JP2000322695A - Vehicle controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle controller capable of previously controlling various vehicles while considering the preceding travel environment of a road under traveling at present. SOLUTION: This vehicle controller has a vehicle position operating device 5 for operating a present position to move with the travel of the vehicle on the basis of signals from a GPS receiver 1, a vehicle speed sensor 7 and G sensor 9, a recording/reproducing device 17 for storing map information or the like and a suspension controller 21 for controlling suspension related to the travel of the vehicle. When the present location of the vehicle is acquired, a road map, to which this present position belongs, is read out of the recording/ reproducing device 17 and the road condition preceding to the present position in a moving direction is judged from the road map. Corresponding to this judged road condition, the suspension controller 21 appropriately controls the suspension by the time when the vehicle reaches the preceding road in the moving direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vehicle based on information from a GPS satellite, information obtained from a direction sensor or a gyro sensor and a vehicle speed sensor, and information corresponding to an absolute position such as a map database. The present invention relates to a device for performing various operation controls such as suspension control, running control, combustion control, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various devices have been proposed which detect a road surface condition using an acceleration sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like, and control suspension characteristics according to the detected road surface condition. Have been applied.

[0003] Rather than simply detecting the current road surface condition, the ultrasonic sensor is used to determine the road condition in front of the traveling vehicle to control the suspension characteristics. A device for preventing deterioration has also been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-182833).

[0004] However, this method has the disadvantage that the cost of the sensor is extra, and the road surface condition cannot be determined correctly due to insufficient sensitivity due to dirt contamination of the ultrasonic receiving unit and insufficient sensitivity due to the difference in the material of obstacles on the road. was there.

Further, when the road is a sharp turn, simply detecting the state of the road surface ahead of the vehicle is not sufficient. In order to detect even the road surface condition at the end of this curved road, it is necessary to widen the sensing range of the sensor or to provide a plurality of sensors, which also causes a lack of sensitivity of the sensor and an increase in cost.

[0006] Even if such a sensor sensing range is widened, there is a limit to the detectable range.

As described above, it is desirable to accurately grasp the traveling environment ahead of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling to perform various control of the vehicle. However, conventionally, the behavior of the vehicle (for example, an acceleration sensor, a vehicle height sensor, or the like) has been conventionally used. Estimated road conditions based on detected values)
This had to be applied to various controls.

[0008]

As described above, conventionally,
In order to perform various controls reflecting the driving environment of the vehicle,
It is difficult to reflect not only the current traveling environment but also the environment of the traveling destination, and there has been a problem that only the control of the driver can be performed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of controlling various vehicles in advance in consideration of a traveling environment ahead of a currently traveling road.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and specifies a vehicle position from stored map information, and specifies a driving environment and a road condition ahead of the vehicle position. Therefore, various types of vehicles can be controlled in advance in consideration of the traveling environment ahead of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling.

For this reason, for example, it is possible to reflect the traveling environment of the traveling destination and to change the foot circumference characteristics in a timely manner when the condition of the road surface is changing.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a GPS receiver 1 for receiving a signal from a GPS satellite, an antenna 3 thereof, and an absolute position of the vehicle based on the signal received by the GPS receiver 1. , An information reading device 15 using a magneto-optical disk as a recording medium, and a recording / reproducing device 17 for driving the information reading device 15 to record / reproduce information on the magneto-optical disk. And an information processing device 20 connected to the vehicle position calculating device 5 and the recording / reproducing device 17.

The vehicle position calculation device 5 is a computer having a calculation processing function based on GPS satellite navigation or the like.
The information reading device 15 and the recording / reproducing device 17 comprise a magneto-optical disk recording / reproducing system which records information of each road on the map corresponding to the absolute position and is capable of reading and writing.
The information recorded on the magneto-optical disk is divided into several patterns such as expressways, winding roads, urban areas, suburbs, bad roads, etc. It is information on the climbing rate, the traveling direction, the distinction between uphill and downhill, and the altitude.

The information processing device 20 is also a computer,
The current absolute position X of the vehicle calculated by the vehicle position calculation device 5
From Y, search for road information while the vehicle is running through the magneto-optical disk recording / reproducing system, identify road conditions,
According to the result, the road condition is given as information to various vehicle control ECUs.

As a result, in the first embodiment, as shown in a block diagram, the system configuration is as shown in FIG. 2, and 4WS control, 4WD control, suspension control,
Power steering control, engine control, transmission control,
... etc. can be implemented.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing this relationship.
It becomes like. That is, in the first embodiment, when the GPS signal is received (S1; YES), the absolute position is calculated (S2),
Road information is searched via the magneto-optical disk recording / reproducing system, and the search result is given to each control ECU (S3).
Each control ECU executes various controls reflecting the road information (S4).

