阅读说明：本技术 车辆中的制动辅助装置以及制动辅助控制方法 (Brake assist device and brake assist control method in vehicle ) 是由 神谷庆 伊东洋介 小栗崇治 马场崇弘 高木亮 于 2018-06-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供了车辆中的制动辅助装置10。制动辅助装置10具备：用于检测本车辆的周围的状态的检测部21、21s、22；以及根据检测到的状态在第一制动定时执行制动辅助来制动本车辆的制动辅助控制部100。制动辅助控制部100在使用状态判定为本车辆在交叉路口行进的情况下,在比第一制动定时晚的第二制动定时执行制动辅助。(The invention provides a brake assist device 10 in a vehicle. The brake assist device 10 includes: detection units 21, 21s, 22 for detecting the state of the surroundings of the vehicle; and a brake assist control unit (100) that performs brake assist at a first brake timing according to the detected state to brake the host vehicle. When the in-use state determines that the host vehicle is traveling at the intersection, the brake assist control unit 100 performs brake assist at a second brake timing that is later than the first brake timing.)

1. A brake assist device (10) for a vehicle (500) is provided with:

detection units (21, 21s, 22) for detecting the state of the surroundings of the vehicle (M0); and

and a brake assist control unit (101, P1) that performs brake assist at a first brake timing based on the detected state to brake the host vehicle, wherein when it is determined using the state that the host vehicle is traveling at an intersection, the brake assist control unit performs the brake assist at a second brake timing that is later than the first brake timing.

2. The brake assist apparatus of a vehicle according to claim 1,

when the opposing vehicle (M1, M2) detected by the detection unit is a straight-ahead vehicle (M2), the brake assist control unit performs the brake assist or does not perform the brake assist at the second brake timing.

3. The brake assist apparatus of a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

when the detected opposing vehicle is a turning vehicle (M1) that travels crosswise with respect to the own lane, the brake assist control unit executes the brake assist at a third brake timing that is later than the second brake timing.

4. The brake assist apparatus of a vehicle according to claim 3,

when the detected opposing vehicle may be stopped, the brake assist control unit may execute the brake assist or may not execute the brake assist at a fourth brake timing later than the third brake timing.

5. The brake assist apparatus of a vehicle according to claim 1,

the brake assist control unit may execute the brake assist at the second brake timing or a third brake timing later than the second brake timing when the opposed vehicle detected by the detection unit is not likely to stop.

6. The brake assist apparatus of a vehicle according to claim 1 or 5,

the brake assist control unit may execute the brake assist or not execute the brake assist at a fourth brake timing later than the second brake timing when the opposing vehicle detected by the detection unit may be stopped.

7. A brake assist control method of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a state of the surroundings of the own vehicle; and

when braking assistance is performed at a first braking timing based on the detected state, if it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at an intersection using the state, the braking assistance is performed at a second braking timing that is later than the first braking timing.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a brake assist device and a brake assist control method in a vehicle.

Background

A contact avoidance technique for avoiding contact with or collision with an object such as another vehicle or an obstacle present in front of the own vehicle using a detection result from an object detector such as a camera or a radar has been put to practical use. The contact avoidance technique includes a brake assist technique for assisting braking of the vehicle using a detection result, and for example, there are proposed a brake assist technique for stopping the vehicle by recognizing a color of a traffic light or a stop line, and a brake assist technique for stopping the vehicle in order to avoid or reduce contact with or collision with another vehicle opposing the vehicle at an intersection or a right-turn lane of a left-hand traffic country (for example, japanese patent laid-open No. 2009-166764 and japanese patent laid-open No. 2010-280271).

However, the intersection has a higher probability of encountering another vehicle which travels across the lane of travel of the vehicle running straight, i.e., turns, than a road other than the intersection, and the situation is increased in which it is necessary to avoid contact or collision between the vehicle and another vehicle which travels around a turn, or to reduce the influence of the contact or collision. On the other hand, if the frequency of the brake assist increases in consideration of increased contact or collision with another vehicle, the chance of deceleration or stop of the host vehicle accompanying the brake assist increases, and the occupant of the host vehicle feels uncomfortable and the smooth travel of the vehicle at the intersection is hindered.

Therefore, it is desired to improve the accuracy of contact between the host vehicle traveling straight at the intersection and another vehicle and the avoidance of a collision, and to reduce the accuracy of the influence associated with the collision and the contact.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention can be realized as follows.

