JP3651516B2 - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, and more particularly, to a vehicle control device that acquires a travel route to a destination and controls the travel of the vehicle according to the acquired travel route.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, a vehicle control device using a navigation device has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-324138).
In this case, the vehicle travels at a certain speed, and it is easier to perform more appropriate vehicle control if there is data on the road shape in front of the travel path as well as the current position.
However, for example, there are cases where the front is an intersection and vehicle control differs depending on whether the vehicle is going straight or turning right and left, and such a problem does not occur if the traveling path of the vehicle is set in advance. When such a travel route is set by the navigation device, it is usually performed by inputting a destination.
The destination may be specified from the name of a building such as a department store that is the destination, or may be specified sequentially from the prefecture name, or may be specified from the map screen. . Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-187898, there is an example in which a driver sets a destination by inputting a destination telephone number with a touch panel, a keyboard, or the like. Furthermore, there is a method of inputting a destination by voice.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in these cases, it is necessary to perform the setting operation for setting the destination before the driver starts traveling with the vehicle by a keyboard, voice input, etc., and the driver may feel annoyed.
In particular, for a route where a driver frequently travels, such as a route from home to a company or department store, route guidance by a navigation device is not required in most cases. For this reason, it is complicated to set a destination such as a company by the navigation device, and the vehicle may travel without setting the destination. For this reason, a travel route was acquired by the navigation device, and vehicle control based on the travel route could not be performed.
[0004]
Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle control device that can easily set a destination and a travel route to the destination and can control the travel of the vehicle from the obtained travel route. Objective.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that performs a control that predicts a change in a traveling state in accordance with the acquired traveling route and realizes a smoother traveling of the automobile.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the current position detecting means for detecting the current position, the departure time acquiring means for acquiring the departure time of the vehicle, and the past traveling pattern comprising the departure time, the departure place and the destination are stored as a database. Based on the combination of the detected travel position with the detected current position and the acquired departure time, the destination analogy means for analogizing the destination from the stored travel pattern, and the detected current A route acquisition means for acquiring a travel route from a position to the destination estimated by the destination analogy estimation means, and a position on the travel route acquired by the route acquisition means is detected by the current position detection means. Driving control means for controlling any one of the transmission, suspension, and power steering of the vehicle obtained from the current position of the vehicle. To achieve the primary objective.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first aspect, the departure time acquisition means includes starting the engine, turning on an ignition switch, getting on the driver, opening the driver side door, and shifting. The time when at least one of the movement of the lever to the “D” position is acquired as the departure time.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first or second aspect, the travel pattern is calculated from the departure point and departure time used by the destination analogy estimation means, and the analogy destination. Updating means for updating the database of the storage means.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first, second, or third aspect, the route acquisition means acquires a travel route from a starting point to a destination by a route search. Alternatively, the past travel route between the departure point and the destination is stored in the database of the travel pattern storage means, and the travel route from this database to the destination is acquired.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle control device according to the first, second, third, or fourth aspect, the travel control means is acquired by the route acquisition means of the travel route acquisition device. Specific position extraction means for extracting a specific position located on the travel route from the travel route, the specific position extracted by the specific position extraction means, and the current position detected by the current position detection means A distance calculating means for calculating a distance; a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed; a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means; and a shift control means for selecting a gear ratio according to the distance calculated by the distance calculating means; To achieve the second object.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments suitable for the invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
First, travel route acquisition in the vehicle control device of the present embodiment will be described, and then vehicle control based on the acquired travel route will be described.
[0007]
(1) Outline of acquisition of travel route
FIG. 1 shows an outline of travel route acquisition.
As shown in FIG. 1, when acquiring a travel route, a past travel pattern including a departure place, a departure time, and a destination is stored as data, and when starting the current travel, The destination is automatically inferred from the departure time, and the travel route to the destination is obtained by route search.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, when leaving home at 7:00 on Monday morning, it is analogized that the travel is from the travel pattern data to the company. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, when leaving home at 4 pm on Sunday, it is analogized that the travel is from the travel pattern data to the department store.
Then, the estimated destination is confirmed with the driver, and if it is correct, a travel route to the estimated destination (company, department store, etc.) is obtained by route search.
[0008]
(2) Details of route acquisition
FIG. 2 shows a configuration in the case where the travel route acquisition is performed by an in-vehicle navigation device.