The contents of step S4 will be described in more detail according to the contents of each control process.

[4WS Control] The rear wheel target steering angle θr in the 4WS control is expressed by the following equation (1).

[0020]

(Equation 1)

Here, δF is a detected value of the front wheel steering angle, and γ is a detected value of the yaw rate. KF is a gain that determines the amount of rear wheel steering with respect to the steering wheel angle and is set to be in reverse phase with respect to the steering wheel angle. KB is a gain that determines the amount of rear wheel steering with respect to the yaw rate. Sometimes they are set to be in phase.

Based on the above equation (1), the rear wheel is steered to the opposite phase during low-speed running, the rear wheels are steered to the opposite phase at the beginning of control during high-speed running, and then switched to the same phase. The rear wheel steering angle control is performed in a returned state. Normally, the negative-phase gain KF and the common-mode gain KB in the above equation (1) are set to 5: 5 in terms of weighting factors, and either one is not emphasized. However, since the value of each gain changes according to the vehicle speed, the phase is mainly opposite at low speed and mainly in phase at high speed, but this is the final relationship of the rear wheel steering angle, and from the start of control. Until the end, the procedure of once switching to the opposite phase and then returning to the same phase remains the same.

In the first embodiment, when the road pattern corresponds to the "winding road" in the road information searched by the information processing apparatus 20, the control described in (1) above is performed so that the turning performance is emphasized. The weight of the negative phase gain KF in the equation is made larger than the weight of the common mode gain KB. For example, 7: 3
Like As a result, on a winding road, the vehicle tends to be cut in a relatively large phase at first, so that the turning performance is improved.

On the other hand, when it is a "highway or a bad road", the weight of the negative-phase gain KF in the above equation (1) is made larger than the weight of the common-mode gain KB in order to emphasize the straightness. Also make it smaller. For example, 3: 7. As a result,
On a highway or the like, straight running performance is improved, and stable running can be maintained.

[Suspension Control] As the suspension control, control is executed by dividing the road information into three patterns such as "highway or winding road", "bad road", and "other than those". Specifically, on an expressway or a winding road, the control is switched to a control in which the suspension characteristics are set to emphasize the steering stability and the control is set to be softer on a rough road to emphasize the riding comfort. Otherwise, set it to normal.

[Power Steering Control] In the power steering control, a highway, a bad road, a winding road, and others other than the above are also discriminated as road information, and control is performed with characteristics according to each of them. Specifically, on a "highway or a bad road", the control characteristics of the power steering are set to be heavy so that the steering angle is hard to change suddenly, and on a "winding road", the control characteristics are set to be light. It enables quick steering. Other than these, normal weight is set.

[Transmission Control] The transmission control has a control characteristic in which lockup is performed earlier on a highway to improve fuel efficiency and the like, and lockup is not performed on a winding road. On other roads, normal characteristics are set without such adjustment for lockup.

[4WD Control] In the 4WD control, control is performed such that the road is set to the 4WD control state when the road is an expressway or a bad road, and the 2WD control is performed for other roads. Thereby, on a highway or a rough road, the control is automatically shifted to the 4WD control to improve the grip and improve the acceleration performance and the like.

[Engine Control] In the engine control, the intake pressure is corrected in the electronically controlled fuel injection control device of the speed density system based on the altitude as road information.

[Other Controls] In addition, when it is determined that the vehicle is going downhill, control is performed to increase the amount of rear wheel steering of the 4WS to reduce the load applied to the rear wheels due to the downhill. Control to ensure good maneuverability.

Similarly, on a downhill, the fuel injection amount can be corrected so as to decrease the fuel injection amount so as to improve the effectiveness of the engine brake. On the uphill, the fuel injection amount can be increased and corrected to improve acceleration. Further, regarding the engine brake, the transmission may be shifted down one step from the normal level on a downhill.

In addition, on a downhill, the front wheels are softened and the rear wheels are softened in terms of suspension characteristics, so that the front curl of the vehicle body due to an increase in front wheel load and a decrease in rear wheel load is eliminated. Can be. On the uphill, the vehicle control can be maintained comfortably by performing the reverse control.

On the uphill, the 4WD control is performed to secure the acceleration, and the torque distribution ratio of the front and rear wheels according to whether the vehicle is on the uphill, downhill or flat road during the 4WD control. Can be changed, and further finer control can be performed in consideration of the climbing rate.