A first aspect provides a brake assist apparatus for a vehicle. A vehicle brake assist device according to a first aspect includes: a detection unit configured to detect a state around the host vehicle; and a brake assist control unit that performs brake assist at a first brake timing to brake the host vehicle based on the detected state, wherein when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at the intersection using the state, the brake assist control unit performs the brake assist at a second brake timing that is later than the first brake timing.

According to the vehicle braking assistance device of the first aspect, the state around the host vehicle is detected, and when the braking assistance is performed at the first braking timing based on the detected state, and when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at the intersection using the state, the braking assistance is performed at the second braking timing that is later than the first braking timing, so that the accuracy of contact between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling straight at the intersection and the avoidance of a collision can be improved, and the accuracy of reducing the influence associated with the collision and the contact can be reduced.

The second mode provides a brake assist control method in a vehicle. A brake assist control method in a vehicle according to a second aspect includes: detecting a state of the surroundings of the own vehicle; and executing the brake assist at a second brake timing later than the first brake timing when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at the intersection using the detected state when the brake assist is executed at the first brake timing based on the detected state.

According to the brake assist control method in a vehicle of the second aspect, the state around the host vehicle is detected, and when brake assist is performed at the first brake timing based on the detected state, when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at the intersection in the use state, the brake assist is performed at the second brake timing that is later than the first brake timing, so that the accuracy of avoiding a contact or collision between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling straight at the intersection can be improved, and the accuracy of reducing the influence associated with the collision or contact can be reduced. The present invention can also be realized as a brake assist control program for a vehicle or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle mounted with a brake assist device according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device provided in the brake assist device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the brake assist control executed by the brake assist device of the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a work target area used in the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view schematically showing a positional relationship between the host vehicle and the opposing vehicle in the intersection in the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a process flow of brake assist control executed by the brake assist device of the second embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a brake assist device in a vehicle and a brake assist control method in a vehicle according to the present invention will be described based on several embodiments.

The first embodiment:

as shown in fig. 1, the brake assist device 10 according to the first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 500 and used. The brake assist device 10 includes a control device 100, millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s, a monocular camera 22, a yaw rate sensor 23, a wheel speed sensor 24, a steering angle sensor 25, and a brake assist actuator 30. The vehicle 500 includes wheels 501, a brake device 502, a brake line (line)503, a steering wheel 504, a windshield 510, and a front bumper 520. The vehicle may include at least one of the millimeter- wave radars 21 and 21s, the monocular camera 22, and the optical radar (LIDAR: laser radar) as a detection unit for detecting the state around the vehicle, and in the present embodiment, the millimeter- wave radars 21 and 21s and the monocular camera 22 are included as the detection unit. In the present embodiment, the state of the surroundings of the host vehicle is a state including a road environment such as an intersection, a traffic light, a road sign, and a road shape, and a traveling state of another vehicle.

In the vehicle 500, a brake device 502 is provided on each wheel 501. Each brake device 502 realizes braking of each wheel 501 by brake fluid pressure supplied via a brake pipe 503 in accordance with a brake pedal operation by a driver. The brake line 503 includes a brake piston that generates a brake fluid pressure in response to a brake pedal operation, and a brake fluid line. In the present embodiment, the brake assist actuator 30 is provided in the brake line 503 and can perform hydraulic control independently of the operation of the brake pedal, thereby achieving brake assist. Instead of the brake fluid line, the brake line 503 may be configured to operate an actuator provided in each brake device 502 as a control signal line, or brake-by-wire. The steering wheel 504 is connected to the front wheels 501 via a steering mechanism 505 including a steering rod.

As shown in fig. 2, the control device 100 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)101, a memory 102, an input/output interface 103, and a bus 104. The CPU101, the memory 102, and the input/output interface 103 are connected via a bus 104 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. The memory 102 includes a memory, such as a ROM, and a memory, such as a RAM, capable of reading and writing by the CPU101, which stores a brake assist control program P1 for executing assist of braking by the brake device 502 in a nonvolatile manner and exclusively for reading. The CPU101 functions as a brake assist control unit by expanding and executing the brake assist control program P1 stored in the memory 102 in a readable and writable memory. The brake assist control unit may include a brake assist actuator 30 that receives a control signal from the CPU101 and applies a brake fluid pressure for brake assist to the brake line 503. The brake assist control unit may be divided into a CPU101 as a control unit that executes a brake assist control program P1 for controlling execution of brake assist and transmits a control signal to each actuator, and a brake assist actuator 30 as a drive unit that drives the brake device 502 for brake assist. The CPU101 may be a single CPU, may be a plurality of CPUs that execute respective programs, or may be a multi-thread CPU that can simultaneously execute a plurality of programs.

