CN116279470A

CN116279470A - Driving assistance system for saddle-ride type vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN116279470A
Application number: CN202211572792.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 片山诚; 前田拡; 田中宏树
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-14
Filing date: 2022-12-08
Publication date: 2023-06-23
Also published as: JP2023087916A; JP7311579B2

Abstract

The invention provides a driving support system of a saddle-ride type vehicle capable of stably turning. In order to solve the above-described problems, a driving assistance system of the present invention includes: an external sensor unit that acquires front information on a front state of the host vehicle; the driving support control device automatically controls the inter-vehicle distance to the following target vehicle and follows the following target vehicle when the following target vehicle, which is the preceding vehicle that satisfies the following target condition, can be identified based on the front information, and automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed of the vehicle becomes the user-set vehicle speed when the following target vehicle cannot be identified based on the front information; and a driving environment grasping unit configured to grasp that the host vehicle is driving in a curve. When the following target vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, the driving support control device does not execute acceleration control to automatically increase the vehicle speed to the user-set vehicle speed.

Description

Driving assistance system for saddle-ride type vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a driving support system for a saddle-ride type vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a driving support system for a saddle-ride type vehicle having a driving support function for automatically controlling a vehicle-to-vehicle distance or a vehicle speed based on information on the front of the vehicle.

Background

In recent years, driving support systems such as adaptive cruise control (Adoptive Crouise Contrl, ACC) and lane keeping support systems (Lane Keeping Assistance System, LKAS) have been popularized to motorcycles.

In the following control of the driver in the driving support system shown in patent document 1, when a curve is detected in front of the host vehicle, the vehicle is restrained from decelerating and accelerating during turning by increasing the inter-vehicle distance between the driver and the host vehicle, thereby reducing fatigue of the driver.

[ Prior Art literature ]

(patent literature)

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2020/202283

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem to be solved by the invention ]

However, on a road with a small curve radius, the preceding vehicle may deviate from the detection range of the front sensor or a part of the detection range of the front sensor may be blocked by a structure on the road side, and thus the preceding vehicle that was the target of following before that may be lost (not recognized). In particular, in a motorcycle, since the body is inclined together with the sensor during cornering, there is a high possibility that the preceding vehicle is lost during cornering.

Therefore, in the forward following control shown in patent document 1, when the forward is lost during the curve traveling, the acceleration control is performed to shorten the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the forward, and the forward following control is continued. However, in this case, when the presence of the preceding vehicle is detected again thereafter, the inter-vehicle distance becomes short, so that the deceleration control has to be performed even during the turning, and the risk of collision or falling becomes high.

The present invention provides a driving support system for a saddle-ride type vehicle capable of performing a stable turning.

[ means of solving the problems ]

(1) A driving support system (for example, a driving support system 1 described below) for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention includes: a front information acquisition means (for example, an external sensor unit 2 described later) that acquires front information on a front state of the host vehicle; a driving support control means (for example, a driving support control device 6 described later) that automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed of the vehicle becomes a set vehicle speed (for example, a user set vehicle speed described later) when the vehicle to be followed can be identified based on the front information, and automatically controls the vehicle distance to the vehicle to be followed and the vehicle to be followed when the vehicle to be followed cannot be identified based on the front information, when the vehicle to be followed can be identified as a preceding vehicle that satisfies a following target condition; and a traveling environment grasping means (for example, a traveling environment grasping unit 62 described later) for grasping that the host vehicle is traveling in a curve; in addition, when the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, the driving support control means does not perform acceleration control for automatically increasing the vehicle speed to the set vehicle speed.

(2) In this case, it is preferable that the driving support control means cancel a driving support function of automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance or the vehicle speed based on the front information, or automatically maintain the vehicle speed at a time when the vehicle speed becomes unrecognizable when the vehicle to be followed is lost, so that the acceleration control is not executed.

(3) In this case, it is preferable that the driving support system further include a curve radius determination means (for example, a curve radius determination unit 63 described later) that determines whether or not the curve radius of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is small when the vehicle is traveling in a curve, and that the driving support control means cancel the driving support function when the curve radius in front of the vehicle is determined to be small.

(4) In this case, the driving support system preferably further includes notification means (for example, a human-machine interface (Human Machine Interface, HMI) 4 and a driver notification unit 66, which will be described later) for notifying the driver of the driver when the driving support function is canceled by the driving support control means.

(5) In this case, preferably, when the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling, the driving support control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when the following target vehicle exhibits at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the vehicle before the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable; when the following vehicle does not exhibit the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control.

(6) In this case, preferably, when the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling, the driving support control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when the host vehicle performs at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle before the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable; when the host vehicle does not perform the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control.