In the various controls described above, control after setting basic characteristics such as suspension firmness / softness and 4WS reverse-phase emphasis / in-phase emphasis detects vehicle behavior in the same manner as before. Then, feedback control may be performed. As described above, according to the first embodiment, an accurate vehicle position is calculated based on information from GPS satellites, road information is searched from a map database, and various controls are performed according to road conditions. Can be. In particular, since the road condition is known before the vehicle behaves in a predetermined manner, it is possible to ensure a comfortable running without the control going behind.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, a weather information receiver 51 for receiving weather information from a weather satellite, its antenna 53, and an outside air temperature detecting device are provided. 18 and an insolation detector 19. The information processing device 20 includes, in addition to the vehicle position calculating device 5 and the recording / reproducing device 17, these weather information receivers 5
1, the outside air temperature detecting device 18 and the solar radiation detecting device 19 are also connected.

The magneto-optical disk of the information reading device 15 is characterized in that a map database relating to road surface information in which each road on the map is classified into a pavement road or a bad road corresponding to the absolute position is recorded. It is. The information processing device 20
From the absolute position of the current vehicle calculated by the vehicle position calculation device 5 and the above-mentioned map database, it is specified whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a paved road or a bad road, and the reception of the weather information receiver 51 is further performed. From the result and the absolute position of the vehicle, the weather of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is specified, and the road surface μ of the road is estimated in consideration of the outside temperature, the amount of solar radiation, or the time. Then, the road surface μ is provided to various vehicle control ECUs as information.

As a result, in the second embodiment, when shown in a block diagram, the system configuration is as shown in FIG. 5, and 4WS control, 4WD control, suspension control,
Power steering control, engine control, transmission control,
... etc. can be implemented. The time detection device 20
“a” includes a clock and a calendar built in the information processing apparatus 20 itself.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the process for estimating the road surface μ. That is, first, as in the first embodiment, when a GPS signal is received (S1; YES), an absolute position is calculated (S2). Then, the road surface information is retrieved through the magneto-optical disk recording / reproducing system to determine whether the road is a pavement or a bad road (S5). Another is determined (S6), and in addition, either the outside air temperature or the amount of solar radiation or the time is taken in (S7), and the road surface state is determined by referring to a determination map as shown in FIG. It is determined which of ultra-low μ corresponds (S8). Then, the determination result is given to each control ECU (S9).

In the second embodiment, it is not only the difference between the paved road / bad road and the weather, but also the external temperature and the like that are taken into consideration, even if the snowy weather is the same. This is because there is a difference in the road surface μ depending on whether there is snow or the snow is piled up. For this reason, time is considered not only for day and night but also for season. In addition, since it is generally determined that snow falls in winter, the day or night is determined based on the amount of solar radiation, and when the weather is “snow”, it is determined to be low μ at daytime and extremely low μ at night. However, since there is still a difference between snow in midwinter and snow in early spring, it is desirable to refer to the calendar of the time detection device 20a in the case of solar radiation.

In the second embodiment, the judgment based on the outside air temperature has the highest accuracy, and then the time is followed by the amount of solar radiation. In addition, it is good also considering all three. In this case, a majority decision of each determination may be taken. Here, high μ, medium μ, low μ, and extremely low μ mean the road conditions shown in Table 1 below.

[0042]

[Table 1]

When such information on the road surface μ is given, each control ECU adjusts and changes the control gain and the control law, and performs optimal control according to the road surface μ. For example, in 4WS, the control law may be changed to the front wheel steering angle proportional control on the high μ road without yaw rate feedback on the low μ road. In addition, the control amount may be corrected such that the rear wheel steering amount is reduced on the high μ road and the rear wheel steering amount is increased on the low μ road.

In the anti-skid control, since the road surface μ can be specified as information before the start of the slip, the optimal control can be performed from the beginning, and the braking distance can be further reduced. Further, control such as changing the torque distribution of the front and rear wheels in the 4WD control according to the road surface μ, and setting the power steering to be heavier on a low μ road can be performed.

Next, a third embodiment will be described.

The third embodiment is an example in which the damping force of the suspension is controlled in accordance with the road surface condition based on information from a GPS satellite. As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle of the third embodiment has a GPS receiver 1 for receiving a signal from a GPS satellite, an antenna 3 thereof, and an absolute position of the vehicle based on the signal received by the GPS receiver 1. , A vehicle speed sensor 7, a G sensor 9, a steering wheel angle sensor 11, a switch 13 for inputting a control instruction from a user, and an information reading device 15 using a magneto-optical disk as a recording medium. A recording / reproducing device 17 for driving the information reading device 15 to record / reproduce information on / from the magneto-optical disk; a vehicle position calculating device 5; a vehicle speed sensor 7;
Information processing device 20 connected to sensor 9, steering wheel angle sensor 11, various switches 13, and recording / reproducing device 17
And a suspension control controller 21 controlled by the information processing device 20, and actuators 23a to 23d driven and controlled by the suspension control controller 21.

The vehicle position calculation device 5 is a computer having a calculation processing function based on GPS satellite navigation or the like.
The information reading device 15 is a readable / writable magneto-optical disk recording / reproducing system in which information on how to control the suspension control characteristic on each road on the map corresponding to the absolute position is recorded as information on the road surface condition.