The input/output interface 103 is connected to the millimeter wave radars 21, 21s, the monocular camera 22, the yaw rate sensor 23, the wheel speed sensor 24, the steering angle sensor 25, and the brake assist actuator 30 via control signal lines, respectively. Detection information is input from the millimeter wave radars 21, 21s, the monocular camera 22, the yaw rate sensor 23, the wheel speed sensor 24, and the steering angle sensor 25, and a control signal indicating a braking level is output to the brake assist actuator 30.

The millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s are sensors that emit millimeter waves and receive reflected waves reflected by an object to detect the distance, relative speed, and angle of the object. In the present embodiment, the millimeter wave radar 21 is disposed at the center of the front bumper 520, and the 2 millimeter wave radars 21s are disposed on both side surfaces of the front bumper 520, respectively. The detection signal output from the millimeter wave radar 21, 21s may be a signal composed of, for example, a point or a point sequence indicating 1 or more representative positions of the object whose received wave is processed in the processing circuit provided in the millimeter wave radar 21, 21s, or may be a signal indicating an unprocessed received wave. When the unprocessed received wave is used as the detection signal, the control device 100 executes signal processing for specifying the position and distance of the object. In addition, an optical radar may be used instead of the millimeter-wave radar.

The monocular camera 22 is an imaging device including one imaging element such as a CCD, and is a sensor that receives visible light and outputs the external shape information of the object as image data that is the detection result. The image data output from the monocular camera 22 is composed of a plurality of frame images that are consecutive in time series, and each frame image is represented by pixel data. In the present embodiment, the monocular camera 22 is disposed at the center of the upper portion of the windshield 510. The pixel data output from the monocular camera 22 is monochrome pixel data or color pixel data. Further, a compound-eye stereo camera may be used instead of the monocular camera 22.

The yaw rate sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle 500. The yaw rate sensor 23 is disposed, for example, in the center of the vehicle. The detection signal output from the yaw rate sensor 23 is a voltage value proportional to the rotational direction and the angular velocity.

The wheel speed sensor 24 is a sensor for detecting the rotational speed of the wheels 501, and is provided for each wheel 501. The detection signal output from the wheel speed sensor 24 is a voltage value proportional to the wheel speed or a pulse wave indicating an interval corresponding to the wheel speed. By using the detection signal from the wheel speed sensor 24, information such as the vehicle speed, the travel distance of the vehicle, and the like can be obtained.

The steering angle sensor 25 is a torque sensor that detects a steering torque, which is an amount of torsion generated in a steering rod by a steering operation of the steering wheel 504. In the present embodiment, the steering angle sensor 25 is provided in a steering rod connecting the steering wheel 504 and the steering mechanism. The detection signal output from the steering angle sensor 25 is a voltage value proportional to the amount of torsion.

The brake assist actuator 30 is an actuator for achieving braking by the brake device 502 regardless of the brake pedal operation by the driver. A driver for controlling the operation of the actuator based on a control signal from the CPU101 is attached to the brake assist actuator 30. In the present embodiment, the brake assist actuator 30 is provided in the brake pipe 503, and increases or decreases the brake fluid pressure in the brake pipe 503 in accordance with a control signal from the control device 100. The brake assist actuator 30 is constituted by a module including, for example, an electric motor and a brake hydraulic piston driven by the electric motor. Alternatively, a brake control actuator that has been introduced as an anti-skid device or an anti-lock brake system may be used.

The brake assist process executed by the brake assist device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 5. The processing routine shown in fig. 3 is executed by the CPU101 to execute the brake assist control program P1, and is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals, for example, from the time of activation to the time of stop of the control system of the vehicle or from the time of turning ON (ON) to the time of turning OFF (OFF) of the start switch. The following description will be given taking the situation shown in fig. 4 as an example.