(effects of the invention)

(1) In the driving support system according to the present invention, when a following target vehicle that is a preceding vehicle that satisfies a following target condition can be identified based on front information of the host vehicle, the driving support control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle becomes a set vehicle speed when the vehicle distance to the following target vehicle is controlled and the following target person is followed, and when the following target person cannot be identified based on front information. Here, when the host vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle during the curve traveling, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control for automatically increasing the vehicle speed toward the set vehicle speed. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle is unable to recognize the following vehicle while the vehicle is traveling on the curve while following the vehicle traveling slower than the set vehicle speed, the vehicle does not accelerate toward the set vehicle speed, and therefore, when the vehicle is again in a state in which the vehicle is recognizable, the vehicle-to-vehicle distance to the following vehicle can be sufficiently ensured. In this way, in the driving support system according to the present invention, even when the following target vehicle is recognized again during the curve running, excessive deceleration is not required, so that stable turning can be performed.

(2) The driving support control means does not perform acceleration control (driver response) by canceling the driving support function for automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance or the vehicle speed and performing subsequent speed control by the driver, or does not perform acceleration control (system response) by automatically maintaining the vehicle speed at the time of loss when the vehicle speed becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle. That is, in the driving support system according to the present invention, both the driver handling means and the system handling means are prepared as means for not executing the acceleration control when the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve driving, whereby the stability during the turning can be ensured by appropriate means according to the situation.

(3) When the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, and when the curve radius of the road determined to be traveling is small, the driving support control means cancels the driving support function so as not to perform the acceleration control. It is considered that, in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the state in which the vehicle to be tracked cannot be recognized continues longer in a case where the curve radius is smaller than the current state and in a case where the curve radius is larger. Therefore, the state (for example, the vehicle speed) of the following vehicle greatly changes from the time when the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling until the presence of the following vehicle is detected again, and the risk of collision increases. In this case, therefore, by canceling the driving assistance function and delivering the subsequent speed control to the driver, the stability during turning can be ensured more reliably.

(4) In the driving assistance system of the present invention, the notification means alerts the driver when the driving assistance control means cancels the driving assistance function. Thus, the driver can quickly grasp that the driving assistance function is canceled and the driver is in a state of being in front of the vehicle where attention is required, so that stable turning can be performed.

(5) When the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling, and before the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable, the driving support control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the vehicle is displayed on the following target vehicle, thereby allowing the acceleration control to be executed; when the following target vehicle does not exhibit a lane change behavior or a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the host vehicle, the driving support control means does not execute acceleration control. Thus, according to the present invention, when the preceding vehicle identified as the following target vehicle and the host vehicle travel on different lanes before that, and the risk of collision is low, it is possible to allow the acceleration control to be performed, so it is possible to improve the convenience of the driver.

(6) When the vehicle is not recognized during the curve traveling, and before the vehicle is not recognized, the driving support control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when at least one of a lane change behavior to a lane different from the vehicle to be tracked and a lane change preparation behavior is performed by the vehicle; when the host vehicle does not perform a lane change behavior or a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle, the driving support control means does not execute acceleration control. Thus, according to the present invention, when the preceding vehicle identified as the following target vehicle and the host vehicle travel on different lanes before that, and the risk of collision is low, it is possible to allow the acceleration control to be performed, so it is possible to improve the convenience of the driver.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a driving assistance system for a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a specific sequence of the automatic inter-vehicle distance control and the automatic vehicle speed control by the driving support control device.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a specific sequence of the automatic control continuation determination processing.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a specific sequence of the automatic control continuation determination processing in the driving assistance system of the second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >, first embodiment

The configuration of the driving support system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a driving support system 1 according to the present embodiment. The driving support system 1 is mounted on a motorcycle, not shown, as a saddle-ride type vehicle. The drive source of the motorcycle may be an internal combustion engine, a rotating electric machine, or a combination thereof. The power source of the rotating electrical machine may be a secondary battery, a capacitor, or a fuel cell. In the following, the description will be given of a case where the driving support system 1 is applied to a motorcycle, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to a saddle-ride type three-wheeled vehicle, a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle, a bicycle with a prime mover, and the like, in addition to a motorcycle.

The driving assistance system 1 assists the driver in driving the motorcycle safely. The following describes an adaptive cruise control (Adoptive Cruise Contorl, ACC) function that automatically controls the inter-vehicle distance to and follows a preceding vehicle among various driving support functions implemented by the driving support system 1.

The driving assistance system 1 includes: the external sensor unit 2, the vehicle sensor unit 3, the man-machine interface (Human Machine Interface) 4 (hereinafter, abbreviated as "HMI 4"), the navigation device 5, the driving support control device 6, the driving operation element 81, the running driving force output device 82, and the brake device 83. The devices are connected to each other via a multi-way communication line such as a controller area network (Controller Area Network, CAN) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like.