The navigation device 1 includes a navigation processing unit 11, which includes a data storage unit 12, a current position detection unit 13, a communication unit 15, an input unit 16, a display unit 17, a voice input unit 18, and An audio output unit 19 is connected.
The navigation processing unit 11 is a storage medium that stores a CPU (central processing unit) 111 and various programs such as a navigation program and a travel route acquisition program based on destination analogy according to the present embodiment and a travel pattern data update program. A ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113 as a working memory, and a clock 114 are provided. The clock 114 is for knowing the time and the like in the present embodiment, and outputs the date and time (day of the week + time).
The navigation processing unit 11 is supplied with an ON / OFF signal for the ignition key 20. When the ON signal is supplied from the ignition key 20, the navigation processing unit 11 recognizes the time output from the clock 114 at that time as the departure time.
[0009]
As the data storage unit 12, various storage media such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, a magnetic tape, an IC card, and an optical card are used. In addition to the map data 121, the data storage unit 12 stores voice data 122, address data 123, telephone number data 124, travel pattern data 125, and the like.
The map data 121 is data necessary for displaying a map and road data necessary for route search. This road data includes various data such as the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the nodes constituting each road, elevation data at each node, road type, road length, number of nodes existing between roads, road shape, etc. It is.
The voice data 122 is voice guidance information data output from the voice output unit 19. Address data 123 is address data used to input a destination, and telephone number data 124 is telephone number data used to input a destination.
[0010]
The travel pattern data 125 is data of a travel pattern including a departure place, a departure time, a departure date, and a destination (arrival point), and is stored as a database for each run. The destination is composed of a name representing the destination and coordinate data (latitude and longitude).
Here, “time”, which is a concept in the traveling pattern data, is a concept including not only the time of the day (24 hours) but also the day of the week. Therefore, even if it is the same time, if the day of the week is different, the time is different. For example, the time is 3 o'clock on Monday and 3 o'clock on Tuesday. Moreover, the date and time when the data was stored in the travel pattern data 125 is also recorded in the travel pattern data.
[0011]
FIG. 3 conceptually shows the running pattern data 125, and the frequency for each destination when leaving from home on Monday is shown in a statistical graph. In this embodiment, as shown in this figure, the departure time is distinguished in units of one hour in the time range from 6 am to 11 pm.
For example, it is assumed that the traveling pattern data 125 is searched when leaving home at 8:10 am on Monday. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, there are companies, hospitals, and banks as destinations when leaving home at 8 o'clock on the last Monday, and the most frequent company is estimated as the destination. .
In addition, if the frequency of going out as a destination in the past is the same as in the 9 o'clock company and city hall on Monday, the total frequency for each destination including other time zones on that day Priority is given to many people.
[0012]
The current position detection unit 13 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 131 that measures the position of the vehicle using an artificial satellite, a geomagnetic sensor 132 that detects the geomagnetism and obtains the direction of the vehicle, and detects the rotational speed of the wheel. Steering that detects the angle of the steering using a distance sensor 133 that detects the distance by integrating acceleration twice and detecting the distance, an optical rotation sensor attached to the rotating part of the steering, a rotational resistance volume, etc. Sensor 134, beacon receiver 135 that receives position information from a beacon arranged on the road, a gyro using a gas rate gyro, an optical fiber gyro, or the like that detects the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle and integrates the angular velocity to determine the vehicle direction A sensor 136 or the like is used.
The GPS receiver 131 and the beacon receiver 135 can measure the position independently, but in locations where the GPS receiver 131 and the beacon receiver 135 cannot receive, the current position is detected by dead reckoning using other sensors. It is like that.
In the present embodiment, when an ON signal is supplied from the ignition key 20, the current position detected by the current position detection unit 13 is supplied to the navigation processing unit 11 and recognized as the departure place.
[0013]
The communication unit 15 includes a modem, for example, and controls communication with an external device such as a base station or a personal computer via a telephone line.
The input unit 16 includes a joystick key, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, a light pen, a remote controller, or a display unit that displays a key or menu on the screen and inputs from the screen, a bar code reader, a character Various input devices such as a scanner, a digitizer, a CD drive, a floppy disk drive, and an IC card reader are used.
