position information of the host vehicle;
A vehicle speed detector that detects the vehicle speed of the host vehicle,
The turning state detection unit detects a lateral acceleration of the host vehicle as a turning state of the host vehicle,
The automatic operation mode switching unit is
Based on the current position information of the host vehicle detected by the current position detection unit, when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling in front of the rampway entrance, the main road junction and the rampway route of the expressway are A route detection unit to detect;
A prediction unit that predicts the curvature of the rampway route detected by the route detection unit and the traveling speed of the rampway route;
A provisional maximum lateral acceleration setting unit that calculates a turning lateral acceleration when traveling on the ramp way based on the curvature and traveling speed of the ramp way predicted by the prediction unit, and sets this as a provisional maximum lateral acceleration; ,
When a lateral acceleration exceeding the provisional maximum lateral acceleration is not detected by the turning state detection unit within a predetermined time after setting the provisional maximum lateral acceleration by the provisional maximum lateral acceleration setting unit, the provisional maximum lateral acceleration is determined. A maximum lateral acceleration setting section to be updated as the maximum lateral acceleration;
A turning state peak detection unit that determines that the peak of the turning state has been detected when the lateral acceleration detected by the turning state detection unit reaches the maximum lateral acceleration set by the maximum lateral acceleration setting unit. The automatic operation control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein

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