JP2005018461A - Vehicular surrounding circumstance determining device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve determination accuracy of surrounding circumstances of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicular surrounding circumstances determining device 10 is provided with a navigation device 21 detecting a distance to the most nearest cross point in a traveling direction on the basis of a present position and the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and detecting existence or nonexistence of a traffic signal of the cross point, a brake switch 23 detecting existence or nonexistence of decelerating operation of the vehicle 1, a vehicle speed sensor 22 detecting speed of the vehicle 1, and an ECU 24 determining that the vehicle 1 is entering from a non-priority side with respect to the cross point when the distance detected by the navigation device 21 is a distance L1 or less, the navigation device 21 detects that there is no traffic signal in the cross point, the brake switch 23 detects that decelerating of the vehicle 1 has been carried out, and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 22 is a speed V1 or less. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicular ambient situation determination device that determines a situation around a vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional device of this type, a device described in Patent Document 1 described below is known.
[0003]
This conventional apparatus detects an intersection by image processing using a camera that captures an image in front of the vehicle, and when there is an intersection, collects sounds around the vehicle with a microphone to detect whether there is an object approaching the intersection. Is detected. When an object approaching the intersection is detected, a warning is given to the driver.
[0004]
Further, in Patent Document 1, in order to prohibit intersection detection when a vehicle is traveling on a specific road, for example, a priority road, characteristics of the priority road (for example, two lanes on one side) are stored in advance. A configuration is also disclosed in which intersection detection is prohibited when a priority road is detected. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which intersection detection is limited to detection using specific information (for example, a “stop” sign board).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-202999 (see page 1-5, FIG. 3)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the conventional apparatus is configured to issue a warning by detecting an intersection, the warning timing may not match the driver's need for warning. For example, in a conventional apparatus, a warning may be given even when the vehicle passes an intersection with a green light and the driver does not need a warning. In addition, a warning may be issued when a vehicle enters an intersection with no traffic light from the priority side and the driver does not need a warning. On the contrary, such excessive warning is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety in consideration of the driver's familiarity.
[0007]
As described above, in the conventional apparatus, a method of detecting the priority and non-priority of the road based on the characteristics of the priority road or specific information can be considered. There is a risk of determining whether the road is prioritized or not.
[0008]
Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy of the surrounding situation of the vehicle. Specifically, in the case where the vehicle is about to enter the intersection, the vehicle enters the intersection with no signal from the non-priority side. It is an issue to determine when it is present.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the technical means taken in the present invention is a distance that the vehicle surrounding state determination device detects a distance to an intersection closest to the traveling direction based on the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle. Detecting means; traffic signal presence / absence detecting means for detecting presence / absence of traffic signal at the intersection; deceleration operation detecting means for detecting presence / absence of deceleration operation of the vehicle; vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the speed of the vehicle; and distance detection The distance detected by the means is equal to or less than a first distance, the traffic light presence / absence detecting means detects that there is no traffic light at the intersection, the deceleration operation detecting means detects that the vehicle has been decelerated, and When the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means is equal to or lower than the first speed, the vehicle is provided with a determination means for determining that the vehicle has entered the intersection from the non-priority side.
[0010]
According to this configuration, since the vehicle surrounding state determination device includes the traffic signal presence / absence determination means, it can be determined that there is no traffic signal at the intersection where the vehicle is about to enter. That is, it can be determined that the intersection that the vehicle is about to enter is an intersection that does not have a traffic signal that the driver will need to pay attention to. The deceleration operation detecting means detects that the vehicle has been decelerated by the driver, and when the speed is equal to or lower than the first speed, the vehicle is about to enter the intersection with no traffic light from the non-priority side. Can be determined. That is, entering the intersection from the non-priority side can be determined by the deceleration operation performed by the driver and the degree thereof. In this case, this determination is in line with the driver's intention.
[0011]
Preferably, the traffic signal presence / absence detecting means detects the presence / absence of the traffic signal based on a map database.
[0012]
According to this configuration, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of traffic lights at intersections with a simple configuration called a map database.
[0013]
Preferably, when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is entering from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection, an image captured by the imaging unit that captures the periphery of the vehicle is disposed in the vehicle. Displayed on the displayed display means.
[0014]
According to this configuration, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to enter the intersection with no traffic signal from the non-priority side, the determination unit displays an image around the vehicle on the display unit. Therefore, if the imaging unit is configured to capture an image in the front left / right direction of the vehicle, the driver can know the situation in the left / right direction at an intersection with poor visibility. As a result, it is possible to prevent an encounter collision.