As the display unit 17, a CRT, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a hologram device that projects a hologram on a windshield unit, or the like is used. The display 17 displays a map displaying the route to the destination by color coding, or displays various screens according to the response with the driver, such as an analogy result in the destination analogy in this embodiment. It has become.
The voice input unit 18 converts a voice signal input from the microphone into a digital signal, extracts a feature parameter from the digital signal, compares the feature parameter with a standard pattern, recognizes the input voice, and recognizes it. An input signal to the navigation processing unit 11 is generated in accordance with the content of the voice.
[0014]
When performing normal route guidance for the driver, the voice output unit 19 appropriately outputs guidance information to the destination from the speaker under the control of the navigation processing unit 11. For example, guidance information such as “300 meters ahead / next intersection is in the right direction / left direction / straight direction” is output immediately before the intersection serving as the guidance point or immediately before the intersection. According to the present embodiment, when a route to the estimated destination is acquired, the route guidance by voice is not performed in principle. When a destination other than the estimated destination is set, or when an instruction to request guidance on the estimated destination is given, voice route guidance is performed.
Also, the voice output unit 19 outputs operation explanations and comments at the time of various operations such as destination setting.
The voice output unit 19 is configured to output guidance information for notifying downshifting from a speaker in a second embodiment to be described later.
As the guidance information by voice from the voice output unit 19, voice recorded in advance on a tape or synthesized voice by a voice synthesizer is used.
[0015]
Next, the operation of the route acquisition process by the navigation device configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a route acquisition process based on destination analogy, and FIG. 5 shows a screen displayed on the display unit 17 corresponding to the route acquisition process.
When the ON signal is supplied from the ignition key 20, the navigation processing unit 11 acquires the current time (day of the week + time) from the clock 114, acquires the current location detected and detected by the current position detection unit 13, and the RAM 113. (Step 11).
Then, the navigation processing unit 11 checks whether or not past traveling pattern data is stored in the traveling pattern data 125 of the data storage unit 12 (step 12).
[0016]
If there is past traveling pattern data, the navigation processing unit 11 infers the destination from the traveling pattern data 125 and displays it on the display unit 17 (step 13).
That is, the destination with the highest frequency with respect to the combination of the departure time and the departure place stored in the RAM 113 is estimated as the destination to be traveled from now on. For example, in the case of leaving home at 8:30 am on Monday, as shown in the travel pattern data 125 of FIG. 3, the destination that traveled most frequently at 8 o'clock on Monday (= destination) Since the company is a company, analogize the company as the destination.
Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, both the departure place (= home) and the estimated destination (company) are displayed on the display unit 17. In addition, the display unit 17 displays an inquiry about whether or not the estimated destination is acceptable, and a key for inputting an answer to the inquiry.
[0017]
Then, the navigation processing unit 11 confirms the input contents from the input unit 16 such as a touch panel or a remote control corresponding to the screen of the voice input unit 18 and the display unit 17 as an answer to the inquiry as to whether or not the estimated destination is acceptable. (Step 14).
When the estimated destination is acceptable (step 14; Y), that is, when the “YES” button displayed on the display unit 17 (FIG. 5A) is touched, “OK” “Yes” is displayed on the voice input unit 18. ”“ Yes ”, etc., affirmative voice is input, a key operation indicating affirmation is performed by the remote control, or driving is started as it is (in this case, it is determined that an implicit understanding has been made) In step S15, the analogy destination is set as the destination and stored in the RAM 113.
[0018]
On the other hand, when the analogized destination is different (step 14; N), that is, when the “NO” button in FIG. 5B is touched, a voice indicating negative is input to the voice input unit 18 Alternatively, when an operation indicating negative is performed with the remote controller, the navigation processing unit 11 displays other destination candidates on the display unit 17 as shown in FIG. The user sets a destination (= destination) and stores it in the RAM 113 (step 16).
Similarly, when there is no past travel pattern data (step 12; N), the driver is similarly required to set a destination (step 16).
As destinations to be displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 2B, other destinations at the same time and adjacent times are displayed at predetermined locations (for example, any location from 2 to 20 locations). When the number of other destinations is large, a destination with a high frequency is preferentially displayed, and when the frequency is the same, a destination with a close time is preferentially displayed.
[0019]
In the screen of FIG. 5B, when “others” is selected by a touch panel, voice, remote control, etc., the navigation processing unit 11 displays a map including the current location (= home) as shown in FIG. Is displayed. Then, the destination is designated from the map screen by moving the destination designation cursor mark 171.