The CPU101 acquires the attribute of the object using the detection result input from the detection unit such as the millimeter wave radar 21, 21S, the monocular camera 22, or the like (step S100). The CPU101 determines whether the object is an opposing vehicle using the acquired attribute (step S102). In the present embodiment, as attributes, the detection results from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s are used to calculate and acquire, for example, the distance from the host vehicle M0 to the object, the relative speed of the object with respect to the host vehicle M0, the orientation of the object, the overlap ratio of the host vehicle M0 with the object, the predicted time to collision with the object, or the Time To Collision (TTC), and the relative position of the object with respect to the host vehicle M0, the shape and size of the object are calculated and acquired, for example, using the image data from the monocular camera 22. The CPU101 determines whether or not the object is an opposing vehicle using the acquired attributes, for example, the relative speed, and the shape and size of the object. In the example shown in fig. 4, the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 are detected as the objects, and the opposing vehicle in the present embodiment means a vehicle that is traveling in opposition to the host vehicle M0.

When the CPU101 determines that the object is not the opposing vehicle (no in step 102), it ends the present processing routine and starts the present processing routine at the next execution timing. The object that is not the opposing vehicle is, for example, a fixed object on a road or on a roadside such as a center separation belt, a guardrail, or a curb. These objects can be determined as not being opposing vehicles based on the relative speed, shape, or size, for example, so as to be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

When the CPU101 determines that the object is an opposing vehicle (yes in step S102), it determines whether or not the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 are present in the operation target area FA in order to perform the brake assist (step S104). As shown in fig. 4, the work target area FA is an area extending in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M0 and in the width direction orthogonal to the traveling direction, and means an area where there is a possibility of an object colliding with or coming into contact with the host vehicle M0. For example, when the traveling direction of the host vehicle M0 is defined as the Y axis and the width direction of the host vehicle M0, that is, the lateral direction is defined as the X axis, the distance in the Y axis direction of the work target area FA is defined by the TTC before the collision with the opposing vehicle, and the distance in the X axis direction of the work target area FA is defined to extend in the lateral direction as the distance from the host vehicle M0, for example. TTC(s) is calculated by TTC being DL/v using the travel distance DL (km) and the own vehicle speed v (km/h), and the distance in the Y-axis direction of the work target area FA is a distance that is variable according to the speed v of the own vehicle M0 by specifying TTC. On the other hand, since it is difficult to predict the movement of the opposing vehicle with high accuracy as the distance in the X-axis direction of the operation target region FA becomes farther from the host vehicle M0, the effectiveness of collision avoidance or contact avoidance is improved by setting the opposing vehicle as the monitoring target or the avoidance target with a margin in the lateral direction as the distance becomes farther from the host vehicle M0. Further, the distance in the lateral direction is balanced between the suppression of the increase of the opposing vehicle to be monitored and the effectiveness of collision avoidance, and the distance in the Y-axis direction from the host vehicle M0 may be a constant distance if it exceeds a predetermined distance. In the example of fig. 4, the opposing vehicle M1 is present in the work area FA, and the opposing vehicle M2 is not present in the work area FA.

An example of a method of determining whether the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are present in the work target area FA will be described. The CPU101 determines whether or not the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are present within the range in the X-axis direction of the work target area FA, using the X-coordinate corresponding to the coordinate of the detection point TP at the center in the width direction of the vehicle front of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 input from the millimeter wave radars 21, 21s and the X-coordinate of the coordinate at the center in the width direction of the vehicle front of the host vehicle M0. That is, it is determined whether or not the difference distance between the X coordinate of the center in the width direction of the vehicle front surface of the host vehicle M0 and the X coordinate of the detection point is equal to or less than the distance in the X axis direction of the predetermined operation target area FA. In order to improve the accuracy, the CPU101 may overlap the coordinate position of the detection point TP input from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s with the front area of the vehicle extracted from the image data input from the monocular camera 22 by data fusion processing. When a plurality of detected points are input from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s, the coordinate values of the detected points may be superimposed on the front area of the vehicle extracted from the image data to obtain the coordinates of the closest end portion of the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 to the host vehicle M0, and the distance between the coordinates of the closest end portion and the coordinates of the width-direction end portion of the opposing vehicle closest to the host vehicle may be used to determine whether or not the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 are present in the work target area FA. The closest point is the end of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 that is closest to the host vehicle M0, and corresponds to the right front end of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 in the case of left-side traffic and corresponds to the left front end of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 in the case of right-side traffic. In the present embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of description, the following description will be given by way of a left general example.