The external sensor unit 2 is constituted by a camera unit 21, a lidar unit 22, a radar unit 23, an external recognition device 24, and the like.

The camera unit 21 includes, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a charge coupled device (Charge Coupled Device, CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (Comleementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, CMOS). The LIDAR unit 22 includes a LIDAR (Light Detection and Rangin (LIDAR)) that detects an object by measuring scattered light from the object for laser shots that emit light in pulses. The radar unit 23 includes a millimeter wave radar that detects an object by measuring a reflected wave from the object for millimeter wave irradiation. The camera unit 21, the lidar unit 22, and the radar unit 23 are mounted at arbitrary positions of the motorcycle, for example, at a front windshield, a rear view mirror, or the like, in a state of being directed to the front side of the motorcycle.

The external recognition device 24 is a computer that acquires information about the state of the front of the host vehicle, more specifically, information about the position, shape, type, speed, etc. of a road or object existing in front of the host vehicle (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as "front information") by performing sensor fusion processing on detection results obtained by some or all of the camera unit 21, the laser radar unit 22, and the radar unit 23. The external recognition device 24 transmits the acquired front information to the driving assistance control device 6, for example.

The vehicle sensor unit 3 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle, a five-axis or six-axis inertial measurement device, and the like. The inertial measurement device detects an angle or angular velocity and acceleration of three axes (a roll axis, a pitch axis, and a yaw axis) in the body of the host vehicle. The detection signal of the vehicle sensor unit 3 is transmitted to the driving support control device 6, for example.

The HMI 4 presents various information to the occupant of the host vehicle and receives an input operation by the occupant. HMI 4 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch screens, switches, keys, and the like. The occupant can turn on or off the ACC function realized by the driving assistance control device 6 by operating an ACC switch provided on the HMI 4.

Further, an ACC function display lamp indicating the state of the ACC function is provided on the HMI 4. The ACC function display lamp can be turned on in a plurality of modes such as red, green, and white. In the case where the ACC function is on and automatic inter-vehicle distance control described later is being performed, the ACC function display lamp is turned on in red. In the case where the ACC function is on and an automatic vehicle speed control described later is being executed, the ACC function display lamp is turned on in green. In addition, in the case where the ACC function is temporarily canceled, that is, in the ACC standby state, the ACC function display lamp is turned on in white. In addition, in the case where the ACC function is turned off based on the intention of the occupant, the ACC function display lamp is turned off. Therefore, when the ACC switch is turned on by the occupant, the ACC function display lamp is turned on in any one of red, green, and white. In addition, when the ACC switch is turned off by the occupant, the ACC function display lamp is turned off.

The navigation device 5 includes, for example, a global navigation satellite system (Global Navigation Satelite System, GNSS) receiver that determines the current position of the host vehicle based on signals received from GNSS satellites, a storage device that stores map information, and the like. The navigation device 5 transmits information on the current position of the host vehicle to the driving support control device 6 together with map information of the current position.

The driving operation element 81 includes: an acceleration knob and a brake lever operated by a driver at acceleration/deceleration, a clutch lever and a shift pedal operated by the driver at shift switching, a steering handle operated by the driver at turning or lane changing, a direction indicator switch operated by the driver at turning or lane changing, and a plurality of operation element sensors for detecting the operation amounts and the presence or absence of the operation. The detection signals of these operation element sensors are sent to the driving support control device 6.

The running driving force output device 82 outputs a running driving force for running the host vehicle to the driving wheels. The running driving force output device 82 includes a driving force source such as an internal combustion engine or a rotating electric machine, a transmission, and an electronic control unit or the like that controls these driving force source and transmission based on a command signal sent from the driving support control device 6, and generates acceleration and deceleration in accordance with the command.

The Brake device 83 includes, for example, a Brake Caliper (Brake Caliper), a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the Brake Caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure to the cylinder, and an electronic control unit that controls the electric motor based on a command signal sent from the driving support control device 6 and generates braking force in accordance with the command.

The driving support control device 6 is a computer that performs control related to the driving support function. The driving support control device 6 includes an automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61, a running environment grasping unit 62, a curve radius determination unit 63, a target setting unit 64, an automatic control continuation determination unit 65, and a driver notification unit 66 as modules for realizing the ACC function among the plurality of driving support functions.

When the ACC function is on, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 recognizes, as a following target vehicle, a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle and satisfying a following target condition based on the front information acquired by the external recognition device 24, and automatically controls the inter-vehicle distance to the following target vehicle so as to follow the following target vehicle. More specifically, when the ACC function is on and the following vehicle can be identified based on the front information, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 executes automatic inter-vehicle distance control for operating the traveling driving force output device 82 and the brake device 83 so that the inter-vehicle distance to the following vehicle becomes the target inter-vehicle distance successively set by the target setting unit 64, and for following the following vehicle.

The automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 automatically controls the vehicle speed of the host vehicle specified by the vehicle sensor unit 3 when the ACC function is on, but the following target vehicle cannot be recognized based on the front information acquired by the external recognition device 24. More specifically, when the ACC function is on and the following target vehicle cannot be identified based on the front information, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 executes automatic vehicle speed control for operating the running driving force output device 82 and the brake device 83 so that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle becomes a target vehicle speed set in accordance with the procedure described later.

Here, the case where the following target vehicle cannot be recognized based on the front information includes a case where the following target condition is not satisfied, in addition to a case where the preceding vehicle does not exist within a range that is in front of the host vehicle and that can be recognized by the external recognition device 24, and a case where the preceding vehicle exists within a range that is in front of the host vehicle and that can be recognized by the external recognition device 24. In the present embodiment, the following target condition is, for example, a user-set distance that is smaller than a predetermined inter-vehicle distance with respect to the preceding vehicle, and a user-set vehicle speed that is smaller than a vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle. That is, even if there is a preceding vehicle within a range recognizable by the external recognition device 24, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 does not recognize the preceding vehicle as a vehicle to be followed when the preceding vehicle is separated from the vehicle by a distance equal to or greater than a user-set distance or when the preceding vehicle is traveling at a speed equal to or greater than a user-set vehicle speed.

The running environment grasping unit 62 grasps the running environment of the host vehicle, more specifically, that the host vehicle is running on a curve. The traveling environment grasping unit 62 grasps that the host vehicle is traveling on a curve based on all or any one of the front information obtained by the external recognition device 24, the detection result of the vehicle sensor unit 3, and the position information and the map information of the host vehicle transmitted from the navigation device 5, or a combination thereof. The grasping result obtained by the running environment grasping portion 62 is sent to the curve radius determining portion 63 and the automatic control continuation determining portion 65.

When the traveling environment grasping unit 62 grasps that the vehicle is traveling in a curve, the curve radius determining unit 63 determines whether or not the curve radius of the traveling road is smaller than the current curve radius. The curve radius determination unit 63 determines whether or not the curve radius in front is smaller, for example, based on the front information obtained by the external recognition device 24, the position information of the host vehicle transmitted from the navigation device 5, and the map information. In addition, for example, in a case where the forward curve radius cannot be estimated with high accuracy using the information provided by the external recognition device 24 and the navigation device 5, the curve radius determination unit 63 may determine whether the driver is going to enter a curve having a smaller radius than the current one by using the roll angle, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, and the like that can be detected by the vehicle sensor unit 3, thereby determining whether the forward curve radius is smaller. In the case where a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle is provided, the curve radius determination unit 63 may determine whether or not the curve radius in front is small by using the detection value of the steering angle sensor. The determination result obtained by the curve radius determination section 63 is sent to the automatic control continuation determination section 65.

When the ACC function is on, the target setting unit 64 sets the target inter-vehicle distance in the automatic inter-vehicle distance control performed by the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61. More specifically, the target setting unit 64 sets the target inter-vehicle distance based on the front information acquired by the external recognition device 24, the determination result of the running environment grasping unit 62, and the detection result of the vehicle sensor unit 3. In addition, when the following target vehicle cannot be identified based on the front information, the target setting unit 64 sets the target vehicle speed in the automatic vehicle speed control performed by the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61. The target setting unit 64 transmits information on the set target inter-vehicle distance and the target vehicle speed to the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61.

The automatic control continuation determination unit 65 sets the value of an ACC state flag, which will be described later, to "0", "1", "2" or "3" based on the information supplied from the running environment grasping unit 62, the curve radius determination unit 63, and the like.

During traveling, the driver notification unit 66 notifies the driver of various information via the HMI 4. More specifically, when the ACC function is temporarily canceled by the automatic control continuation determination unit 65, the driver notification unit 66 notifies the driver of a predetermined warning notice message by using the HMI 4, or switches the on state of the ACC function display lamp.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a specific sequence of the automatic inter-vehicle distance control and the automatic vehicle speed control by the driving support control device 6. The processing shown in fig. 2 is repeatedly executed by the driving assistance control device 6 in a predetermined control cycle while the ACC switch provided in the HMI 4 is turned on, that is, while the driver indicates a desire to turn on the ACC function. The steps shown in fig. 2 are realized by executing a computer program stored in a storage device (device) not shown by the driving assistance control apparatus 6 while the ACC switch is turned on.

First, in step ST1, the driving support control device 6 acquires front information on the front state of the host vehicle from the external recognition device 24, and proceeds to step ST2. In step ST2, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 determines whether or not the following target vehicle can be identified based on the front information acquired in step ST 1. In other words, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 determines whether or not there is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle based on the front information acquired from the external recognition device 24, and the preceding vehicle satisfies the following target condition described above.