The information processing device 20 is also a computer,
First, based on the current absolute position XY of the vehicle calculated by the vehicle position calculation device 5, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 7, and the steering angle θ detected by the steering angle sensor 11, the vehicle is about to travel. Absolute position X'Y 'on the road ahead
Has the function of calculating

This function is specifically realized as shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, the current absolute position (hereinafter, referred to as the current position) XY of the vehicle calculated by the vehicle position calculation device 5 is read (S10).
And the steering wheel angle θ (S20), and finally, the absolute position of the road surface predicted to reach after a predetermined time (hereinafter, referred to as “absolute position”).
X′Y ′ (referred to as a vehicle target position) is calculated by repeating the process of calculating the current position XY, the vehicle speed V, and the steering wheel angle θ by a geometric method (S30).

The information processing device 20 also calculates the absolute position (hereinafter, referred to as a target position) of the traveling road surface thus calculated.
Drive control of the recording / reproducing device 17 based on X'Y 'to read the recorded content corresponding to the target position X'Y' in the information reading device 15 to specify the damping force control condition on the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling. It also has the function of performing Then, it also has a function of outputting the specified damping force control condition to the suspension control controller 21 in accordance with the arrival time at the destination road surface represented by the target position X'Y '.

These functions are specifically realized as shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, the road surface state of the target position X'Y 'is read from the information reading device 15 based on the target position X'Y' specified in step S30 (S50). Then, it is determined whether this road surface state corresponds to an uneven road or a flat road (S
60). Then, according to the road surface condition, the target position X'Y '
Is a rough road, a message to the effect that the damping force should be softened is output to the suspension controller 21 (S7).
0), if the target position X'Y 'is a flat road, a signal indicating that the damping force should be hardened is output to the suspension controller 21 (S80).

In the third embodiment, (road surface condition) =
Since the information is recorded in the form of (damping force control condition), specifically, the suspension control controller 2 reads the damping force control condition read from the information reading device 15 as it is.
1 is output. The output timing of the damping force control instruction to the suspension control controller 21 is executed in accordance with the arrival time at the target position X'Y '.

As a result, in the vehicle of the third embodiment, the suspension control according to the road surface condition can be executed, even though the ultrasonic sensor for detecting the road surface condition is not provided. In addition, since control conditions for a target position X'Y 'which will reach after a predetermined time can be obtained in advance and control can be executed in accordance with the arrival time at the position, a road surface condition can be detected by a sensor. Responsiveness compared to conventional systems that start control after
Unpleasant vibration can be almost completely eliminated even when traveling on a road where the road surface condition changes suddenly.

In the vehicle of the third embodiment, the information processing device 20 further has a function of updating the contents of the magneto-optical disk mounted on the information reading device 15. This function is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, the vertical acceleration GV detected by the G sensor 9 is read (S100), and it is determined whether the current suspension control state is hardware or software (S110). Then, when it is determined that it is hard, it is determined whether or not the state where the vertical acceleration GV is greater than 0.3 G has continued for a predetermined time or more (S120). If the result of this determination is "YES", the information recorded on the magneto-optical disk corresponding to the absolute position of the currently traveling road surface (now hard)
Is rewritten by software and corrected (S130). The fact that the vertical acceleration of 0.3 G or more is continuously generated for a predetermined time or more despite the fact that the damping force is made hard,
It can be considered that steps or irregularities are formed on the road surface that should be flat for some reason. Therefore, in the next traveling, this information is utilized so that software is selected as the damping force characteristic when passing through this position.

Conversely, if it is determined in step S110 that the software is soft, it is determined whether the state where the vertical acceleration GV is smaller than 0.05 G has continued for a predetermined time or more (S140). If the result of this determination is "YES", information recorded on the magneto-optical disk corresponding to the absolute position of the currently traveling road surface (now soft)
Is rewritten to hardware and corrected (S150). In this case, if the road surface is uneven, even if the damping force is softened, a vertical acceleration of about 0.2 G should appear, so the state where the vertical acceleration is smaller than 0.05 G continues for a predetermined time or more. That is based on the fact that it is considered that there is no unevenness on the road surface after all.

FIG. 12 shows that, as a result of such updating of the recorded contents, the position X0 was originally set as the control condition of the damping force control characteristic.
Software from Y0 to position X1Y1, software from position X1Y1 to position X2Y2, and position X2Y2 to position X3
When software is recorded up to Y3, the position X1
This is an example in which a condition to be controlled by software and a condition to be controlled by hardware are added between Y1 and the position X2Y2.