When the CPU101 determines that the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are not present in the work target area FA (no in step S104), it ends the present processing routine and starts the present processing routine at the next execution timing. When the CPU101 determines that the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are present in the work target area FA (yes in step S104), it acquires the own vehicle position (step S106), and determines whether the own vehicle M0 is present in the intersection (step S108). Specifically, the CPU101 determines whether or not the position of the own vehicle M0 IS within the intersection IS, as shown in fig. 5, using the detection results from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s and the monocular camera 22. Whether or not the vehicle M0 IS present in the intersection IS can be determined using, for example, the traffic signal SG detected by the monocular camera 22, the intersection mark ISM on the road, and further using the road shape detected by the millimeter- wave radars 21 and 21 s. Further, the entry to the intersection may be determined using information from the optical beacon, Global Positioning System (GPS), and map information in the navigation system.

When determining that the vehicle M0 IS not present at the intersection IS (no in step S108), the CPU101 sets a first threshold T1(S) indicating a first braking timing as the determination threshold Tb of the predicted time to collision TTC (step S110), and proceeds to step S122. The braking timing is a timing at which the braking assistance is started, and the first threshold T1 defines a timing at which the braking assistance is started to reduce damage caused by collision avoidance or contact with an object while the host vehicle M0 is traveling on a road other than an intersection. In the present embodiment, the braking assistance includes a case where the speed of the vehicle M0 is decelerated in addition to a case where the vehicle M0 is completely stopped (speed per hour 0 km/h).

When determining that the host vehicle M0 IS present at the intersection IS (yes in step S108), the CPU101 determines whether the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are straight vehicles (step S112). In the example of fig. 5, the opposing vehicle M1 corresponds to a turning vehicle, and the opposing vehicle M2 corresponds to a straight vehicle. Whether the opposing vehicles M1, M2 are straight-ahead vehicles can be determined by detecting the orientations of the opposing vehicles M1, M2, for example. Specifically, the CPU101 determines the coordinate value of the vehicle front corresponding to the opposing vehicle using the detection point input from the millimeter wave radars 21, 21s and the vehicle front lateral width dimension prepared in advance according to the distance from the host vehicle M0. In the case where there is a detection point corresponding to a side of the vehicle that exceeds the lateral width of the front of the vehicle specified in the X-axis direction, the CPU101 specifies a detection point whose coordinate value in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction, is smaller than a coordinate value prepared in advance corresponding to the full length dimension of the vehicle. The CPU101 specifies the orientation of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 from the slope of a straight line connecting the coordinate values of the end points of the lateral width of the front face of the vehicle and the coordinate values of the detection points corresponding to the side faces of the vehicle. The CPU101 may superimpose the coordinate positions of the respective detected points input from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s on the front area and the side area of the vehicle extracted from the image data input from the monocular camera 22 by the data fusion process, and may specify the orientations of the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 using the coordinate values of the respective detected points.

When the CPU101 determines that the opponent vehicle M2 is the straight-ahead vehicle (yes in step S112), it sets a second threshold T2(S) indicating a second braking timing as the determination threshold Tb (step S114), and proceeds to step S122. The second brake timing is a brake timing later than the first brake timing, that is, the brake start period is a brake timing later in time than the first brake timing. When the vehicle M0 travels within the intersection IS, there IS a possibility that the vehicle approaches the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 as compared with a case of traveling on a road other than the intersection, and since the vehicle speeds of the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 approaching the vehicle M0 tend to be low, the start timing of the braking assistance IS delayed to suppress the execution of the braking assistance, and the uncomfortable feeling given to the occupants can be reduced. The second threshold T2 corresponding to the second brake timing has a relationship of T2 < T1 with respect to the first threshold T1. Instead of setting the second threshold value T2, the brake assist itself may be set not to be executed.