If the determination result in step ST2 is YES (YES), that is, if the following vehicle can be identified, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 proceeds to step ST3. In step ST3, the target setting unit 64 sets a target inter-vehicle distance corresponding to the target of the inter-vehicle distance, which is the inter-vehicle distance with respect to the identified following target vehicle, based on the front information, and proceeds to step ST 4. More specifically, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 calculates the vehicle speed of the following vehicle and the actual inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle based on the front information, and sets the target inter-vehicle distance so that the target inter-vehicle distance becomes longer as the vehicle speed of the following vehicle becomes higher.

In step ST4, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 calculates an acceleration/deceleration instruction value based on a known feedback algorithm so that the actual inter-vehicle distance with respect to the following vehicle becomes the target inter-vehicle distance, and proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST5, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 sets the value of the ACC state flag to "0" to clearly indicate that the automatic inter-vehicle distance control is currently being performed, and proceeds to step ST6. In step ST6, the driver notification unit 66 turns on the ACC function display lamp provided on the HMI 4 in red to notify the driver that automatic inter-vehicle distance control is currently being performed, and the process proceeds to step ST20.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step ST2 is NO (NO), that is, if the following target vehicle cannot be identified (that is, if the preceding vehicle does not exist or if the preceding vehicle does not satisfy the following target condition), the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 proceeds to step ST8. In step ST8, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 executes the automatic control continuation determination processing of updating the value of the ACC state flag with "1", "2" or "3", and then proceeds to step ST9.

In step ST9, the target setting unit 64 determines whether or not the value of the ACC state flag is "1". If the determination result in step ST9 is yes, the target setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST11, and if no, proceeds to step ST10. In step ST10, the target setting unit 64 determines whether or not the value of the ACC state flag is "2". If the determination result in step ST10 is yes, the target setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST12, and if no, proceeds to step ST15.

In step ST11, the target setting unit 64 sets the target vehicle speed used for the automatic vehicle speed control, and the process proceeds to step ST13. More specifically, the target setting unit 64 sets the user-set vehicle speed preset by the driver as the target vehicle speed, for example.

In step ST12, the target setting unit 64 sets the target vehicle speed used for the automatic vehicle speed control, and the process proceeds to step ST13. More specifically, the target setting unit 64 sets the loss-time vehicle speed acquired in step ST36 described later, which is lower than the user-set vehicle speed, as the target vehicle speed.

In step ST13, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 calculates an acceleration/deceleration instruction value based on a known feedback algorithm so that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle determined by the vehicle sensor unit 3 becomes the target vehicle speed set by the processing in steps ST11 and 12, and proceeds to step ST14.

In step ST14, the driver notification unit 66 turns on the ACC function display lamp provided on the HMI 4 in green to pass the driver that the automatic vehicle speed control is currently being executed, and the process proceeds to step ST20.

On the other hand, in the case where the determination results in steps ST9,10 are both no, that is, the value of the ACC state flag is "3", the driver notification unit 66 turns on the ACC function display lamp provided on the HMI 4 in white to notify the driver of the state where the ACC function is temporarily canceled, and ends the processing shown in fig. 2.

In step ST20, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 executes the automatic inter-vehicle distance control or the automatic vehicle speed control, and ends the processing shown in fig. 2. More specifically, the automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit 61 operates the running driving force output device 82 and the brake device 83 based on the acceleration/deceleration instruction value calculated in step ST4 or step ST13, and ends the processing shown in fig. 2.

As described above, the ACC state flag is set to any one of "0", "1", "2", and "3" in each control period. More specifically, when the ACC function is on and automatic inter-vehicle distance control of the following vehicle identified based on the front information is being executed, the value of the ACC state flag is set to "0". When the ACC function is temporarily canceled, that is, when execution of the inter-vehicle distance control and the vehicle speed control is temporarily stopped, the value of the ACC state flag is set to "3". In addition, in the case where the ACC function is on and automatic vehicle speed control is being performed, the value of the ACC state flag is set to "1" or "2". More specifically, in the case where automatic vehicle speed control is being executed in which the user-set vehicle speed set in advance by the user is set to the target vehicle speed, the value of the ACC state flag is set to "1". In addition, when the automatic vehicle speed control is being executed in which the loss-time vehicle speed acquired in step ST36 described later is set to the target vehicle speed, the value of the ACC state flag is set to "2".

Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the automatic control continuation determination processing.

First, in step ST31, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 determines whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on a curve based on the grasping result transmitted from the traveling environment grasping unit 62. If the determination result in step ST31 is no, the automatic control continuation determining unit 65 proceeds to step ST32. In step ST32, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 sets the value of the ACC state flag to "1" in order to execute the automatic vehicle speed control in which the user-set vehicle speed is set to the target vehicle speed, and proceeds to step ST8 of fig. 2.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step ST31 is yes, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 proceeds to step ST33. In step ST33, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 determines whether or not the value of the ACC state flag is any one of "0", "2" and "3".