As a result of executing the update of the recorded contents, even when the road surface condition is changed due to road construction or the like, the suspension control reflecting the road surface condition can be executed. Further, by processing the input from the switch 13 in the same manner, it is possible to record the user's preference and reflect the user's preference, for example, to drive in a hard state if there is some unevenness.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

The fourth embodiment is an example in which inter-vehicle distance control is performed according to road conditions based on information from GPS satellites.

The vehicle of the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the system of the third embodiment, and has a GPS as shown in FIG.
GPS receiver 1 for receiving signals from satellites, its antenna 3, vehicle position calculation device 5, vehicle speed sensor 7, steering wheel angle sensor 11, various switches 13, information reading device 15, recording / reproduction It comprises a device 17 and an information processing device 20. However, the difference is that the recorded content of the information reading device 15 is not a control condition itself, but a map database in which the state of a curve or a slope of a road is recorded in relation to an absolute position.

As a configuration not described in the third embodiment, a throttle control device 33 for controlling the throttle actuator 31, a transmission control device 37 for controlling the transmission 35, a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 7, A travel control device 40 that controls the throttle control device 33 and the transmission control device 37 based on information on the steering wheel angle from the sensor 11 and the position of the front vehicle from the radar 39 and the inter-vehicle distance control conditions specified by the switch 13. And The travel control device 40 is connected to the information processing device 20 and fetches the information on the currently traveling road and the road ahead from the information processing device 20 to control the throttle control device 33 and the transmission control device 37. I'm using Further, the information processing device 20 can also take in information from another system 41 (for example, a road surface μ from another control system).

In the vehicle of the fourth embodiment, the vehicle position calculating device 5, the information processing device 20, and the travel control device 40
The inter-vehicle distance control is executed as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

First, the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the vehicle is calculated based on the signal from the GPS satellite received by the GPS receiver 1 (S210). Next, at this current position, the information reading device 15 as a map database is used.
Then, the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling is determined with reference to the recorded contents (S220).

Then, based on the map database, the average value of the radius of the curve included per unit distance to travel on the determined road is calculated (S230). Then, based on this value, a variable L is obtained by referring to a map as shown in FIG. 15 (S240). The variable L becomes smaller as the average radius R of the curve becomes smaller, that is, becomes steeper as the curve becomes steeper, and is always a coefficient of “1” or less.

Next, the ratio occupied by the curve portion per unit distance to be traveled on the determined road is calculated (S250). Then, based on this value, a variable M is obtained by referring to a map as shown in FIG. 16 (S2).
60). The variable M decreases as the ratio of the curve increases, and is always a coefficient equal to or less than “1”.

Then, the climbing rate or the descending rate of the road to which the vehicle travels on the determined road is calculated (S27).
0). Then, based on this value, a variable K is obtained by referring to a map as shown in FIG. 17 (S280). Variable K
Becomes larger as the uphill or downhill ratio increases, and is always a coefficient of “1” or more.

This variable K may be changed between the uphill ratio and the downhill ratio depending on the vehicle characteristics. The constant based on the climbing rate is K1 and the constant based on the descending rate is K2. Where L, M, K1,
Although K2 was obtained for each unit distance, the curve portion and the straight line portion were directly divided from the shape of the road in the map database, and they were further classified into (flat portions, uphill portions, downhill portions), and the constants L, M , K1, K2 may be calculated directly from the classified actual shapes.

Each of these variables L, M, K (or K
1, K2), a difference DS between the current inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle and the target inter-vehicle distance specified by the switch 13 and the relative speed with respect to the preceding vehicle from information on the position of the preceding vehicle detected by the radar 39. VS is calculated (S290). Then, based on the inter-vehicle distance difference DS and the relative speed VS, an acceleration / deceleration rate DV is calculated with reference to a map as shown in FIG. 18 (S300). The relative speed VS is “+” when the own vehicle is slower, and “−” when the own vehicle is faster.

Here, the area D in the map indicates a state in which the speed of the own vehicle is higher and the inter-vehicle distance is narrower than the target inter-vehicle distance. Therefore, with respect to the region D, a negative acceleration / deceleration rate is associated with the entire range. In the area A, the speed of the own vehicle is slower and the inter-vehicle distance is larger than the target inter-vehicle distance, and a positive acceleration / deceleration rate is associated with the entire range.
On the other hand, the area C is a state in which the speed of the own vehicle is slower and the inter-vehicle distance is wider than the target inter-vehicle distance.
Although the speed of the own vehicle is lower, it means that the inter-vehicle distance is narrower than the target inter-vehicle distance. For this reason, the region C is generally associated with a positive acceleration / deceleration rate, and the region B is generally associated with a negative acceleration / deceleration rate. The rate is getting lower.

Then, each of the variables L,
Based on M, K (or K1, K2) and the acceleration / deceleration rate DV, the target vehicle speed to be the current control target is calculated (S3).
10). The target vehicle speed is calculated as in the following equation.