When the CPU101 determines that the opposing vehicle M1 is not the straight-ahead vehicle (no in step S112), it determines that the opposing vehicle M1 is the turning vehicle, and further determines whether or not the opposing vehicle M1 is likely to stop (step S116). If it is determined that the opposing vehicle M1 is not a straight-ahead vehicle, it is determined that the opposing vehicle M1 is a turning vehicle. Further, whether the opposing vehicle is a straight-ahead vehicle or a turning vehicle may be determined using the lateral position of the opposing vehicles M1, M2 with respect to the host vehicle M0. That is, when the lateral distance between the host vehicle M0 and the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 becomes shorter with the elapse of time, it can be determined that the opposing vehicles M1 and M2 are turning vehicles. The term "turning vehicle" means a right-turning vehicle in the case of a left-hand traffic traveling across the forward road of the host vehicle M0, and a left-turning vehicle in the case of a right-hand traffic.

When the CPU101 determines that the opposing vehicle M1 is not likely to stop, that is, the opposing vehicle M1 is simply turning the vehicle (no in step S116), the CPU sets a third threshold T3(S) indicating a third braking timing as the determination threshold Tb (step S118), and proceeds to step S122. Whether or not the opposing vehicle M1 is likely to stop is determined based on, for example, whether or not the relative speed of the opposing vehicle M1 with respect to the host vehicle M0 decreases with the passage of time, that is, whether or not the opposing vehicle M1 decelerates, or whether or not the vehicle speed of the opposing vehicle M1 is 0 km/h. The CPU101 determines that there is a possibility of the opposing vehicle M1 stopping when the relative speed of the opposing vehicle M1 with respect to the host vehicle M0 decreases with the passage of time, and determines that there is a possibility of the opposing vehicle M1 stopping when the vehicle speed of the opposing vehicle M1 is already 0 km/h. The third brake timing is a brake timing later than the second brake timing, that is, the brake start period is a brake timing later in time than the second brake timing. When the host vehicle M0 travels at the intersection IS and the oncoming vehicle M1 IS a turning vehicle, the host vehicle M0 and the oncoming vehicle M1 approach each other with the passage of time, and the vehicle speed of the turning vehicle tends to decrease. The third threshold T3 corresponding to the third brake timing has a relationship of T3 < T2 with the second threshold T2.

When the CPU101 determines that the opposing vehicle M1 is likely to stop, that is, the opposing vehicle M1 is a turning vehicle that has stopped in the intersection for the right turn (yes in step S116), it sets a fourth threshold T4(S) indicating a fourth braking timing as the determination threshold Tb (step S120), and proceeds to step S122. The fourth brake timing is a brake timing later than the third brake timing, that is, the brake start period is a brake timing later in time than the third brake timing. When the opposing vehicle M1 is a turning vehicle that temporarily stops in the intersection, the host vehicle M0 is closest to the opposing vehicle M1, and the turning vehicle stops, so the start timing of the braking assistance is further delayed to suppress the execution of the braking assistance, and the discomfort given to the occupant can be reduced. Between the fourth threshold value T4 corresponding to the fourth brake timing and the third threshold value T3, there is a relationship of T4 < T3. Instead of setting the fourth threshold T4, the brake assist itself may be set not to be executed.

The CPU101 obtains the predicted time to collision TTC of the host vehicle M0 with respect to the opposing vehicles M1, M2, and determines whether the relationship of TTC ≦ Tb holds, that is, whether braking of the host vehicle M0 should be started to avoid contact with or collision with the opposing vehicles M1, M2 (step S122). If the CPU101 determines that the relation TTC ≦ Tb is not satisfied (no in step S122), it ends the present processing routine and starts the present processing routine at the next execution timing.

When the CPU101 determines that the relation of TTC ≦ Tb holds (YES in step S122), it executes the brake assist (step S124) and ends the present processing routine. Specifically, the CPU101 transmits a control signal instructing an increase in the brake fluid pressure to the brake assist actuator 30, and operates the brake device 502 to perform braking. The brake assist is terminated, for example, when the CPU101 detects a complete stop of the vehicle M0, that is, a relationship of the vehicle speed 0km/h or TTC > Tb is established, via the wheel speed sensor 24.