[0020]
When the destination is set in step 15 or step 16, the travel route from the departure point to the destination stored in the RAM 113 is searched from the map data 121 and stored in the RAM 113 (step 17), and the process returns to the main routine. To do.
[0021]
Next, traveling pattern data update processing will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart (a) showing a running pattern data update process and an explanatory diagram (b) about running pattern data update.
In the travel pattern data update routine, the navigation processing unit 11 acquires the current position from the current position detection unit 13 (step 21), and determines whether the destination has been reached (step 22).
If it has not arrived at the destination (step 22; N), the process returns to the main routine. If it has arrived (; y), the corresponding day of the week stored in the travel pattern data 125 (day of arrival at the destination) ) Is determined whether or not the total number of data is equal to or greater than a predetermined value P (step 23).
When the value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value P (step 23; Y), the navigation processing unit 11 searches the oldest data (date / month / day and time) among the travel pattern data of the corresponding day of the week stored in the travel pattern data 125. ) Is deleted (step 24).
[0022]
After deleting the oldest data or when the number of travel pattern data is less than P (step 23; N), the navigation processing unit 11 stores the current travel pattern data (year / month / day, time, departure) stored in the RAM 113. (Location, destination) are registered in the travel pattern data 125 (step 25), and the process returns to the main routine.
[0023]
In the above travel pattern data update process, for example, a case where the travel pattern data 125 before travel has the contents shown in FIG. 3 will be described. It is assumed that at 8:10 am on Monday, we departed for the destination (= company) and arrived at the company.
Then, the navigation processing unit 11 deletes the oldest data (= bookstore) as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 6B and adds travel pattern data relating to the current travel as indicated by an arrow B.
[0024]
In the route acquisition processing described above, the destination is inferred from the departure point and the time, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and various modifications can be made including other parts.
For example, when estimating the destination, the driver may be further estimated, and the destination may be estimated from the estimated driver and travel pattern data. In this case, the driving pattern data for each driver obtained by adding the driver to the driving pattern data shown in FIG. 3 is stored as a database.
As shown in FIG. 7, the analogy of the driver is analogized by performing image processing on the image of the driver's face captured by the CCD camera 21 arranged in the vicinity of the driver's seat. Alternatively, the driver may be inferred from the weight measured by a weight sensor (not shown) arranged in the driver seat. Further, analogy may be made from both the driver's video and weight.
[0025]
Then, the estimated driver, the estimated destination (destination), and a confirmation key are displayed on the display unit 17 as shown in FIG. When “NO” is touched or a negative intention is displayed on this screen, a screen for selecting a driver is displayed as shown in FIG. 8B. The driver displays all registered members.
When “others” is selected here, a screen prompting the driver to input his / her name is displayed, and the driver inputs a symbol for identifying himself / herself such as his name or pen name from the keyboard or remote control. When a new driver is input, data relating to the driver's face image and weight data are stored in the running pattern data 125. And a database of travel pattern data corresponding to a new driver is newly constructed.
[0026]
In the above modification, the driver is analogized, but the driver may input from a keyboard, a touch panel, a remote controller, the voice input unit 18 or the like.
[0027]
In the route acquisition process described above, the destination route is set and then the travel route to the destination is obtained by route search. In the present invention, the travel route to the destination searched in the past is stored in the travel pattern data 125. You may make it leave. Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, the travel route 172 corresponding to the estimated destination (searched in the past) is displayed on the map screen including the estimated destination and the destination. Thus, in the case of a destination that has traveled in the past, the route to the destination can be immediately displayed on the screen without performing a route search.
And when the analogy is selected that the destination is acceptable, the travel route stored in the travel pattern data can be acquired immediately, and the time required for the route search to the destination can be shortened. It becomes possible.
When the first destination is set, a new route search is performed, and the travel pattern data 125 is stored in association with the destination.
[0028]
In the above route acquisition processing, time = day of the week + time is defined. However, in the present invention, the time may be defined in a longer unit. For example, time = (weekday, holiday) + time, (Monday-Friday, Saturday, holiday) + time. Conversely, the time may be defined as time without distinguishing the time according to the day of the week, weekday, or holiday. Furthermore, the user may be able to select these time definitions.