If the determination result in step ST33 is no, that is, if the value of the ACC state flag is "1", and if the automatic vehicle speed control is performed in the last control cycle in which the user-set vehicle speed is the target vehicle speed, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 proceeds to step ST32 in order to continue the execution of the automatic vehicle speed control in which the user-set vehicle speed is the target vehicle speed.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step ST33 is yes, that is, if the value of the ACC state flag is any one of "0", "2" and "3", the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 proceeds to step ST34. Here, the case where the value of the ACC state flag in step ST33 is "0" corresponds to the case where the vehicle to be followed is automatically controlled for the vehicle to be followed during the preceding control cycle while the vehicle is traveling on the curve, but the vehicle to be followed cannot be recognized based on the front information in the current control cycle, that is, the vehicle to be followed cannot be recognized during the curve traveling. The case where the value of the ACC state flag is "2" in step ST33 corresponds to the case where the automatic vehicle speed control is performed in which the vehicle speed at the time of loss is set to the target vehicle speed in the last control cycle. The value of the ACC state flag in step ST33 is "3", which corresponds to the case where the ACC function was temporarily canceled in the last control cycle.

Next, in step ST34, the automatic control continuation determination section 65 determines whether or not the value of the ACC state flag is "0". If the determination result in step ST34 is yes, that is, if the following vehicle is not recognized immediately before the vehicle is traveling in a curve, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 proceeds to step ST36, and if no, the process proceeds to step ST37.

In step ST36, the target setting unit 64 acquires the current vehicle speed of the host vehicle, that is, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle that becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle during the curve traveling, from the vehicle sensor unit 3 as the loss-time vehicle speed, and proceeds to step ST37.

In step ST37, the curve radius determination unit 63 determines whether or not the curve radius of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is smaller than the current curve radius. More specifically, the curve radius determination unit 63 determines whether or not the curve radius in front of the current position of the host vehicle is smaller than the curve radius of the current position of the host vehicle on the road on which the host vehicle is currently traveling.

If the determination result in step ST37 is no, that is, if the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, and if the curve radius of the traveling road is equal to or larger than the current curve radius, the curve radius determination unit 63 proceeds to step ST38. In step ST38, the automatic control continuation determination unit 65 sets the value of the ACC state flag to "2" in order to execute the automatic vehicle speed control in which the vehicle speed at the time of loss is set to the target vehicle speed, and proceeds to step ST8 of fig. 2. That is, in the driving support control device 6, when the following target vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling and the curve radius of the traveling road is equal to or larger than the current curve radius, the vehicle speed is automatically maintained at the lost vehicle speed by executing the automatic vehicle speed control in which the vehicle speed is set to the target vehicle speed at the lost vehicle speed that is lower than the user-set vehicle speed, and the acceleration control in which the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is automatically increased toward the user-set vehicle speed is not executed.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step ST37 is yes, that is, if the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, and if the curve radius of the traveling road is smaller than the current curve radius, the curve radius determination unit 63 proceeds to step ST39. In step ST39, the automatic control continuation determination section 65 sets the value of the ACC state flag to "3" in order to cancel the ACC function, and proceeds to step ST40. That is, in the driving support control device 6, when the following target vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling and when the curve radius of the traveling road is smaller than the current curve radius, the ACC function is temporarily canceled, and the following vehicle speed control is delivered to the driver, so that the acceleration control for automatically increasing the vehicle speed of the host vehicle toward the user-set vehicle speed is not performed.

In step ST40, the driver notification unit 66 temporarily cancels the ACC function, and uses the HMI 4 to alert the driver to the attention, and proceeds to step ST8 of fig. 2. More specifically, the driver notification unit 66 notifies the driver of a warning notice message such as "cancel ACC function" and "notice front" using the HMI 4.

According to the driving assistance system 1 of the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited.

(1) In the driving support system 1, when a following target vehicle that is a preceding vehicle that satisfies a following target condition can be identified based on the front information of the host vehicle, the driving support control device 6 executes automatic control of the vehicle-to-vehicle distance with respect to the following target vehicle and automatic vehicle-to-vehicle distance control of the following target person, and when the following target person cannot be identified based on the front information, the driving support control device 6 executes automatic vehicle speed control of automatically controlling the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle becomes the user-set vehicle speed. Here, when the host vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle during the curve traveling, the driving support control device 6 does not execute the acceleration control for automatically increasing the vehicle speed toward the user-set vehicle speed. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle to be tracked becomes unrecognizable while following the vehicle to be tracked that runs slower than the user-set vehicle speed, the vehicle does not accelerate toward the user-set vehicle speed, and therefore, when the vehicle to be tracked becomes identifiable again thereafter, the vehicle-to-vehicle distance to the vehicle to be tracked can be sufficiently ensured. In this way, in the driving support system 1, even when the following target vehicle is recognized again during the curve running, excessive deceleration is not required, so that stable turning can be performed.