[0071]

(Equation 2)

Here, dt is a control cycle, for example, 50 m
sec. Equation (2) indicates that the acceleration / deceleration rate DV is positive,
That is, the equation (3) is applied at the time of deceleration. By dividing in this way, it is possible to keep the acceleration / deceleration rate low only during acceleration. The reason why the rate is not kept low during deceleration is that it is not preferable for safety.

After the target vehicle speed is calculated, the throttle opening is calculated based on the calculated target vehicle speed, and the calculation result is output to the throttle control device 33 (S320). Further, transmission control conditions are calculated based on the target vehicle speed and whether acceleration or deceleration is performed, and the calculation result is output to the transmission control device 37 (S
330).

The variables L, M, K (or K1, K2)
In the calculation of, it is also possible to obtain only one unit distance section ahead in each control timing, or, once a road is specified, divide it up to a branch point of the road or the like per unit distance, and The value of the unit distance section is obtained and stored in the RAM of the information processing device, and is read out and used each time the timing of passing through these sections is reached based on the latitude and longitude information from GPS satellites. Good.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, when there is a curve ahead and the vehicle is accelerating, the acceleration / deceleration rate D
Since V is multiplied by variables L and M equal to or less than “1”, the acceleration / deceleration rate is suppressed. The variable L becomes smaller as the curve ahead becomes steeper. As a result, a smaller change in the target vehicle speed is required as compared to a case where the vehicle is traveling on a road that is not so. Therefore, even if the vehicle is behind the preceding vehicle, the vehicle does not try to overtake it. On the other hand, if the vehicle is slightly catching up, the deceleration control is performed in the same manner as the normal control.

A specific example of the control state on a road with many curves is as follows.

When the preceding vehicle passes through a curve and an improper driving is performed such that the speed is suddenly increased just before the curve, a proper inter-vehicle distance is maintained and the relative speed difference is “0”. In this case, the acceleration of the preceding vehicle results in the state of the area A in the map of FIG.
Therefore, a positive acceleration / deceleration rate is selected to greatly increase the target speed of the vehicle. However, since it is known in advance that this road has many curves, the variables L and M are small values of 1 or less, and the acceleration is suppressed. As a result, the safety of the vehicle on the curve is ensured.

Next, when the own vehicle exits a portion having many curves and enters a straight portion, since the vehicle is in the area A according to the map shown in FIG. 18, a positive value is required to increase the target speed of the own vehicle. The acceleration / deceleration rate is selected. However, this time, since this is not suppressed by the variables L and M, control is performed to return to the original state relatively quickly.

As described above, even on a road with many curves, even if the speed of the preceding vehicle changes in the dangerous direction, the acceleration / deceleration rate in the inter-vehicle distance control tends to be suppressed. There is no loose control. Therefore, the rider has no tension and runs comfortably.

On the other hand, when the road ahead is an uphill,
The variable K (or K1) increases according to the climbing rate.
In other words, if the vehicle in front of the vehicle goes uphill at a constant speed and approaches the uphill road, the speed of the vehicle will decrease at the entrance of the uphill unless the traveling load of uphill is corrected, so that the vehicle ahead on the uphill road will The distance between cars becomes longer. In the fourth embodiment, the target speed is corrected in advance because the coefficient K (or K1), which increases as the climbing rate increases, is multiplied. Therefore, the speed of the own vehicle does not start to decrease due to approaching the uphill, and stable following of the preceding vehicle can be performed.

On the contrary, when there is a downhill ahead, if the downhill rate is large, it is expected that the vehicle will naturally accelerate due to this effect. If not corrected, the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead will be shorter.
In the fourth embodiment, by multiplying by the positive variable K (or K2), the deceleration rate is corrected to be larger than that on a road without climbing. Therefore, the vehicle does not inadvertently approach the preceding vehicle.

Further, although the acceleration and deceleration of the preceding vehicle becomes severe on a road that is ascending and descending, even in such a state, the vehicle is not too close to or too far from the preceding vehicle, and the proper inter-vehicle distance is maintained firmly. Impression control can be performed, giving the passenger a comfortable impression. further,
Information processing device 2 in which information from other system 41 is stored
From 0, necessary information can be read out as appropriate, and the acceleration / deceleration can be corrected based on the information. For example, a road surface friction coefficient or weather information can be used.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the acceleration / deceleration rate is optimally corrected by referring not only to the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed with the preceding vehicle, but also to the road shape and other information. It is possible to execute safe and comfortable inter-vehicle distance control for the user. In the case of a constant-speed traveling device that has already been put into practical use, the above-described inter-vehicle distance control is used when calculating an acceleration / deceleration rate according to a difference between a target vehicle speed and an actual vehicle speed to calculate a target vehicle speed for control. Similarly to the above, the target vehicle speed according to the road condition can be set using the variables L, M, and K. In this case, as shown in FIG. 19, the target vehicle speed can be calculated to be relatively large before approaching the uphill, and the vehicle speed at the time of approaching the uphill as conventionally occurs can be configured. (Dotted line in the figure) can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to realize constant-speed traveling control with a smooth impression for the occupant on a road with many climbs.

Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.

The fifth embodiment is an example in which the amount of intake air is corrected according to the altitude of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, based on information from GPS satellites. The vehicle of the fifth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment in that it has a GPS receiver 1, an antenna 3, and a vehicle position calculating device 5, as shown in FIG.
In addition to the configuration described in the third embodiment, a weather information receiver 51 for receiving weather information from a weather satellite and its antenna 53, and reception signals from the GPS receiver 1 and the weather information receiver 51 are transmitted. A fuel injection control device 55 for inputting and executing fuel injection control. The fuel injection control device 55 includes an air flow meter 61, an intake air temperature sensor 63, a water temperature sensor 65, a throttle opening sensor 67,
_{The two} sensors 69, the engine speed sensor 71, and the fuel injection device 73 are connected.

Then, the fuel injection control device 55
As shown in the flowchart, the altitude h of the information received by the GPS receiver 1 is read (S410), and the intake air temperature t detected by the intake air temperature sensor 63 is read (S410).
420), the altitude h and the intake air temperature t are substituted into the following estimation formula to estimate the atmospheric pressure PA (S430).

[0087]

(Equation 3)

Then, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 22, the detection signal QNA from the air flow meter 61 and the atmospheric pressure estimated value PA are read (S510), and the actual intake air amount QN is estimated by the following equation. (S520).

[0089]

(Equation 4)

Then, as is well known, the water temperature sensor 6
5, the basic fuel injection quantity captures the detection signals of the throttle opening sensor 67, O ₂ sensor 69 and the engine speed sensor 71, the various operations for the calculation of such increase correction value and the air-fuel ratio correction value by the water temperature, etc. The process is executed (S530), and the fuel injection amount is obtained from these (S540).

As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, it is possible to accurately estimate the intake air amount even at the time of traveling at high altitude without providing a dedicated atmospheric pressure sensor, and to perform the air-fuel ratio control and the like satisfactorily. Can be. In addition, the atmospheric pressure can be correctly estimated not only at the time of starting the engine but also during traveling, and when traveling in a mountainous area with a large difference in elevation, it is possible to execute optimal fuel injection control reflecting the atmospheric pressure. .

Incidentally, by taking into account the weather information detected by the weather information receiver 51, a relationship as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 23 can be adopted. That is, the atmospheric pressure is estimated in consideration of the weather information. For example, it is possible to more precisely estimate the atmospheric pressure based on weather information such as passing a front line, passing a mobile high pressure, or passing a cold air mass. is there. In this case, the weather at the current position of the vehicle may be specified by applying the latitude and longitude information received by the GPS receiver 1 to the latitude and longitude information included in the weather information. .

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, an absolute position is calculated based on information received from a GPS satellite, and information such as whether the vehicle is currently running in an urban area, a factory area, or a national park is specified from a map database. It is also possible to perform engine control such as restricting engine output or prohibiting high-power mode operation in accordance with regulatory information defined corresponding to such areas, for example, noise regulations or exhaust gas regulations. .

Further, it specifies whether the road is an expressway or a general road, an urban area or a suburban area, and performs driving control such as canceling or prohibiting the inter-vehicle distance control or the constant speed driving control on the general road or the urban area. You may do so.

Further, instead of the estimation system as in the second embodiment, the engine control and the suspension control may be executed in consideration of a sensor signal such as a road surface μ detected each time by an ABS system or the like. .

In addition, transmission control, AB
In S control or the like, the system can be configured as a system that determines the environment of the road to which the vehicle will travel, and switches the control smoothly.

In a vehicle equipped with an obstacle detection system using a radar or the like, a map database is also provided with information on fixed structures around roads such as guardrails so that an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection system can be used. Judge whether it is a vehicle ahead or a guardrail and reflect this in vehicle control, or have information such as the existence of a pedestrian crossing or the presence of an intersection that must be slowed down, and use these for travel control. It is also possible to make it reflect and to perform slow driving.

Further, roll control reflecting the curve of the road and vehicle height control reflecting the state of the road may be performed. In various other vehicle controls, the present invention is applied as a control system according to the traveling environment. Of course you get.

As described in detail above, according to the vehicle control device of the present invention, various controls reflecting the traveling environment of the vehicle can be accurately realized.