According to the brake assist device 10 and the brake assist control method of the first embodiment described above, the brake timing of the brake assist is determined according to the state of the periphery of the host vehicle M0. Therefore, the accuracy of contact between the host vehicle M0 traveling straight at the intersection and another vehicle and avoidance of a collision can be improved, and the accuracy of reducing the influence associated with the collision and the contact can be reduced. Specifically, the determination threshold value Tb IS set based on whether the host vehicle M0 IS present within the intersection IS, and when the host vehicle M0 IS present within the intersection IS, based on the determination of whether the opposing vehicle IS a straight-ahead vehicle or a turning vehicle, and the determination of whether there IS a possibility of stopping in the case of a turning vehicle. Therefore, when the host vehicle M0 IS traveling straight at the intersection IS, the execution timing of the brake assist can be set with high accuracy based on the attribute of whether the opposing vehicle IS a straight vehicle or a turning vehicle, and the execution timing of the brake assist can be further delayed when the attribute of the opposing vehicle as a turning vehicle indicates a possibility of stopping. As a result, the timing at which the braking assistance needs to be executed can be set with high accuracy at the timing of 3 stages corresponding to the attribute of the opposing vehicle at the intersection IS, so that the execution frequency of the braking assistance in the intersection can be reduced, the accuracy of avoiding contact or collision with the opposing vehicle can be improved, and the accuracy of reducing the influence of the collision, the damage caused by the contact, and the like can be reduced.

Second embodiment:

a brake assist device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6. The brake assist device of the second embodiment has the same configuration and processing as those of the brake assist device 10 of the first embodiment except that the properties of the opposing vehicles used for brake assist are different. Specifically, the second embodiment IS different from the brake assist device 10 of the first embodiment in that the determination of whether the subject vehicle M0 IS located within the intersection IS and the determination of whether the opposing vehicle IS likely to stop are performed by setting the determination threshold Tb based on the determination of whether the opposing vehicle IS likely to stop when it IS determined that the subject vehicle M0 IS located within the intersection. Therefore, the same configurations and processes as those of the brake assist device 10 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and step numbers as those used in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted, and different process steps will be described below.

The processing routine shown in fig. 6 is executed by the CPU101 to execute the brake assist control program P1, and is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals, for example, from the time of starting to the time of stopping the control system of the vehicle or from the time of turning on the start switch to the time of turning off the start switch. The brake assist control routine P1 includes steps S121a to S121c as processing steps instead of steps S112 to S120 in the first embodiment.

The CPU101 executes steps S100 to S108, and if it IS determined in step S108 that the host vehicle M0 IS present at the intersection IS (yes in step S108), determines whether or not the opponent vehicle IS likely to stop (step S121 a). The method of determining whether or not the opponent vehicle is likely to stop is as described in the first embodiment. When the CPU101 determines that there is no possibility of the opposing vehicle stopping (no in step S121a), it sets a second threshold T2(S) indicating a second braking timing as the determination threshold Tb (step S121b), and proceeds to step S122. As already stated, the second threshold T2 has a relationship T2 < T1 with respect to the first threshold T1. By delaying the start timing of the brake assist to suppress the execution of the brake assist, it is possible to reduce the uncomfortable feeling given to the occupant. In addition, instead of the second threshold T2(s), a third threshold T3(s) smaller than the second threshold T2 may be used. When the subject vehicle M0 IS traveling at the intersection IS, the possibility of collision or contact IS low when the opposing vehicle IS a straight-ahead vehicle (M2), and the vehicle speed of the turning vehicle tends to decrease when the opposing vehicle IS a turning vehicle (M1), so by using a threshold value suitable for the turning vehicle, the start timing of the braking assistance can be further delayed, the execution of the braking assistance can be suppressed, and the discomfort given to the occupant can be further reduced.

When it is determined that the opponent vehicle is likely to stop (yes in step S121a), the CPU101 sets a fourth threshold T4(S) indicating a fourth braking timing as the determination threshold Tb (step S121c), and proceeds to step S122. The fourth brake timing is a brake timing later than the second brake timing, and the fourth threshold T4 and the second threshold T2 corresponding to the fourth brake timing have a relationship of T4 < T2. When the opponent vehicle has a possibility of temporarily stopping in the intersection, the opponent vehicle is likely to be the turning vehicle (M1) and is closest to the host vehicle M0, and on the other hand, since the opponent vehicle stops, execution of the braking assistance is suppressed by further delaying the start timing of the braking assistance, and the discomfort given to the occupant can be reduced. Instead of setting the fourth threshold T4, the brake assist itself may be set not to be executed.