(2) The driving support control device 6 does not perform acceleration control (driver handling) by canceling the ACC function of automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance or the vehicle speed and performing subsequent speed control by the driver, or does not perform acceleration control (system handling) by automatically maintaining the vehicle speed at the time of loss when the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable. That is, in the driving support system, both the driver handling means and the system handling means are prepared as means for not executing the acceleration control when the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve driving, whereby the stability during the curve can be ensured by appropriate means according to the situation.

(3) When the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, and when the curve radius of the road determined to be traveling becomes small, the driving support control device 6 does not perform acceleration control by canceling the ACC function. It is considered that, in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the state in which the vehicle to be tracked cannot be recognized continues longer in a case where the curve radius is smaller than the current state and in a case where the curve radius is larger. Therefore, the state (for example, the vehicle speed) of the following vehicle greatly changes from the time when the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling until the presence of the following vehicle is detected again, and the risk of collision increases. Thus, in this case, by canceling the ACC function and delivering the following speed control to the driver, stability during turning can be ensured more reliably.

(4) In the driving support system 1, the driver notification unit 66 notifies the driver of the driver's attention via the HMI 4 when the driving support control device 6 cancels the ACC function. Thus, the driver can quickly grasp that the ACC function is canceled and the driver is in a state of being required to pay attention to the front, so that stable turning can be performed.

< second embodiment >

Next, a structure of a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The order of the automatic control continuation determination processing of the driving assistance system of the present embodiment is different from that of the driving assistance system 1 of the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the automatic control continuation determination processing in the driving assistance system of the present embodiment. In the flowchart shown in fig. 4, the processes shown in steps ST51 to ST54 and steps ST56 to ST60 are the same as the processes shown in steps ST31 to ST34 and steps ST36 to ST40 in the flowchart shown in fig. 3, respectively, and therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted.

In step ST54, the automatic control continuation determination unit determines whether or not the value of the ACC state flag is "0", and if the determination result in step ST54 is yes, that is, if the following vehicle has just become unrecognizable during the curve running, the process proceeds to step ST71, and if not, the process proceeds to step ST57.

In step ST71, the automatic control continuation determination unit determines whether or not the following vehicle exhibits at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the host vehicle before the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable. Here, the lane change behavior refers to behavior of the vehicle body of the following target vehicle when the following target vehicle changes lanes from the same lane as the host vehicle to a lane different from the host vehicle. The lane change preparation behavior is a behavior of a following vehicle that starts a lane change from the same lane as the host vehicle to a lane different from the host vehicle, and is, for example, a lighting of a direction indicator of the following vehicle. The automatic control continuation determination unit determines whether or not the following vehicle exhibits at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior by, for example, identifying a lane boundary line, a position of the host vehicle with respect to the lane boundary line, a position of the following vehicle with respect to the lane boundary line, an orientation of a vehicle body of the following vehicle, a direction indicator of the following vehicle, and the like based on the front information acquired by the external identification device 24 before the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable.

If the determination result in step ST71 is yes, that is, if the following vehicle is not recognized, the automatic control continuation determination unit predicts that the preceding vehicle identified as the following vehicle has traveled on a different lane from the host vehicle because the following vehicle is lane-changed, and proceeds to step ST52 to execute the automatic vehicle speed control in which the user-set vehicle speed is set as the target vehicle speed. If the determination result in step ST71 is no, that is, if the following vehicle does not exhibit a lane change behavior or a lane change preparation behavior before the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable, the automatic control continuation determination unit proceeds to step ST72.

In step ST72, the automatic control continuation determination unit determines whether or not the host vehicle has performed at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle before the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable. Here, the lane change behavior refers to a behavior in which a driver operates a steering handle or tilts a vehicle body so as to change the own vehicle from the same lane as the following target vehicle to a lane different from the following target vehicle. The lane change preparation behavior is a behavior performed by a driver who wants to start a lane change from the same lane as the following target vehicle to a lane different from the following target vehicle, and is, for example, a behavior in which the driver operates a direction indicator switch of the vehicle. The automatic control continuation determination unit determines whether or not the host vehicle has performed at least one of the lane change behavior and the lane change preparation behavior by, for example, identifying the lane boundary line, the position of the host vehicle relative to the lane boundary line, the inclination of the host vehicle body, the steering angle of the host vehicle, the presence or absence of an operation of the turn direction indicator switch of the host vehicle, and the like based on the front information acquired by the external identification device 24 before the host vehicle becomes unable to be identified, the signals transmitted from the driving operation tool 81 and the vehicle sensor unit 3, and the like.