[0029]
In the route acquisition process described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the driving pattern data is stored and updated for each departure time in each time zone of one hour unit, but other time units, for example, 30 minute units, It is good also as a unit for 20 minutes, a unit for 10 minutes, etc.
Further, the time range of the departure time for storing the travel pattern data is the range from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, but other time ranges, for example, the time range for normal travel such as 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM Or you may make it choose 24 hours.
The user may be able to set the time unit for storing the travel pattern data and the time range.
[0030]
In the route acquisition process described above, in the analogy of the destination, when the frequency of going out as the destination is the same number, priority is given to the one with the highest total frequency for each destination in the day of the week, including other time zones. I tried to analogize it.
In the present invention, another method may be used in which destinations having the same frequency are displayed on the screen as a plurality of candidates and the driver selects them.
Further, not only the same frequency but also a destination within the range of a predetermined ratio with respect to the most frequent frequency, for example, when the most frequent frequency is 100%, the destinations having the frequency within the range of 90%, 80%, etc. May be displayed on the screen as a candidate for selection by the driver. In this case, the most frequently used destination is displayed as the first destination, and the driver does not select another destination (when the next process is instructed or selected without selecting the destination, or the vehicle has started running) In the case), the processing is continued assuming that the most frequent destination is selected.
[0031]
Furthermore, in the above-described route acquisition process, the time when the ignition key is ON is set as the departure time, but the time when the engine is started may be set as the departure time. The departure time may be set when the main power of the navigation processing unit 11 is turned on. Furthermore, when the driver gets on, opens the driver's seat side door, and the vehicle speed is greater than 0 at the start of traveling, the time when the shift lever is moved to the “D” position or the like may be set as the departure time.
[0032]
Next, vehicle control according to the present embodiment will be described.
(3) Overview of vehicle control
In the vehicle control according to the present embodiment, shift speed control is performed in which a change in the traveling state is predicted in advance from the traveling route acquired by the above-described traveling route acquisition process (including a modification thereof).
FIG. 9 shows a state of vehicle control.
As shown in this figure, when the travel route from the home to the company is obtained by destination analogy and route acquisition processing, the point before the intersection, the curve start point, the climb start point from the obtained travel route information When a vehicle such as a vehicle travels, a specific position that requires deceleration is detected. Then, vehicle control such as deceleration control before the intersection, curve control, and climbing slope control is performed from the distance between the specific position and the vehicle position and the vehicle speed. Specifically, the transmission ratio is controlled by selecting a transmission ratio based on a preset transmission map.
Thus, the vehicle control according to the set destination (destination) is performed.
[0033]
(4) Details of vehicle control.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the vehicle control device 40 to which the navigation device 1 that performs route acquisition processing is connected.
As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle control device 40 includes a control unit 41 that is a shift control means, an engine control device 42, an accelerator sensor 43, a brake sensor 44, and a shift lever position that detects an operation position of the shift lever. It has the sensor 47 and the navigation apparatus 1 (refer FIG. 2) demonstrated in 1st Embodiment.
[0034]
The control unit 41 includes a shift control device 411 and a shift control device 412.
The accelerator sensor 43 supplies the accelerator opening α to the engine control device 42 and supplies an ON / OFF signal indicating whether or not the accelerator pedal is depressed to the shift control device 411. The brake sensor 44 supplies a brake ON / OFF signal indicating whether or not the brake pedal is depressed to the shift control device 411, and lights the brake lamp 48 in the ON state.
[0035]
The engine control device 42 adjusts the throttle opening θ based on the supplied accelerator opening α, controls the engine output, and changes the throttle opening θ determined based on the accelerator opening α to the shift control device 412. To supply.
The shift lever position sensor 47 detects the operation position of the shift lever and supplies the lever position to the shift control device 412.
[0036]
The shift control device 412 controls the shift stage of the automatic transmission mechanism 12. That is, when the shift lever is at the drive position based on a signal from the shift lever position sensor 47, as shown in FIG. 11A, the engine control is performed based on a pre-stored shift map. The gear position is determined from the throttle opening θ input from the device 42 and the vehicle speed V input from the vehicle speed sensor, which is a vehicle speed detection means built in the automatic transmission mechanism (A / T) 32, and the determined shift A shift command is supplied to the automatic transmission mechanism 32 so as to switch to a stage.