According to the brake assist device 10 and the brake assist control method of the second embodiment described above, the brake timing of the brake assist is determined according to the state of the periphery of the host vehicle M0. Therefore, the accuracy of contact between the host vehicle M0 traveling straight at the intersection and another vehicle and avoidance of a collision can be improved, and the accuracy of reducing the influence associated with the collision and the contact can be reduced. Specifically, the determination threshold value Tb IS set based on whether or not the host vehicle M0 IS present within the intersection IS, and based on the determination of whether or not the opposing vehicle IS likely to stop when the host vehicle M0 IS present within the intersection IS. Therefore, when the host vehicle M0 travels straight at the intersection IS, the execution timing of the braking assistance can be delayed without depending on the attribute of the opposing vehicle, and when the attribute of the opposing vehicle indicates a possibility of stopping, the execution timing of the braking assistance can be further delayed. As a result, the timing at which the braking assistance IS required to be executed can be set with high accuracy at the intersection IS, the frequency of execution of the braking assistance in the intersection can be reduced, and the contact or collision with the opposing vehicle can be avoided.

Modification example:

(1) in the first and second embodiments, the attribute of the object is determined using detection signals or image data from the millimeter wave radars 21 and 21s, the monocular camera 22, or the optical radar and the stereo camera as the object detection unit. In contrast, when the object is an opposing vehicle, the attribute of the opposing vehicle M1, M2 may be determined using data about the behavior of another vehicle, such as a steering angle, an accelerator opening degree, and a brake operation amount, acquired via the inter-vehicle communication system.

(2) In the first and second embodiments, only the braking of the own vehicle M0 via the brake device 502 is performed as the execution of the braking assistance, but the execution of the braking assistance, that is, the content of the collision avoidance need to be reported before the braking is performed. Alternatively, only the report of the braking assistance may be executed as the braking assistance.

(3) In the second embodiment, although it is not determined whether the opposing vehicle is a straight-ahead vehicle or a turning vehicle, it may be determined whether the opposing vehicle is a straight-ahead vehicle or a turning vehicle after it is determined that there is no possibility of the opposing vehicle stopping, and the second threshold T2 may be used when it is determined that the opposing vehicle is a straight-ahead vehicle, and the third threshold T3 may be used when it is determined that the opposing vehicle is a turning vehicle.

(4) In the first and second embodiments, the execution start timing of the brake assist is changed according to the state of the surroundings of the host vehicle, that is, the road environment in which the host vehicle exists and the attribute of the opposing vehicle, but the level of the brake assist, for example, the braking force may be changed. As an example of the change of the braking force, the braking level may be set to be increased as the threshold Tx becomes a small value, and the collision or contact with the opposing vehicle may be sufficiently avoided during the execution of the braking assistance.

(5) In the first and second embodiments, the brake assist control unit is realized by software by the CPU101 executing the brake assist control program P1, but may be realized by hardware by a pre-programmed integrated circuit or a discrete circuit.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments and the modified examples, but the above embodiments are for easy understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and the invention includes equivalents thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments and the modifications corresponding to the technical features of the respective embodiments described in the section of the summary of the invention may be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve a part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve a part or all of the above-described effects. Note that, if this technical feature is not described as an essential structure in the present specification, it can be appropriately deleted. For example, taking the brake assist device in the vehicle according to the first aspect as application example 1,

application example 2: the brake assist device for a vehicle according to application example 1, wherein,

the brake assist control unit performs the brake assist or does not perform the brake assist at the second brake timing when the opposing vehicle detected by the detection unit is a straight-ahead vehicle.

Application example 3: the brake assist device for a vehicle according to application example 1 or 2, wherein,

when the detected opposing vehicle is a turning vehicle that travels crosswise to the own lane, the brake assist control unit performs brake assist at a third brake timing that is later than the second brake timing.

Application example 4: the brake assist device for a vehicle according to application example 3, wherein,

when the detected opposing vehicle may be stopped, the brake assist control unit performs the brake assist at a fourth brake timing later than the third brake timing, or does not perform the brake assist.

Application example 5: the brake assist device for a vehicle according to application example 1, wherein,

the brake assist control unit may execute the brake assist at the second brake timing or a third brake timing later than the second brake timing when the opposed vehicle detected by the detection unit is not likely to stop.

Application example 6: the brake assist device for a vehicle according to application example 1 or 5, wherein,

when the opposing vehicle detected by the detection unit may be stopped, the brake assist control unit may execute the brake assist or not execute the brake assist at a fourth brake timing later than the second brake timing.