[0015]
Preferably, the determination unit determines that the vehicle has entered the intersection from a non-priority side, and the distance detected by the distance detection unit is equal to or less than a second distance that is smaller than the first distance. When the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means is equal to or lower than a second speed that is smaller than the first speed, an image captured by the imaging means that captures the surroundings of the vehicle is displayed on a display means disposed on the vehicle. Good.
[0016]
According to this configuration, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to enter the intersection with no traffic light from the non-priority side, and the vehicle is closer to the intersection and the vehicle speed is smaller, the vehicle Is displayed on the display means. Therefore, if the imaging means is configured to capture an image in the front left / right direction of the vehicle, the driver can know the situation in the left / right direction at an intersection with poor visibility, but the display timing is closer to the intersection. Therefore, it will be suitable for the timing required by the driver. As a result, the driver's operational feeling is good.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle ambient situation determination device 10 (vehicle ambient situation determination device) (hereinafter, device 10) according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the device 10 includes a navigation device 21 (distance detection means / signal presence / absence detection means), a vehicle speed sensor 22 (vehicle speed detection means), a brake switch 23 (deceleration operation detection means), and an ECU 24 (determination). Means). The ECU 24 is connected to a camera 31 (imaging means) and a display device 32 (display means).
[0018]
The navigation device 21 includes a navigation ECU 21a, a current position detection device 21b, and a map database 21c (map database). The navigation device 21 is connected to the ECU 24.
[0019]
The current position detection device 21b receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) sanitations and measures the current position of the vehicle 1 (vehicle) (shown in FIG. 2). The map database 21c stores road map data and various information on the road such as signal presence / absence information at intersections. The navigation ECU 21a acquires the current position measured by the current position detection device 21b, and detects the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired current position. In addition, the navigation ECU 21a searches the map database 21c for the nearest intersection ahead in the traveling direction at the acquired current position. And navigation ECU21a calculates the distance L to the searched intersection, and outputs this to ECU24. Furthermore, navigation ECU21a detects the presence or absence of the traffic signal in the detected intersection based on the map database 21c. And the detection result is output to ECU24.
[0020]
The vehicle speed sensor 22 is attached, for example, near the rear wheel shaft, and is connected to the ECU 24. The vehicle speed sensor 22 outputs a pulse (meter pulse) to the ECU 24 every time the transmission rotates by a predetermined angle. The ECU 24 detects the current host vehicle speed (vehicle speed) V based on the meter pulse interval. The ECU 24 also detects the deceleration (or acceleration) of the vehicle based on the time change of the vehicle speed V.
[0021]
The brake switch 23 is provided on a brake pedal (not shown) and is connected to the ECU 24. The brake switch 23 outputs to the ECU 16 a brake operation signal that is turned on when the driver operates the brake pedal. The ECU 16 detects the presence or absence of a brake operation by the driver based on the on / off state of the brake operation signal.
[0022]
The camera 31 is attached near the front end of the vehicle 1. The camera 31 can capture an image in the front left / right direction of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the camera 31 is capable of imaging a range outside the range that is directly visible from the driver's seat (the S range shown in FIG. 2) in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. The camera 31 outputs a video signal of the captured image to the ECU 24.
[0023]
The display device 32 is a display disposed in the vicinity of the instrument panel in the vehicle 1. The display device 32 normally has a function as a display of the navigation device or the like, but the ECU 24 switches between a navigation screen and a screen imaged by the camera 31.
[0024]
The ECU 24 is configured by a digital computer including a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read On Memory), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The ECU 24 communicates with the navigation device 21 (navigation ECU 21a), for example, to acquire information on the distance L to the nearest intersection in the vehicle traveling direction of the vehicle 1 and whether there is a traffic light at the intersection. . Further, the navigation device 21 acquires information on the current vehicle speed V and the presence or absence of a brake operation by the driver based on signals from the vehicle speed sensor 22 and the brake switch 23. Then, the ECU 24 determines the situation around the vehicle 1 based on these various pieces of information. Furthermore, control is performed so that the image captured by the camera 31 is displayed on the display device 32.
[0025]
Here, the determination and control mode of the apparatus 10 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed by a scheduled interruption every predetermined time.
[0026]
When the processing shifts to this routine, in step 101, the ECU 24 performs input processing of various data from the navigation device 21, the vehicle speed sensor 22, the brake switch 23, and the camera 31. Thereby, the ECU 24 determines the distance L to the nearest intersection in the vehicle traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the presence / absence of a traffic signal at the intersection, the current vehicle speed V, the presence / absence of a brake operation performed on the vehicle 1, and the front / left direction of the vehicle 1 Acquire information such as images.