[0037]
Further, when a downshift command signal is supplied from the shift control device 411, a shift command is issued to the automatic transmission mechanism 12 in order to switch to the gear position commanded based on the signal. Further, the shift control device 412 supplies the shift control device 411 with the vehicle speed V, the throttle opening θ, the shift lever position, and the current gear position.
[0038]
The shift control device 411 starts a shift down determination at a point where the distance between the vehicle position and the specific position has reached a predetermined distance D (hereinafter referred to as a “determination point”). As shown in d), based on a map stored in advance, a shift change is made to shift down according to the distance d from the own vehicle position to the specific position supplied from the navigation device 1 and the vehicle speed V. A command signal is output to the shift control device 412.
[0039]
The distance D for specifying the determination point may be set as a sufficient distance to decelerate by downshifting and may be changed according to the speed limit set on the road. For example, it can be long when the speed limit is high as in an expressway, and can be shortened when the speed limit is low as in an urban area.
[0040]
When the shift control device 411 determines to shift down, the shift control device 411 outputs a signal to the audio output device 5 before outputting the shift down signal, and notifies the driver to the audio output device 5 that the gear is to be shifted down based on the signal. Inform by voice.
As described above, the shift control device 411 first determines whether or not the own vehicle has passed the determination point. If the vehicle has passed, the shift control device 411 sequentially shifts down according to the map, and shifts down until reaching a specific position. Decelerate.
[0041]
The navigation processing unit 11 of the navigation device 1 detects the specific position located on the planned travel route by using the travel route acquired by the destination analogy process and the route acquisition process and stored in the RAM 113 as the planned travel route. Specify the coordinate point of the position.
As shown in FIG. 9, this specific position is a place where downshift or deceleration is required during traveling, such as an intersection, a T-junction, a point where the number of lanes decreases, an entrance of a curve, a railroad crossing. , Highway exit rampway, highway toll booth, road narrowing point, downhill road, uphill road, etc. The navigation processing unit 11 detects a place closest to the own vehicle position as a specific position among such points.
In addition, as a planned traveling route when the traveling route is not set, for example, a route that is expected to pass when traveling straight can be used.
The navigation processing unit 11 calculates the distance d between the specific position and the own vehicle position, and supplies it to the shift control device 411 together with various road information related to the planned travel route stored in the RAM 113.
[0042]
The voice output unit 19 of the navigation device synthesizes a voice notifying the downshift based on the signal supplied from the shift control device 411 and outputs the synthesized voice through the speaker 52.
[0043]
Next, the control operation of the shift control device 411 in the vehicle control device 40 configured as described above will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.
FIG. 12A is a main flowchart of the shift control device 411.
[0044]
First, it is determined by the shift lever position sensor 47 whether or not the shift lever is at the drive position (step 101). When there is no shift lever at the drive position, the following control operation is not performed. If it is at the drive position, the shift change determination routine shown in FIG. 12B is executed (step 102).
Next, in the shift change determination routine (step 102), it is determined whether or not a shift down determination has been made (step 103). If it is determined not to shift down, the following control operation is not performed.
[0045]
In the shift change determination routine (step 102), if it is determined to shift down, a signal is output to the audio output device 5, and the driver is informed that the audio output device 5 is shifted down based on the signal. Announcement is made by voice (step 104). By this notification, the driver can know the downshift of the vehicle and can reduce the discomfort caused by the unexpected deceleration, and can drive more safely.
[0046]
Next, a downshift command signal is output to the shift control device 412. Thereby, the shift control device 412 changes the gear position of the automatic transmission mechanism 12. When shifting down, the brake lamp 48 is turned on (step 106) to inform the subsequent vehicle that the vehicle is decelerating.
[0047]
Next, the shift change determination routine will be described with reference to FIG. The distance d calculated by the arithmetic unit S4 is read (step 201), and it is determined whether or not the determination point has been reached (step 202). Specifically, the distance d is compared with the distance D between the determination point and the specific position, and when d ≦ D, it is determined that the determination point is reached. If the determination point has been reached, it is determined whether or not the accelerator is off (step 203). If the accelerator is off, it is determined whether or not the brake has been depressed (step 203). Step 204).
[0048]
When the brake is stepped on, the shift speed to be changed is determined from the distance d and the vehicle speed V based on the second map shown in FIG. 11C, and compared with the current shift speed. It is determined whether a downshift is necessary (step 205).
