Vehicle controller, control method, and computer program

• US 20090132139A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Atsushi, Miyajima, Takayuki, Kondou, Yoshito
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering

Abstract

A deceleration start point where a driver performs a deceleration operation of a vehicle before entering a curve when the vehicle is to travel on a curve is identified from a vehicle operation history in the past, and an acceleration start point where the driver performs an acceleration operation of the vehicle when exiting a curve is identified from the vehicle operation history in the past. While these items are comprehended as driving tendencies of the driver, deceleration control and acceleration limit control to a target limiting vehicle speed are performed when the vehicle reaches the deceleration start point. Thereafter, when the vehicle reaches the acceleration start point, acceleration permission control to release the acceleration limit is performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system, comprising:

a curve detecting unit which detects a curve located ahead of a vehicle in a traveling direction;

a vehicle control unit which performs control of the vehicle traveling on the curve detected by the curve detecting unit; and

an acceleration permission timing obtaining unit which obtains, based on a vehicle operation history of a driver driving the vehicle, an acceleration permission timing which is a timing when the driver performs an acceleration operation while traveling on a curve, wherein

the vehicle control unit performs control of limiting acceleration of the vehicle before entering a curve and permitting acceleration of the vehicle at the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein

the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit comprising:

an acceleration timing storing unit which stores a plurality of timings when the driver driving the vehicle performed an acceleration operation while traveling on a curve in the past; and

an acceleration average calculating unit which calculates an average of the plurality of timings stored in the acceleration timing storing unit, wherein

the average calculated by the acceleration average calculating unit is obtained as the acceleration permission timing.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, further comprising

a curve shape obtaining unit which obtains a shape of a curve ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction, wherein

the acceleration timing storing unit stores a timing when an acceleration operation is performed while traveling on a curve having a predetermined radius of curvature or smaller and having a predetermined length or longer.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, further comprising

an operation detecting unit which detects operation of a side slip prevention device of the vehicle, wherein

the acceleration average calculating unit calculates an average excluding a timing stored while traveling on a curve on which operation of the side slip prevention device of the vehicle is detected by the operation detecting unit.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 4, further comprising

a distance determining unit which determines whether a distance from an end point of the curve on which the vehicle is currently traveling to a point to limit acceleration which is set before a next curve located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is within a predetermined distance or not when the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit is reached, wherein

the vehicle control unit does not perform control to permit acceleration of the vehicle when the distance determining unit determines that the distance from the end point of the curve to the point to limit acceleration of the next curve is within the predetermined distance.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, further comprising

a distance determining unit which determines whether a distance from an end point of the curve on which the vehicle is currently traveling to a point to limit acceleration which is set before a next curve located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is within a predetermined distance or not when the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit is reached, wherein

the vehicle control unit does not perform control to permit acceleration of the vehicle when the distance determining unit determines that the distance from the end point of the curve to the point to limit acceleration of the next curve is within the predetermined distance.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, further comprising

an operation detecting unit which detects operation of a side slip prevention device of the vehicle, wherein

the acceleration average calculating unit calculates an average excluding a timing stored while traveling on a curve on which operation of the side slip prevention device of the vehicle is detected by the operation detecting unit.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, further comprising

a distance determining unit which determines whether a distance from an end point of the curve on which the vehicle is currently traveling to a point to limit acceleration which is set before a next curve located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is within a predetermined distance or not when the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit is reached, wherein

the vehicle control unit does not perform control to permit acceleration of the vehicle when the distance determining unit determines that the distance from the end point of the curve to the point to limit acceleration of the next curve is within the predetermined distance.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 2, further comprising

a distance determining unit which determines whether a distance from an end point of the curve on which the vehicle is currently traveling to a point to limit acceleration which is set before a next curve located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is within a predetermined distance or not when the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit is reached, wherein

the vehicle control unit does not perform control to permit acceleration of the vehicle when the distance determining unit determines that the distance from the end point of the curve to the point to limit acceleration of the next curve is within the predetermined distance.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, further comprising

a distance determining unit which determines whether a distance from an end point of the curve on which the vehicle is currently traveling to a point to limit acceleration which is set before a next curve located ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is within a predetermined distance or not when the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining unit is reached, wherein

the vehicle control unit does not perform control to permit acceleration of the vehicle when the distance determining unit determines that the distance from the end point of the curve to the point to limit acceleration of the next curve is within the predetermined distance.

11. A vehicle control method, comprising the steps of:

detecting a curve located ahead of a vehicle in a traveling direction;

obtaining, based on a vehicle operation history of a driver driving the vehicle, an acceleration permission timing which is a timing when the driver performs an acceleration operation while traveling on a curve; and

performing control of limiting acceleration of the vehicle before entering a curve and permitting acceleration of the vehicle at the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining step.

12. A computer program mounted in a computer, the computer program causing the computer to execute the functions of:

detecting a curve located ahead of a vehicle in a traveling direction;

obtaining, based on a vehicle operation history of a driver driving the vehicle, an acceleration permission timing which is a timing when the driver performs an acceleration operation while traveling on a curve; and

performing control of limiting acceleration of the vehicle before entering a curve and permitting acceleration of the vehicle at the acceleration permission timing obtained by the acceleration permission timing obtaining function.