[0027]
Next, in step 102, the ECU 24 determines whether or not the distance L to the intersection is equal to or less than a predetermined distance L1 (first distance) set in advance. The predetermined distance L1 is generally set to a suitable value that allows the driver to recognize the intersection. If it is determined that the distance L is equal to or less than L1, the process proceeds to step 103.
[0028]
In step 103, the ECU 24 determines whether or not there is a traffic signal at the detected intersection. If it is determined that there is no traffic signal, the process proceeds to step 104. In this case, there is no traffic light at the intersection, and the driver is approaching the intersection that requires predetermined attention without depending on the signal.
[0029]
In step 104, the ECU 24 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is currently braked by the driver. If it is determined that the brake is being operated, the ECU 24 determines that the driver intends to decelerate and proceeds to step 105.
[0030]
In step 105, the ECU 24 determines whether or not the current vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed V1 (first speed) set in advance. This speed V1 is set to a suitable value at which the driver is predicted to temporarily stop at the intersection. If the vehicle speed V is less than or equal to the speed V1, the routine proceeds to step 106. In this case, the driver is willing to stop at the intersection.
[0031]
In step 106, the ECU 24 determines that the vehicle 1 is currently approaching from the non-priority side with respect to an intersection without a traffic light. That is, it is determined that the vehicle 1 has entered the intersection where there is no traffic light from the side that should be stopped. This non-priority side (the side that should be stopped) refers not only to roads that have a stop sign, but also to roads with poor visibility or heavy traffic even if there is no sign. For example, the road side on which the driver feels that it is necessary to stop is also included. Then, the ECU 24 proceeds to step 107.
[0032]
In step 107, the ECU 24 outputs a signal to the display device 32 so as to display an image captured by the camera 31. In this case, the display device 32 displays an image as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Therefore, when the vehicle 1 enters the intersection, the driver can easily know the situation in the left-right direction even if there is a wall 40 as shown in FIG. it can. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent a collision at the encounter.
[0033]
If the distance L to the intersection is greater than or equal to the distance L1 in step 102, if it is determined in step 103 that there is a traffic light at the intersection, or if it is determined in step 104 that the vehicle 1 is not decelerating. The ECU 24 does not determine that the vehicle 1 is entering from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection, and ends the process as it is.
[0034]
As described above, the apparatus 10 determines the situation around the vehicle 1 with high accuracy. That is, when the vehicle 1 enters the intersection, it can be accurately determined that there is no traffic light at the intersection and that the vehicle 1 is about to enter from the non-priority side.
[0035]
And the apparatus 10 displays the image of the camera 31 on the display apparatus 32 based on the determination. Here, the above determination is based on the intention of the driver to stop the vehicle 1, and therefore the driver is in a state of exerting more attention on the surrounding situation. It will be judged. Therefore, in this case, displaying the display device 32 displays the image captured by the driver's camera 31 at a necessary timing. As a result, the operation feeling of the device 10 by the driver, and hence the driving feeling of the vehicle 1 are suitable.
[0036]
Further, for example, when the vehicle 1 is about to enter an intersection, this configuration suppresses excessive display more than necessary compared to a configuration in which the display device 32 is always displayed. Therefore, the driver's troublesomeness due to excessive display on the display device 32 is suppressed.
[0037]
Furthermore, in this configuration, since the presence or absence of traffic lights at the intersection is detected based on the map database 21c, the configuration is simple. That is, for example, by processing an image obtained by the camera 31 or the like, a configuration for processing an image is not necessary and simple compared with a method for detecting the presence or absence of a traffic signal at an intersection. I can say that.
[0038]
In the present embodiment, when the ECU 24 determines in step 106 that the vehicle 1 is approaching from the non-priority side, the ECU 24 may store the determined road information in the navigation device 21. That is, for example, the map database 21c may be rewritten or stored in the navigation ECU 21a. In this case, the navigation device 21 includes the determination road information only for the road on which the driver normally performs driving. A warning or the like can be issued to the driver based on the determined road information. In this case, since the navigation device 21 does not provide information on roads that the driver does not normally drive, for example, the data amount of the map database 21c is not larger than necessary.
[0039]
(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Since the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in a part of the processing performed by the ECU 24, the description of the corresponding parts is omitted.
[0040]
FIG. 5 shows a processing flow of the ECU 24 corresponding to the processing of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment. Steps 201 to 206 are the same as steps 101 to 106, respectively.