On the other hand, if the brake is not depressed, it is determined whether or not the turn signal is turned on (step 206). When the turn signal is turned on, the shift stage to be changed is determined from the distance d and the vehicle speed V based on the third map shown in FIG. 11D, and the shift is compared with the current shift stage. It is determined whether or not down is necessary (step 207).
[0049]
When the blinker is not lit, the shift speed to be changed is determined from the distance d and the vehicle speed V based on the first map shown in FIG. 11A, and compared with the current shift speed. It is determined whether a downshift is necessary (step 208).
By the operations of these steps 202 to S208, the vehicle is smoothly decelerated as the vehicle approaches the specific position, and can pass the specific position safely at an appropriate speed.
[0050]
After the above steps 205, S207, and S208 are finished, whether or not the running state of the vehicle is located in the area A shown in the first to third maps, that is, between the own vehicle position and the specific position. It is determined whether or not the distance is do or less and the vehicle speed V is Vo or less, in other words, whether or not the vehicle approaches the specific position and the vehicle speed is reduced (step 209).
[0051]
If not in the area A, the process returns to the main routine, and the above steps 201 to S208 are repeated. If it is within the region A, the throttle opening degree θ after passing through the specific position is predicted in consideration of the number of lanes, the width, the gradient, etc. of the road after passing through the specific position (step 210).
Next, based on the shift map shown in FIG. 11A during normal travel, the gear position is determined from the predicted throttle opening θ and the vehicle speed V (step 211).
The above steps 209 to S211 enable smooth running (acceleration) that matches the road conditions even after passing through the specific position.
[0052]
The change in the vehicle speed due to the control operation as described above will be described by taking as an example a case where the road is changed from a narrow road to the wide road by turning around the intersection B.
When the vehicle passes through a judgment point C that is a predetermined distance before the intersection B, which is a specific position, the shift change judgment routine shown in FIG. Become.
That is, when the accelerator is turned off, a downshift is performed based on the first map until the turn signal is turned on, and the vehicle speed V decreases.
Next, when the winker is turned on, a downshift is performed based on the third map until the brake is depressed, and the vehicle speed V decreases.
When the brake is depressed, a downshift is performed based on the second map. When a downshift is performed, the driver is always informed that the gear is downshifted by voice before the downshift, thereby suppressing the uncomfortable feeling caused by the unexpected downshift. Further, when passing through the determination point, a sound indicating that the vehicle is decelerated by the shift speed control is output.
[0053]
When the vehicle is sufficiently decelerated and passes a point at a distance do from the specific position B, the vehicle enters the area A on the map, and the vehicle turns around the specific position B. By passing through the specific position B, the vehicle moves to a wide road. Steps 210 and S211 calculate the throttle opening θ that is expected from the width of the road, and based on the shift map during normal travel shown in FIG. A gear position is determined. This shift stage is the most suitable shift stage for starting acceleration after the vehicle has moved to a wide road, and can shift to smooth acceleration.
Further, since the downshift is performed in order, the engine brake can be sufficiently applied.
[0054]
In the vehicle control described above, a steering angle sensor may be provided, and the control operation may be performed without downshifting when the vehicle is not traveling straight. By performing such a control operation, smoother running can be ensured.
Further, the range of the steering angle for determining whether or not to stop downshifting can be changed according to the vehicle speed V and the road surface condition at that time. For example, if the vehicle speed is low, the rudder angle that allows downshifting is increased. If the vehicle speed is high, the rudder angle that allows downshifting is decreased. If the rudder angle allowing down is large and small, the rudder angle allowing downshift is set small.
[0055]
As described above, according to the vehicle control device, smoother driving of the vehicle is realized by performing shift speed control in which a change in the driving state is predicted in advance based on the driving route acquired by the navigation device 1. Can do. For example, by calculating the distance from the specific position in the planned travel route to the vehicle position, and performing the downshift control before reaching the specific position based on the distance and the vehicle speed, the specific position is set appropriately. You can pass at a reasonable vehicle speed.
In addition, the vehicle control device may control a suspension hardness, a power steering weight, and the like by predicting a change in a traveling state in advance based on a traveling route acquired by the navigation device 1. For example, when the travel route is a road that travels at a high speed such as an expressway or when the travel route is a curve, the travel can be stabilized by controlling the suspension to be hard. Further, when the travel route is a road that travels at high speed such as an expressway, the travel may be stabilized by controlling the power steering to be heavy.