Further, the use of the GPS allows the absolute position of the vehicle to be specified inexpensively and reliably, and has the effect that the arithmetic processing and the like need only be performed when necessary. Moreover, there is a merit that various controls can be executed based on extremely accurate absolute positions. Further, there is an advantage that information can be exchanged between vehicles.

In particular, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reflect fluctuations in the traveling environment, reflect not only the environment in which the vehicle is currently traveling, but also the environment in which the vehicle is to travel, and are timely and smooth. Control can be performed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the foot circumference control reflecting the driving environment, the comfortable driving control reflecting the driving environment, and the accurate engine control reflecting the driving environment are performed. can do.

In addition, control reflecting the road surface μ can be performed from the beginning of the control.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control process in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a control process in the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a map for road surface μ determination according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a position calculation process in the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a damping force control process in a third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a road information correction process in the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of road information correction in the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an inter-vehicle distance control process in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a map for calculating a variable L for inter-vehicle distance control in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a map for calculating a variable M for inter-vehicle distance control in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a map for calculating a variable K for inter-vehicle distance control in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a map for calculating an acceleration / deceleration rate DV for inter-vehicle distance control in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of constant speed traveling control to which the fourth embodiment is applied.

FIG. 20 is a configuration diagram showing a basic device configuration of a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of an atmospheric pressure estimation process in a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a fuel injection amount control process in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a system configuration of a modified example to which the fifth embodiment is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... GPS receiver, 3 ... Antenna, 5 ... Vehicle position calculating device, 7 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 9 ... G sensor, 11 ... Handle angle sensor, 13 ... Switch 15 information reading device 17 recording / reproducing device 18 outside temperature detecting device 19 solar radiation detecting device 19 20 information processing device 20a
Time detecting device, 21: suspension control controller, 23a to 23d: actuator, throttle actuator, 33: throttle control device, 3
Reference numeral 5: transmission, 37: transmission control device, 39: radar, 40: travel control device, 41: other system, 51: weather information receiver, 53: antenna , 55 ... fuel injection control apparatus, 61 ... flow meter, 63 ... intake air temperature sensor, 65 ... water temperature sensor, 67 ... throttle opening degree sensor, 69 ... O ₂ sensor, 71 ... Engine speed sensor, 73 ... Fuel injection device.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B60T 8/58 B60T 8/58 Z B62D 6/00 B62D 6/00 7/14 7/14 A F02D 29 / 02 301 F02D 29/02 301C 301D G09B 29/00 G09B 29/00 Z 29/10 29/10 A // G01C 21/00 G01C 21/00 A B62D 101: 00 107: 00 113: 00 137: 00 (72 ) Inventor Susumu Akiyama 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Pref., Within Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Akira Kurahashi 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Pref., DENSO Corporation (72) Inventor Seiwa Takagi, Aichi 1-1-1 Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Japan Inside Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Mitsushi Hashimoto 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Katsuhiko Hibino 1-1-1 Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Masayuki Takami 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Denso Corporation (72) Inventor Tetsushi Haseda Showa, Kariya City, Aichi Prefecture 1-chome, DENSO Corporation

Claims (8)

[Claims] An absolute position calculating means for calculating an absolute position of the vehicle; an information storing means for storing information relating to a traveling environment in advance in relation to the absolute position; an calculated absolute position and the information storing means Driving environment specifying means for specifying the driving environment of the vehicle from the stored content of the vehicle; driving driving state detecting means for detecting the driving driving state of the vehicle; and a control amount of the driving driving state of the vehicle based on the specified driving environment. And a driving condition control means for controlling the driving condition of the vehicle based on the calculated control value. A vehicle control device that specifies a traveling environment at a traveling destination, and wherein the driving traveling state control unit controls the driving traveling state of the vehicle in relation to an arrival time at the traveling destination. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correction unit configured to compare a result controlled by the vehicle control unit with a predetermined control result, and to correct a content stored in the information storage unit based on the comparison result. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The driving environment specifying means specifies information on a road surface as the driving environment, and the driving / running state control means controls a vehicle's suspension characteristics based on the specified information on the road surface. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information storage unit stores information on a traveling environment associated with the absolute position on a portable information recording medium. Control device. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein
The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the absolute position calculation unit is a unit that calculates an absolute position of the vehicle based on information received from a GPS satellite. 6. A vehicle comprising: an information acquisition unit for acquiring information relating to a current position where the vehicle travels, a storage unit for storing map information and the like, and a vehicle control unit for controlling a vehicle related to the vehicle traveling. In the control device, the vehicle control unit may be configured to perform vehicle control related to vehicle traveling in accordance with a road condition in a moving direction destination of a current position acquired by the information acquisition unit on a road in the map information stored in the storage unit. Is appropriately performed until the vehicle arrives at the road ahead in the moving direction. 7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control means controls a suspension of the vehicle. 8. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires information on a current position using at least information from a GPS satellite.