If the determination result in step ST72 is yes, that is, if the following vehicle is not recognized, the automatic control continuation determination unit predicts that the preceding vehicle recognized as the following vehicle is traveling on a different lane from the host vehicle because the main cause of the following vehicle is a lane change of the host vehicle, and proceeds to step ST52 in order to execute the automatic vehicle speed control in which the user-set vehicle speed is set as the target vehicle speed. If the determination result in step ST72 is no, that is, if the host vehicle does not perform the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior before the vehicle to be followed becomes unrecognizable, the automatic control continuation determination unit proceeds to step ST56.

The driving assistance system according to the present embodiment exhibits the following effects in addition to the above (1) to (4).

(5) When the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable during the curve traveling, and before the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable, the automatic control continuation determination unit sets the user-set vehicle speed as a target vehicle speed and automatically controls the vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed, thereby allowing the acceleration control to be executed, when the following target vehicle exhibits at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the vehicle; when the following target vehicle does not exhibit a lane change behavior or a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the host vehicle, the automatic control continuation determination unit does not execute the acceleration control. Thus, according to the driving assistance system of the present embodiment, when the preceding vehicle identified as the following target vehicle and the host vehicle travel on different lanes before that, and the risk of collision is low, it is possible to allow the acceleration control to be performed, so it is possible to improve the convenience of the driver.

(6) When the vehicle is not able to recognize the following target vehicle during the curve traveling, the automatic control continuation determination unit sets the user-set vehicle speed as a target vehicle speed and automatically controls the vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed to allow the acceleration control to be executed when at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle is performed before the vehicle is unable to recognize the following target vehicle; when the host vehicle does not perform a lane change behavior or a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle, the automatic control continuation determination unit does not execute acceleration control. Thus, according to the driving assistance system of the present embodiment, when the preceding vehicle identified as the following target vehicle and the host vehicle travel on different lanes before that, and the risk of collision is low, it is possible to allow the acceleration control to be performed, so it is possible to improve the convenience of the driver.

While the above description has been given of the embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this. The construction of the details may be appropriately changed within the gist of the invention.

Reference numerals

1: driving assistance system

2: external sensor unit (front information acquisition means)

3: vehicle sensor unit

4: HMI (notification means)

5: navigation device

6: driving support control device (driving support control device)

61: automatic acceleration/deceleration control unit

62: running environment grasping unit (running environment grasping means)

63: bend radius determination unit (bend radius determination means)

64: target setting part

65: automatic control continuation determination unit

66: driver notification unit (notification means)

Claims

1. A driving assistance system for a saddle-ride type vehicle, comprising:

a front information acquisition means for acquiring front information on a front state of the host vehicle;

a driving support control means for automatically controlling an inter-vehicle distance to the following target vehicle and following the following target vehicle when the following target vehicle, which is a preceding vehicle that satisfies a following target condition, can be identified based on the front information, and automatically controlling the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle becomes a set vehicle speed when the following target vehicle cannot be identified based on the front information; the method comprises the steps of,

a driving environment grasping means for grasping that the host vehicle is driving in a curve; and, in addition, the processing unit,

when the following vehicle cannot be recognized during the curve traveling, the driving support control means does not execute acceleration control for automatically increasing the vehicle speed to the set vehicle speed.

2. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the drive assist control means cancels a drive assist function of automatically controlling the inter-vehicle distance or the vehicle speed based on the front information, or automatically maintains the vehicle speed at a vehicle speed at which a loss in the following target vehicle becomes unrecognizable, thereby not executing the acceleration control.

3. The driving support system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising curve radius determining means for determining whether or not a curve radius of a road being traveled becomes smaller in a case where the host vehicle is traveling on a curve,

when it is determined that the radius of the curve in front of the host vehicle is smaller, the driving support control means cancels the driving support function.

4. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising notifying means for notifying a driver of the cancellation of the drive assist function by the drive assist control means.

5. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising notifying means for notifying a driver of the cancellation of the drive assist function by the drive assist control means.

6. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable during a curve traveling, and before the following vehicle becomes unrecognizable, the following vehicle exhibits at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the host vehicle, the drive assist control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed; when the following vehicle does not exhibit the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control.

7. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle during curve traveling, the driving assist control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when the vehicle makes at least one of a lane change behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle and a lane change preparation behavior before the vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle; when the host vehicle does not perform the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control.

8. The drive assist system for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 6, wherein, when the vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle during curve traveling, the driving assist control means automatically controls the vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed when the vehicle makes at least one of a lane change behavior and a lane change preparation behavior to a lane different from the following target vehicle before the vehicle becomes unable to recognize the following target vehicle; when the host vehicle does not perform the lane change behavior or the lane change preparation behavior, the driving support control means does not execute the acceleration control.