[0041]
In step 206, after the ECU 24 determines that the vehicle 1 is entering from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection, the process proceeds to step 207, and whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed V2 (second speed). Determine whether. This speed V2 is preset as a value smaller than the speed V1. The speed V2 may be a value immediately before the vehicle 1 stops. If the ECU 24 determines that the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the speed V2, the process proceeds to step 208.
[0042]
In step 208, the ECU 24 determines whether or not the distance L to the intersection is equal to or less than a predetermined distance L2 (second distance). This distance L2 is preset as a value smaller than the distance L1. This distance L2 may be a value very close to the intersection. If the ECU 24 determines that the distance L is less than or equal to the distance L2, the process proceeds to step 209.
[0043]
In step 209, the ECU 24 performs processing similar to that in step 107 in the first embodiment, and displays an image captured by the camera 31 on the display device 32.
[0044]
Note that if the ECU 24 determines in step 207 that the vehicle speed V is not equal to or less than the speed V2, and if the ECU 24 determines in step 208 that the distance L is not equal to or less than the distance L2, the process is terminated.
[0045]
As described above, in the present embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, only when the distance to the intersection is shorter and the vehicle speed is smaller (the driver really wants to stop temporarily) Only when the image is displayed). Accordingly, the display is displayed only when the driver needs more image display, so that the driver's operation feeling of the device 10 and thus the driving feeling of the vehicle 1 are more suitable.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can determine the case where the surrounding condition determination apparatus for vehicles is approaching from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection without a signal in the case where it is going to approach an intersection.
[0047]
According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of traffic lights at intersections with a simple configuration called a map database.
[0048]
According to the present invention, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to enter the traffic signal intersection from the non-priority side, the determination unit displays an image around the vehicle on the display unit. Therefore, if the imaging unit is configured to capture an image in the front left / right direction of the vehicle, the driver can know the situation in the left / right direction at an intersection with poor visibility. As a result, it is possible to prevent an encounter collision.
[0049]
According to the present invention, when it is determined that the vehicle is about to enter the traffic signal intersection from the non-priority side, the determination means is provided when the distance to the intersection is closer and the vehicle speed is smaller. However, an image around the vehicle is displayed on the display means. Therefore, if the imaging means is configured to capture an image in the front left / right direction of the vehicle, the driver can know the situation in the left / right direction at an intersection with poor visibility, but the display timing is closer to the intersection. Therefore, it will be suitable for the timing required by the driver. As a result, the driver's operational feeling is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicular ambient situation determination apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle equipped with the vehicular ambient situation determination device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an aspect of the vehicular ambient situation determination apparatus of the present invention (first embodiment).
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed by the vehicular ambient situation determination device of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an aspect of the vehicular ambient situation determination apparatus of the present invention (second embodiment).
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Vehicle (vehicle)
10 Vehicle Ambient Condition Judgment Device (Vehicle Ambient Condition Judgment Device)
21 Navigation device (distance detection means / signal presence / absence detection means)
21c Map database (map database)
22 Vehicle speed sensor (vehicle speed detection means)
23 Brake switch (deceleration operation detection means)
24 ECU (determination means)
31 Camera (imaging means)
32 Display device (display means)
L1 first distance (first distance)
L2 Second distance (second distance)
V1 1st speed (1st speed)
V2 Second speed (second speed)

Claims (4)

Distance detecting means for detecting a distance to an intersection closest to the traveling direction based on the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle;
Traffic signal presence / absence detecting means for detecting the presence / absence of a traffic signal at the intersection;
Deceleration operation detecting means for detecting presence or absence of deceleration operation of the vehicle;
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the speed of the vehicle;
The distance detected by the distance detecting means is less than or equal to a first distance, the traffic light presence detecting means detects that there is no traffic light at the intersection, and the deceleration operation detecting means detects that the vehicle has been decelerated. And determining means for determining that the vehicle is entering from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection when the speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means is equal to or lower than the first speed. Ambient situation determination device. 2. The vehicle surrounding state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal presence / absence detecting means detects the presence / absence of the traffic signal based on a map database. When the determination means determines that the vehicle is entering from the non-priority side with respect to the intersection, an image provided by the imaging means for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle is displayed on the vehicle. The vehicle surrounding state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle surrounding state determination device is displayed on the means. The determination means determines that the vehicle is approaching the intersection from a non-priority side, and the distance detected by the distance detection means is equal to or less than a second distance smaller than the first distance; and When the speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means is equal to or lower than the second speed which is smaller than the first speed, the image picked up by the image pick-up means for picking up the surroundings of the vehicle is displayed on the display means arranged in the vehicle. The vehicle surrounding state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle surrounding state determination device is characterized by the following.

Images