[0056]
In the modified example of the travel route acquisition process, the case where the travel pattern data for each driver is stored in the travel pattern data 125 as a database has been described. However, the driver has previously set for each driver. The operating environment such as the seat position, mirror position, air conditioner set temperature, audio volume / sound quality, power steering weight, suspension stiffness, etc. may be stored as a database. This eliminates the need for the driver to set the driving environment.
In the vehicle control, learning values of driving characteristics such as how to step on the accelerator for each driver, the number of times the brake is depressed, the destination setting for navigation, and the like are stored in the traveling pattern data 125 as a database, and E / G31, A / T32, learning control such as an automatic traveling system by the vehicle control device may be adapted to each driver. As a result, the driver can always drive a vehicle having specifications suitable for him / her. In addition, since the learning value of the learning control is stored for each individual, it is possible for the driver to always travel without a sense of incongruity.
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
According to the vehicle control device of any one of claims 1 to 5, the destination setting and the route to the destination can be easily performed by estimating the destination from the departure point and the departure time according to the traveling pattern data. Can be earned.
According to the vehicle control device of the third aspect, the certainty of the destination analogy can be improved by learning and controlling the destination of the travel pattern data.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle control device of the fifth aspect, it is possible to realize safer and smoother driving of the automobile by performing the control in which the change of the driving state is predicted in advance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows an outline of travel route acquisition in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram when the travel route acquisition process is performed by an in-vehicle navigation device.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing running pattern data 125 as in the above.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing route acquisition processing based on destination analogy.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen displayed on the display unit corresponding to the route acquisition process.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart (a) showing a running pattern data update process and an explanatory diagram (b) about running pattern data update.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a driver's analogy in a modified example of the travel route acquisition process.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a screen displayed on the display unit in the analogy of the driver in the modified example of the travel route acquisition process.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control device in an embodiment of the present invention.
11A and 11B are shift maps in the vehicle control device, in which FIG. 11A is a shift map during normal travel, FIGS. 11B to 11C are a first map for determining a shift stage after passing a determination point, and FIG. 2 map and 3rd map.
FIG. 12 is a main flowchart (a) of the shift control device in the vehicle control device and a shift change determination routine (b).
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Navigation device
11 Navigation processor
12 Data storage unit
125 Running pattern data
13 Current position detector
15 Communication Department
16 Input section
17 Display
18 Voice input part
19 Audio output unit
20 Ignition key
40 Vehicle control device
41 Control device (shift control means)
411 Shift-down control device
412 Shift control device

Claims (5)

Current position detecting means for detecting the current position;
Departure time acquisition means for acquiring the departure time of the vehicle;
Traveling pattern storage means for storing a past traveling pattern including a departure time, a departure place, and a destination as a database;
The test out the current position based on a combination of and acquired departure time and departure point, a destination analogy means for estimating an destination from the stored running pattern,
From test out the current position, a route acquisition means for acquiring a travel route to inferred the destination by the destination analogy means,
Calculated from the current position to what are in the position detected by said present position detecting means of the travel route acquired by the route acquiring unit, and running control means for controlling a vehicle transmission, suspension, one of the power steering,
A vehicle control device comprising: When the departure time acquisition means, the start of the engine, the ignition switch is turned on, ride of the driver, the opening operation of the driver's side door, the movement of the "D" position of the shift lever, at least one of which has been performed The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the time is acquired as a departure time . Update means for updating the database of the travel pattern storage means from the departure place and departure time used in the destination analogy means and the analogy destination,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, further comprising: The route acquisition means acquires a travel route from the departure place to the destination by route search, or stores a past travel route between the departure place and the destination in a database of the travel pattern storage means, and from this database To get a route to the destination,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3. The travel control means includes
Specific position extraction means for extracting a specific position located on the travel route from the travel route acquired by the route acquisition means of the travel route acquisition device;
The specific position extracted by the specific position extraction means;
Distance calculating means for calculating a distance from the current position detected by the current position detecting means;
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed;
Shift control means for selecting a gear ratio according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means and the distance calculated by the distance calculation means;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, or claim 4.

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